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.

Find a Scholarship

The vast majority of scholarships for graduate students are coordinated through the SDSU Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships. They maintain an application portal of over 700 scholarships, called Aztec Scholarships. Students should file an application through this portal, which will make them eligible for all relevant awards. Applications typically open in the spring for both students, and incoming students who have already submitted their intent to enroll.

Many additional funding opportunities are available from outside of the university. Here is a list of the most common external grants, scholarships, and fellowships.

College of Graduate Studies Funding Opportunities

In addition to the Aztec Scholarships portal, Graduate Studies offers additional awards to graduate students. Students can directly apply for some of the Graduate Studies award opportunities, but for others they will need to be nominated by their graduate program advisor/director or faculty mentor. See the links below for more details.

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 $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.

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

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

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.