Funding & Awards
The Office of Grants and Fellowships
From identifying potential funding sources to offering individual consultations, in-depth proposal reviews, workshops, and more, the Graduate School's Office of Grants and Fellowships provides game-changing guidance and resources to current graduate students and postdocs applying for external funding.
The University offers three types of primary educational funding to graduate students: tuition scholarships, assistantships, and fellowships. For the policy governing funding, please see the posted financial support policy. The University additionally supports students’ pursuit of external and internal awards through the Office of Grants and Fellowships.
Please note: the Graduate School has separate and distinct funding models for doctoral programs, master’s programs, and professional master’s programs. Students should consult their individual program’s funding structures, as well as resources offered by the Office of Financial Aid, for more information.
The Graduate School gives out annual awards during commencement for students, alumni, faculty and staff. Visit the award pages for descriptions and past winners.
Tuition Scholarship
Almost 100% of doctoral students in the Graduate School receive full-tuition scholarships that include all fees except for a small student activity fee. For the 2024-2025 academic year, tuition is $64,756, including Health and Technology fees. Refer to the Student Accounts website for the breakdown of tuition and fees for Graduate School programs.
Master’s programs offer varying levels of support, ranging from tuition assistantship to full tuition plus a stipend. Students should check with their individual program to learn what level of funding is available. Professional master’s programs normally do not cover tuition, meaning that the student is responsible for payment. (Merit-based scholarships are occasionally available.)
Tuition Scholarships are also available for summer courses. See eligibility and application.
University Fellowships and Assistantships
Of our doctoral students, 94% receive multi-year fellowships or assistantships that provide stipends. For the 2024-2025 academic year, Notre Dame’s standard stipend for doctoral students on a twelve-month basis is $35,000 for humanities and social science students (up to $42,000 for select fellows); for science and engineering students: $34,479 to $37,440 (up to $45,000 for select fellows); and, $42,000 for Mendoza PhDs (up to $45,000 for select fellows). The Notre Dame/South Bend community has a very low cost-of-living index. Learn more>
The Graduate School also offers a number of select fellowships that provide support up to $45,000/year as well as other advantages. Learn more>
In addition, the Graduate School’s Office of Grants and Fellowships assists students in applying for both internal and external funding.
Health Insurance
The Graduate School provides a subsidy toward the cost of the health insurance premium for full-time, fully-funded students who are enrolled in the University sponsored health insurance plan. Eligibility for the health insurance subsidy has three threshold levels: master's, DMA, and Ph.D. Levels are set at the lowest standard 9-month stipend for each. Students must also receive a full academic year tuition scholarship to qualify. Master’s students must be in their first 5 years of study; DMA in the first 4.5 years; and Ph.D. students in the first 8 years to be eligible. Architecture, law, and professional master's students, including Mendoza, are ineligible. For information on eligibility criteria and current stipend threshold levels, please refer to the Health Subsidy Eligibility Policy. For the 2023-2024 academic year, the standard subsidy will cover the full cost of the premium. Additional information on the plan and the cost for spouses and dependents* can be found on the University Health Services website.
*Beginning in the 2024-2025 academic year, spouses and dependents of subsidy eligible graduate students will also be covered by the health insurance subsidy.
Competitive Funding and Awards Resources
The Graduate School prides itself on its proven track record of empowering students to win competitive funding to further support research and professional development. Through our Office of Grants and Fellowships we help students identify potential funding sources and develop competitive applications. Our multidisciplinary support team guides students through the application process, training them to communicate their research's significance to a wide audience. Learn more about winning competitive funding through the Office of Grants and Fellowships.