Finish Your PhD or Doctorate with Money from Grants

Just Say "No" to Student Loans

By the time you reach a doctoral degree you’ve seriously tapped your savings—you’re probably on a daily diet of ramen noodles. In combination with other forms of financial aid, make sure student doctoral grants are part of your cash-getting strategy.

Consider your main concerns when shopping for extra grant funding:

  • Do you have major chunks of research left to conduct?
  • Have any travel for which you need funding?
  • Need straight-up tuition assistance?
  • Are you an ethnic minority studying in an under-represented area?

Why ask yourself these questions? They help you identify specific areas in which you might seek grant funds. Research and travel are fairly common grant programs open to doctoral students. While they may not meet ALL your financial needs, they can certainly defray costs and shear the edge off your stress level.

Now let’s explore some of the best sources for grant programs aimed at PhD and Doctoral level students….

Government Sources for Doctoral Student Grant Money

Don’t assume that government sources only provide free college money to undergraduates. Federal and state governments are providers of various types of grants and fellowships that could fit your needs. You must be thorough and motivated to succeed in routing out all the funding opportunities. A few examples to get your juices flowing, include:

  • The Fulbright Grant program is one of the largest and most respectable global exchange programs in the world. This massive program is run by the U.S. Department of State and invites eager and leadership-oriented scholars from all areas of study to apply for consideration.
  • The Federal government has dozens of departments and services, all of which offer scores of grant and fellowship opportunities. The Student.gov website is a solid place to start searching, based on your interests. See grant opportunities with the EPA, the Justice Department, FBI and CIA, HUD, Department of Health and Human Services, and the National Science Foundation, among others.

Doctoral Grant Money from Your University

This should be a no-brainer, but grant money is usually available from your university. Students studying doctoral degrees or PhD programs often have options to participate in fellowship programs. This means payment in exchange for research and/or teaching assistance. Ask about small grants for research offered through your department of study.

Private Sources

Professional associations in the sciences, healthcare, education and many more are viable sources for student aid. Besides tuition assistance for professional members and student members, keep in mind that these are also excellent sources for research grants and travel grants.

  • The Geological Society of America funds student research grants annually. The program competition gives preference to students with disabilities, minorities, and female doctoral students studying at a university in the U.S.