Graduate Financial Aid

Finding Funding for Grad School

Graduate students have several options for funding their advanced degrees:

• by borrowing federal or private student loans,
• by working in federal work-study or JWU student assistant positions, or
• through outside funding sources like fellowships and grants from their employer or a related agency or organization in their industry.

For U.S. students, seeing how much federal funding you qualify for is usually the best place to start. See what types of funding they have available for graduate students.

Applying for Financial Aid

No matter what type of funding you choose, the first step is to apply for financial aid by filling out the FAFSA application each year to receive an award offer. JWU’s school code is 003404. The FAFSA typically opens in October for the following year’s course enrollment.

Wildcat Alumni Scholarships

No matter what year you graduated, if you’ve already got a bachelor’s degree from JWU, you’ll automatically be considered for a 25% tuition scholarship if you apply to any of our eligible graduate programs. We’re proud of our Wildcats, and it’s our way to thank you for staying with us!

Student Loans for Graduate Study

Many students pay for graduate study through loans borrowed from the U.S. government or other private lending organizations and designated for your education costs. You have to pay the money back, usually beginning after you graduate, and usually with interest.   

Work-Study and Student Assistants

Work-study and graduate student assistants exchange hours worked for pay to help cover your educational expenses.

Federal work-study is awarded through your FAFSA based on eligibility and financial need, with positions available throughout the university and with certain community service agencies off campus.

Student assistant roles are available through JWU in the Handshake portal, for roles like administrative, research, teaching, and residence hall assistants.

Are you an international student?

International students attending JWU with a student visa are also eligible to work on campus.

Outside Funding

You can also apply for grants and fellowships from organizations outside of JWU to help cover your educational costs. All accepted/deposited and current JWU students have access to a Scholarship Search tool in the iGrad portal to find funding to help pay for school.

Military Benefits

If you’re a veteran or active-duty military, your Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits can cover graduate school expenses. JWU is a Yellow Ribbon participating institution, and we offer services designed just for military to help you complete an advanced degree.