Pay for Graduate School
After you apply, you may be offered funding to pay for some or all of your expenses.
88% of doctoral students at UW–Madison receive full funding. Another 28% of master’s students at UW–Madison receive full funding. This includes an average monthly stipend of $2,889 for students who are teaching assistants (TAs), research assistants (RAs), or project assistants (PAs).
What Does Tuition Cost for Graduate School?
See the Bursar’s Office website for tuition costs and segregated fee information. Most UW–Madison students are assessed segregated fees in addition to tuition. Seg fees fund the bus pass program, University Health Services, the Child Care Tuition Assistance Program, and other services, which are used at significant rates by graduate students.
Estimate your cost of attendance
Your cost of attendance is more than just tuition and fees – it includes the cost of housing, books, supplies, health insurance, and other living expenses. If you apply for funding through the Office of Student Financial Aid, the university will base your financial aid award on your cost of attendance.
How Can I Fund My Graduate Study?
These are the most common sources of graduate student funding at UW–Madison. Each program and discipline offers a different mix of funding opportunities.
Graduate Assistantships
UW–Madison’s most common funding opportunities are teaching assistantships (TAs), research assistantships (RAs), and project assistantships (PAs). In exchange for work in the classroom (TAs), lab (RAs), or on a project (PAs), these assistantships often cover your tuition, pay a competitive monthly stipend, provide health insurance, and include paid time off.
Fellowships
Fellowships support you to pursue graduate studies without expecting you to do work for the granting agency. Fellowships may provide tuition support, a monthly stipend, and health insurance; it depends on the specific fellowship.
Traineeships
Traineeships are supported by federal training grants from agencies like the NIH and NSF. Benefits typically include tuition and fee coverage, a stipend, and health insurance.
Student Loans
The UW–Madison Office of Student Financial Aid provides information about federal work study and student loans.
How Do I Know What Funding I Might Get?
Knowing what type of funding you can expect is a critical part of researching graduate programs and comparing admissions offers from different schools.
Check funding data
Program-specific funding data shows the percent of students in your programs of interest who are supported. On the list of our academic programs, select the Data dropdown and the Funding tab.
Ask your program
Ask about the funding landscape in your program(s) of interest, as each has its own internal process. Program staff will be able to tell you how, when, and to what level funding is typically awarded to incoming students.
Search for external funding
Look for fellowships from federal agencies, professional organizations, and private foundations that may be able to support your graduate studies. A common fellowship program for STEM areas of studies is the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program.
Know your eligibility
Students in service-based pricing programs, such as online and accelerated programs, don’t receive tuition remission. Consult your programs and read your admission letter carefully to understand your benefits eligibility.
Regardless of which type of funding you receive, most students still need to pay their own segregated fees.
How and When are Funding Decisions Made?
Graduate programs at UW–Madison differ in the types and timing of their funding decisions.
The graduate program to which you apply makes admissions and funding decisions. Some graduate programs make these decisions at the same time while others make admissions decisions first and funding decisions later. Always start your search for funding information by contacting your intended program(s).
What is a funding package?
A funding package is an offer of financial support for a specified number of years.
Funding packages typically include a four- or five-year funding commitment for PhD students and a three-year funding commitment for MFA students. These commitments are contingent on satisfactory academic progress and availability of funds.
Take the time to understand your funding package, which may include a combination of different types of funding like TA positions, program assistantships, or fellowships. The funding letter sent to you by the program should outline all the components of the package being offered. For each appointment, know:
- type of position (e.g., research assistantship, teaching assistantship, fellowship, traineeship);
- start and end dates;
- percentage of the appointment/number of work hours required – for example, a 50% appointment is 20 hours per week;
- stipend amount;
- eligibility for tuition remission
- whether or not you pay segregated fees
- eligibility for health insurance; and
- additional benefits, if any (e.g., travel funds, professional development funds, priority for graduate student housing, etc).
Other Funding Questions
Contact your program of interest for questions about:
- typical funding in that program
- your funding package or funding letter
Contact the Office of Student Financial Aid for questions about:
- how a graduate assistantship or fellowship appointment affects your financial aid offer
- completing the FAFSA and CSS Profile
Email the Graduate School funding office for questions about:
- Graduate–School administered fellowships
- general funding questions
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