Navigating graduate school financial aid opportunities can be overwhelming. That’s especially true for international students, who often face limited access to loans, grants, and other financial aid programs; visa restrictions that limit employment opportunities; burdensome requirements to provide proof of financial solvency; and unfamiliar systems and terminologies that make it difficult to learn what opportunities exist and how to pursue them. In addition, many universities do not prominently advertise aid opportunities specific to international students. These challenges combine to create a particularly daunting landscape for international students, requiring them to navigate financial aid with careful planning, persistence, and often, external support.
As part of our effort to support international students and applicants, The Open Notebook has gathered information about financial aid options that exist for international students attending graduate science journalism and science communications programs in the U.S.
The information below has been collected via an email questionnaire sent to program directors and/or admissions officers at several dozen universities. The focus of our questions is on financial support for international students.
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Please note that the information provided below is subject to change. We will do our best to keep the information on this page up to date. If you would like to provide or update information about a U.S. university-based program that offers graduate training in science, health, or environmental journalism or communications, please contact TON executive director and editor-in-chief Siri Carpenter: siricarpenter@theopennotebook.com.
Universities in This List
City University of New York (CUNY) Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism
Information provided by Maximo Patiño, Director of Admissions
Historically, we haven’t offered application fee waivers specifically for international students, but we’re confident that this year, anyone applying by January 17 [2025], including international students, will have the $75 application fee waived.
For scholarships, I recommend applying early. Applications open on September 13 [2024], with a priority deadline for scholarship consideration on January 17 [2025].
This year, two-thirds of our incoming class received full tuition coverage, with the majority of funds going to in-state students. International students can also be considered for a variety of scholarships and tuition waivers.
We offer specific scholarships that can cover full tuition and fees, and many international students are studying tuition-free. For example, the Lorana Sullivan Foundation Scholarship, which is designated for women, provides full tuition plus a $10,000 stipend and is open to international students. In general, international students may be eligible for some scholarships and fellowships, but not for loans.
We have compiled a document that outlines various external scholarship opportunities, which we share with our international students to help them explore additional funding options.
We do our best not to overwhelm students with financial figures. However, schools require students to provide proof of funding, showing how they plan to cover living expenses or tuition, which can often be intimidating due to the large sums involved. If that is challenging for students to meet the requirement, we also have a deferral policy for international students. If we offer a student a tuition waiver and a spot in the program, but they are unable to attend that year, we can hold their spot for the following year.
Colorado State University Journalism and Media Communication
Information provided by Katie Abrams, Professor & Graduate Program Director, Department of Journalism and Media Communication, Center for Science Communication
International students with financial need are not eligible for tuition or fee waivers.
Our program offers assistantships to new graduate students each year.
Details:
- We offer 8-15 assistantships annually to new students.
- These cover full tuition, a student health insurance plan premium, student fees, and provide a modest monthly stipend for nine months.
- PhD students can apply for limited summer assistantships.
- Most assistantships involve working as a teaching assistant for undergraduate journalism courses 20 hours per week.
- We occasionally offer a few research and professional communication assistantships.
Some international students have attended on Fulbright awards or with funding from employers (typically universities in their home countries).
Additional financial considerations:
- The monthly stipend often needs supplementation due to our state’s high cost of living.
- International students may have limited options for additional income due to visa restrictions.
All of the above are subject to change. This information is based on current budgets and trajectories for funding for our fall 2025 admissions.
I’d also like to note that our MS and PhD programs focus more on theory and research rather than practical science writing skills. For some, this focus is different than their graduate degree needs and goals.
Johns Hopkins University Krieger School of Arts and Sciences
Information provided by Melissa Hendricks, Program Director of MA in Science Writing and Senior Lecturer
The Johns Hopkins M.A. in Science Writing Program is probably different from the other grad programs you’re contacting because almost all our courses are online. My understanding is that international students must be enrolled in a minimum of two in-person classes each semester to maintain their visa status. While our program offers a few in-person courses each year, at this time we don’t offer enough for international students to maintain visa eligibility.
An international student could attend the program entirely online, eliminating the need for a visa.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences
Information provided by Seth Mnookin, Director of the Graduate Program in Science Writing and a Professor in Comparative Media Studies/Writing
We don’t waive tuition or fees, but we do offer financial aid in the form of grants that do not need to be repaid. All of our students have 100 percent of their tuition and all of their fees covered. International students can also contact us directly for application fee waivers.
In general, international students are not treated any differently than domestic students when it comes to financial aid.
All of our students receive financial aid. We divide the amount of aid we have available among our class equally; typically, this amount covers all expenses associated with attending the program (tuition, fees, health insurance, and living expenses). Our goal is to have our students leave our program with more money in their bank accounts than they had when they entered.
We have a number of individual fellowships sponsored by MIT’s Office of Graduate Education; some of these are geared specifically towards international students. Because our base financial aid package typically covers all expenses, when students win these fellowships, they might receive an additional $5,000 or $10,000. (We are not permitted to give students a total aid package that exceeds what MIT considers a “premium” stipend by more than a certain percentage.)
