Funding & Financial Support

Funding a graduate education can be difficult. The College of Graduate Studies is here to help, and has assembled a collection of resources and opportunities for graduate students. Here you can find information about the many types of financial support available at SDSU, including scholarships, fellowships, and grants administered from federal, state, and university sources. The College of Graduate Studies can help you navigate this information and seek funding for your graduate degree. 

Understanding Your University Bursar's Office Bill

Within your University Bursar's Office bill there are the following educational costs:

1. Basic Tuition is sometimes referred to as "California resident tuition” or “in-state tuition."
2. Non-Resident Tuition is charged to out-of-state and international students at a rate of $396 per unit of coursework for the 2023-2024 academic year. This rate will increase to $420 per unit of coursework for the 2024-2025 academic year.
3. Out-of-State and International Fee is charged to out-of-state and international students per semester until graduation. 
   • Please note: This fee is in addition to Non-Resident Tuition. Please see the "Out of State and International Student Fee" section of the University Bursar's Office Tuition and Fees webpage (scroll about halfway down the page).
4. Mandatory campus fees include a variety of required fees.
5. Professional program fees are additional required fees in certain graduate programs.
6. There are additional and optional miscellaneous fees.

Find a Fellowship

The College of Graduate Studies offers many internal awards to eligible master’s and doctoral students. There are also external sources of funding that offer competitive fellowships and grants.

Internal Financial Fellowships and Scholarships

External Financial Fellowships and Scholarships

Find a Scholarship 

SDSU Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships maintains an application portal of over 700 scholarships, called Aztec Scholarships. While most of these scholarships are intended for undergraduates, there are many for which graduate students are also eligible. 

There is one application for all 700 awards, and once your application is finished, it is automatically sent to all eligible review committees. Applications are typically in spring, and are open to both current students and incoming students who have submitted their intent to enroll.

Teaching Associate, Graduate Assistant, and Instructional Student Assistant (TA/GA/ISA) Employment

For more information about TA/GA/ISA hiring, including information about TA tution waivers and waiver of the Out-of-State and International Student Fee (OOS/I), please visit our Graduate Student Employment page.

Graduate Student Travel Scholarship 

The Graduate Student Travel Scholarship is an award given to students for travel associated with research, scholarly, and creative activities. 

Other useful resources

• Tuition Calculator 
• CA Residency Reclassification for Tuition Purposes
• Current SDSU Tuition and Fees
• List of graduate advisors and doctoral program directors
• The Office for Graduate Life and Diversity

Have a question about the fellowships listed on this page? Reach out to [email protected] for help! 

Have questions regarding Financial Aid or Aztec Scholarships? Reach out to the Cal Coast Student Financial Center.