How Do I Get a Fully Funded Degree from Top Colleges?

You always hear about how beneficial higher education can be to a person’s success. Climbing the proverbial ladder is certainly made easier by having proper credentials. That’s all well and good, but college can be prohibitively expensive.

The cost is even worse when you enroll in an advanced master’s or PhD program. While PhD tuition costs can certainly vary, ambitious learners can still expect to pay anywhere between $28,000 and $40,000 per year.

What Is a Fully Funded Degree Program?

Fully funded degree programs occur when universities offer to waive a student’s tuition fees and provide an annual living stipend for the duration of the program. These highly desirable programs offer a fantastic opportunity to earn an advanced master’s degree or PhD without having to take on mountains of student debt.

Moreover, these programs are more common than you might think. While some are offered to top applicants, even more are offered through Teaching Assistantship or Graduate Research arrangements that include weekly responsibilities akin to a part-time job with the university.

Psychology PhD Programs

Doctoral programs from psychology fall under three main categories: clinical, counseling, and school psychology. As such, a PhD in psychology offers real versatility to those looking to enter this exciting field.

Psychology PhD at Yale

One of the oldest education institutions in the country offers prospective psychology students more than education. They offer the opportunity to receive APA accreditation via their fully funded clinical psychology PhD program.

Taking on a 20 hour-per-week fellowship grants students access to funding through Yale’s faculty research fund. This funding often covers the cost of tuition and includes an annual stipend for up to five years.

Psychology PhD at Columbia

The Teacher’s College at Columbia University offers an APA-accredited Clinical Psychology Program designed to train students to produce, analyze, and discuss scientific material, as well as prepare them from clinical assessment and intervention. This four-year program is fully-funded through a doctoral fellowship that includes the cost of tuition and a $25,000 yearly stipend.

Psychology PhD at Arizona State

Arizona State boasts a variety of doctoral psychology programs. This includes specializations in:

• Behavioral neuroscience;
• Clinical psychology;
• Cognitive science;
• Developmental psychology;
• Social psychology, and;
• Quantitative research methods.

Better yet, the Department of Psychology at ASU offers financial assistance. Acceptance and enrollment in a full-time doctoral student with a 20-hour-per-week graduate teaching or research assistantship grants students fully-funded tuition and an annual stipend starting at $19,172.

Nursing PhD Programs

A PhD is the highest level of education that a nurse can achieve and completing one often opens the door to a lot of opportunity. A PhD in nursing prepares students to participate in advanced clinical practice that includes medical research and more.

Nursing PhD at Yale

The Yale School of Nursing pairs each incoming PhD student with a faculty advisor whose area of expertise complements that individual’s study. The goal is to prepare students to contribute to the development of nursing science. The school achieves this through a combination of formal coursework, seminars, research assistantships, and teaching fellowships.

Upon acceptance, students receive full funding including tuition, healthcare, and a monthly stipend for four years.

Nursing PhD at Columbia

Columbia University’s School of Nursing offers a similar package for those interested and capable of becoming a nurse scientist. This program can be completed in three to four years. Plus, it includes funding for tuition, health insurance, and a stipend for fill-time PhD students.

Nursing students at Columbia also uniquely benefit from the university’s strong partnership with neighboring medical colleges. This includes the Mailman School of Public Health and the College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Nursing PhD at Boston College

Science, theory, and research collide at the Connell School of Nursing’s PhD program from Boston College. This program keeps class sizes small and offers faculty mentorship to help maximize each student’s potential. Furthermore, every accepted full-time student receives fully funded tuition, fees, and health insurance for three years.

Public Health PhD Programs

A PhD in public health is a sure-fire way to make a difference in the medical field. Although every program is different, these programs generally prepare students to treat and prevent diseases that affect millions of people all over the world.

Public Health PhD at Yale

Yale University’s Public Health PhD has six tracks to choose from. They are:

1. Biostatistics;
2. Chronic disease epidemiology;
3. Environmental health sciences;
4. Epidemiology of microbial diseases;
5. Health policy and management, and;
6. Social and behavioral sciences.

All six of these specializations aim to prep students for a career in public health and include funding for tuition, health insurance, and a stipend.

Public Health PhD at Harvard

The prestigious Harvard University offers eligible doctoral students a fully funded opportunity in Biological Sciences.

This intensive program includes a fellowship that gets students working alongside leading public health scientists. Better yet, all accepted students receive fully funded tuition, insurance, and a stipend.

Public Health PhD at University of Michigan

Those interested in studying Health Services Organization and Policy should consider this fully funded program from the University of Michigan. This PhD program prepare students to take on health crises from a policy perspective.

The program is funded through a combination of research and teaching assistantships. It covers insurance and tuition, as well as including a stipend.

Biomedical Engineering Masters Programs

Biomedical engineering is a field for those passionate about using technology to transform the world of healthcare. Bionic limbs, laser-guided surgical devices, and performance-enhancing wearables are just the beginning.

Biomedical Engineering Masters at Indiana University

Getting accepted to the Biomedical Engineering Masters at Indiana University can be difficult.

Despite that difficulty, funding your studies once enrolled is incredibly simple. Fellowships can be attained through either a research assistantship, graduate assistantship, or a teaching assistantship, all of which cover program fees and health insurance and include a competitive stipend.

Biomedical Engineering Masters at The University of Toronto

The Master of Applied Science program at the University of Toronto is a thesis-based graduate program dedicated to solving the biggest problems in biology and medicine using engineering principles. This program is fully funded, includes a stipend, and offers the top students the opportunity for additional funding by way of academic awards.

Biomedical Engineering Masters at The University of Maine

Prepare yourself for a future of tinkering with medical equipment with a Biomedical Engineering Masters at the University of Maine. This fully funded program offers annual stipends starting at $14,500 in addition to covering all tuition costs.

Criminal Justice PhD Programs

A PhD in criminal justice is the only way to prepare yourself and your resume to tackle administrative, academic, research, or professional positions in both public and private institutions. Students can gain valuable insight into the intersecting forms of injustice and analyzes crime from a societal level.

Criminal Justice PhD at Arizona State University

Arizona State University offers a unique, varied approach to criminal justice, as part of their brand-new School of Social Transformation. The goal is to create social change that is democratic, inclusive, and just.

As such, the Criminal Justice PhD curriculum reflects that. The program can be fully funded with graduate fellowships along with teaching and research assistantships.

Criminal Justice PhD at the University of California

Receiving second place in U.S. News and World Reports’ ranking of the best criminology PhD program in the country, the University of California offers students a full-funded opportunity to learn about the causes, manifestations, and consequences of crime. Research and teaching assistantships are available to help supplement the cost of tuition, as are various fellowships and research grants.

Criminal Justice PhD at Georgia State University

The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, part of George State University, offers all students admitted to their Criminal Justice Doctoral Program a graduate assistantship that includes a full tuition waiver and an annual stipend of $18,000. If a career researching or teaching criminal justice and criminology appeals to you, consider applying to Georgia State.

How to Find More Fully Funded Programs

You’d think that the highest level of education would be unattainably costly. However, as you can no doubt see, that isn’t always the case. Countless PhD and master’s programs are available to prospective students at no cost. In fact, some even pay you to attend.

The list of fully funded post-grad opportunities doesn’t stop here. Search online for more opportunities and prepare yourself for an exciting and lucrative career with an advanced degree.