International students should know that the GPSW is fully committed to ensuring that all of our admitted students can attend the program without worrying about the financial implications.
New York University (NYU) Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute
Information provided by Dan Fagin, Professor and Director of Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program (SHERP)
International applicants are fully eligible for all scholarships except for a few that are restricted to U.S. citizens. They are not eligible for application fee waivers.
In recent years, all enrolled students, including international students, have received large financial aid grants from NYU. The average NYU aid award per enrolled SHERP student is approximately $65,000. (That figure does not include scholarships secured by students on their own; it also does not include loans.) We award an array of scholarships, some specific to SHERP and others shared among the various graduate programs at NYU Journalism. Tuition and registration fees for the entire 16-month, 38-point SHERP sequence total approximately $87,000.
There are innumerable sources of outside aid, many of which are open to international applicants. Most are eligible for NYU’s Tuition Incentive Program, which matches qualifying outside aid at either 50 percent or 100 percent, depending on the size of the outside scholarship the student has obtained.
Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism
Information provided by Donna Wang Su, Associate Director, Office of Graduate Admissions and Financial Aid, Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications
Yes, if you are a current or former member of the U.S. Armed Forces, AmeriCorps, Teach for America, McNair Scholar, Posse Foundation Scholar, Quest Bridge student or the Peace Corps, you may request a fee waiver by sending an email to Medill Graduate Admissions prior to submitting your application.
We also offer a limited number of application fee waivers based on financial need; requests of this nature must be requested in writing prior to submitting your application. Send your request to Medill Graduate Admissions.
Yes and no. No, there are not stipends or teaching or graduate fellowships with our program. Yes, we do offer scholarships/grants and loan access. I would recommend for applicants to look to this page for additional information.
Medill awards more than three million dollars in scholarships and grants to over 90 percent of its graduate journalism students each year. All admitted students are automatically considered for our Medill scholarships and grants. There is not a separate application process for any of our scholarships. Most admitted MSJ students will receive a Medill scholarship, and most Medill scholarships cover between 15 percent and 50 percent of tuition costs.
You will also see on that page there is some additional grant aid, as well as other financial opportunities. Even as recently as last month, this announcement went out on our social media: “Three recent MSJ graduates in the Health, Environment and Science Specialization were awarded post-graduate reporting fellowships with the Pulitzer Center. Louise Kim (MSJ24) and Tristan Bove (MSJ24) will spend the summer reporting on the impact of climate change around Lake Tanzania, while Jess Savage (MSJ24) will report on restoring peat bogs for flood control in Yorkshire, England.”
We do have two types of scholarships that are specific to our science journalists:
- The Comer Scholarship supports students who demonstrate commitment to covering environmental issues. Applicants must apply to the Health, Environment and Science specialization and highlight their dedication to environmental reporting in their personal statement.
- The Trienens Institute Scholarship is awarded to two students who are committed to covering environmental stories with a focus on solutions, health and ecojustice. Applicants must apply to the Health, Environment and Science specialization to be considered for the Trienens Scholarship.
We keep an ongoing spreadsheet of various external scholarships that our students have received. But often times, as we tell them, it depends on their form of payment. If the organization is paying the student directly, our office is not involved. If the organization pays Northwestern University directly, we will step into assist.
Separate from Medill’s financial aid office, there are various lenders for private loans for international students (noting that majority of them will require a U.S. co-signer and there is a small minority that does not require a U.S. cosigner).
We are excited to announce our Dean’s scholarship that will cover full tuition costs, we will offer five of them for the 2025-2026 year.
Please note that students from all specializations will be considered for this scholarship. Students who apply in Round 1 (November 11, 2024 deadline) or Round 2 (January 17, 2025 deadline) will have priority consideration for this scholarship.
Stony Brook University Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science
Information provided by Brenda Hoffman, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Graduate Programs Director, School of Communication and Journalism
The School of Communication and Journalism does not offer any tuition or fee waivers. Any opportunities through other units such as the graduate school or international office would go through those offices.
Currently our program does not offer funding or teaching assistantships. All of our students are self- or employer-funded.
I am not aware of forms that students have received outside of financial aid.
The Science Communication program is entirely online, meaning that students can complete the degree from anywhere, and thus are not granted a visa.
Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
Information provided by Barbara Gastel, Professor and Director of Science and Technology Journalism (STJR)
Normally, such waivers are not available.
For both international and domestic students, financial aid in our program normally comes in the form of graduate assistantships (half-time graduate student jobs). Most commonly, the students have teaching assistantships helping with writing-intensive courses for undergraduate science majors. Sometimes they have assistantships of other types. Payment for assistantships varies but typically is about $2,000 to $2,500 per month.
A big plus is that students with assistantships can pay tuition at the in-state rate, which is a big savings. Students with assistantships also receive some other employee benefits. For domestic students, assistantship offers normally are for the 9-month school year, with availability of summer assistantships dependent on demand and resources; however, we usually give international students 12-month assistantship offers. When funds permit, we also contribute something toward the tuition of our students with assistantships.
Also, our part of the university has an excellent food pantry for graduate students. Given the various types of support, the relatively low tuition here, and the low cost of living in this community, the financial support usually suffices to cover or nearly cover the total cost of attendance.
Over the years, at least a couple of international students in our program have received Fulbright scholarships. Also, I recall at least one international student who was a sponsored student, receiving financial support from their home institution.
A few items:
- Because of the time needed for visa processing and such, our application deadlines for international students are earlier than those for domestic students. We also encourage international students to apply earlier than that. In case of delays, students can defer entry for up to 1 year. (Students can enter our program in either the fall or the spring.)
- From its beginning almost 30 years ago, our program has welcomed international students; over the years, we have had students from many countries. The relatively low tuition and the low cost of living here help make the program affordable. Our university also has a large international student population and an active international student services office.
- It might be helpful for prospective applicants to know that although for historical reasons our program is called science and technology journalism, it actually is a more broadly based program in the communication of science. Some of our graduates pursue careers in science journalism per se, but others pursue careers in other science communication areas, such as science public information or scholarly science communication.
University of California, Santa Cruz Science Communication
Information provided by Erika Check Hayden, Director of SciCom Program and Lecturer
Yes. We offer aid in the form of fellowships. Most students who request financial aid, including international students, receive some aid. The amount varies from year to year and student to student.
Yes. I have had international students who had received grants and support from institutions in their home countries.
You can find a breakdown of the total cost to attend the University of California, Santa Cruz as a graduate student here.
Students in our program are required to undertake part-time internships. Some of these internships are paid. International students are eligible to undertake paid internships.
Most students live off campus; we provide resources to help students find housing.
Most students who attend our program have a car, but it is possible to complete the program without one.
Graduates of our program are eligible to apply for the 24-month STEM OPT extension.
University of Montana School of Journalism
Information provided by Nadia White, Director, Master’s Program in Environmental Science and Natural Resource Journalism
Yes, international students are considered for tuition waivers along with all other applicants for a given year. These generally come in the form of teaching assistantships and offer a tuition waiver plus a stipend that roughly covers fees. The stipend is distributed throughout the year, while fee payment is due with tuition, which creates a disconnect between need and resource. We have a limited number of TA opportunities and they seldom cover more than one year of study. The stipend is not enough to cover both fees and living expenses.
Outside support has come from journalism groups such as the South Asian Journalists Association and Society of Environmental Journalists (for attending conferences). Fulbright scholars arrive with some support but it is insufficient to cover tuition and fees.
My experience with international students in our graduate program is limited. I receive a lot of inquiries from students from Nigeria, Kenya, and Bangladesh. Supporting students from these countries often requires full tuition and fee support.
Our international tuition is higher than our out-of-state tuition. I think it is geared at students from developed nations and I don’t worry about their finances—we are a comparative bargain for them. Students from developing countries, however, need and deserve a level of support I can only offer occasionally.
University of Rhode Island College of the Environment and Life Sciences
Information provided by Madison Jones, Director of Science Writing and Rhetoric Certificate Program
Here is the URI Fee policy information. Fee waiver applications are dependent on the respective program to which they apply/enroll.
I cannot speak for graduate journalism students, and only for graduate students in the life sciences and particularly those interested in studying both science and science communication (because of the particular structure of our program).
Because we are a certificate program, and not a standalone graduate program, students are usually enrolled in a separate program. Funding typically comes from an advisor (RA stipend, tuition, benefits) or by a college (TA stipend, tuition, benefits), but this comes after enrollment.
Unfortunately, there are no predetermined funding opportunities from URI that are strictly associated with the graduate certificate (though I am hoping to change this in the future), but there may be for students concurrently enrolled in the graduate certificate and a master’s or PhD degree program.
In terms of outside financial aid, the most important programs that fund international students are Fulbright and the American Association of University Women (at least for the life sciences).
University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Life Sciences Communication
Information provided by Lynn Bartholomew, Academic Advising Manager
If students are admitted, they can apply for assistantships in the department (we do calls in mid-October/early-March). Assistantships are through teaching, research, and project assistant positions. International students need to apply each semester as we are only able to guarantee funding one semester at a time. Application waivers are not available to international students who are interested in applying to the program. However, at UW-Madison, a student can apply to up to three graduate programs for one $75 application fee. A student can apply to Life Sciences Communication, Communication Arts, and the School of Journalism and Mass Communication all with one fee.
UW-Madison offers a variety of stipends, grants, fellowships and scholarships. Life Sciences Communication students have 40-50% appointments that receive tuition remission. The university has fellowships and grants at different levels depending on the award amount and the award requirements. The department also awards scholarships to current students each year ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 depending on available funds.
We have recently changed the name of our program from Mass Communications ALS, PhD to Science Communication, PhD. This is an exciting change for faculty, staff, and students in the department. You can learn more about this change here.