The question of how to finance a graduate education is important and unique to each student. The Financial Aid priority deadline for applicants to the MA program at NYU Gallatin is January 15. Anyone who hopes to compete for our Dean's Graduate Scholarships and Graduate Assistantships must submit their application by January 15. Please read through the information on this page carefully if you have questions about financial aid.
For US citizens: to be considered for any type of financial assistance, you must be eligible for federal aid and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by February 1.
For international students: International students may be considered for the Dean's Graduate Scholarships and Graduate Assistant (GA) positions and are not required to submit the FAFSA.
Loans
Student loans are administered through the NYU Office of Financial Aid. To be considered for loans, US Citizens must submit the FAFSA by March 15. International students are generally not eligible for federal or state financial aid, but may take advantage of the New York University Deferred Payment Plan. Private educational loans are also possible to help international students fund their NYU education. There is more information about private loans on NYU's website. Most lenders will require a U.S. cosigner.
Scholarships and assistantships
1. Dean's Graduate Scholarships
The Gallatin School of Individualized Study awards four Dean’s Graduate Scholarships to eligible incoming MA students every fall. Recipients will be awarded $35,000 for the first year of study ($17,500 per semester for the first and second semesters of full-time study), and $17,500 for the third semester of the program (contingent upon full-time enrollment). Scholarship aid is not available in the fourth and final semester of the program when students are registered on a part-time basis while completing the thesis. These scholarships provide support for outstanding students who are pursuing innovative programs of study within these four broad areas of interdisciplinary academic inquiry: Arts; Humanities; Globalization, Environment, and Social Change; and Urbanism and Civic Engagement (Urban Democracy Lab).
- Arts: For writers, performers, and visual artists whose creative practice will be enriched by graduate research and scholarship.
- Humanities: For students whose research involves the traditional humanities disciplines (broadly conceived) and/or related fields including public humanities, design, performance, curating, cultural programming, arts communications, teaching, critical writing, publishing, journalism, cultural activism, and digital humanities.
- Globalization, Environment, and Social Change: For students whose research questions relate to global politics, civil society, NGOs, global gender studies, the political economy, globalization, development, indigenous studies, environmentalism, AI, data science, science and technology studies, climate studies and/or sustainability.
- Urbanism and Civic Engagement (Urban Democracy Lab): For students interested in being involved with Gallatin's Urban Democracy Lab and whose research focuses on the following topics: urban social justice, urban environmentalism, globalization and cities, gentrification/displacement and its alternatives, alternative housing models, democracy, social movements and participation. Students will have the opportunity to take a leadership role in the Lab's Student Advisory Board, participate in working groups, contribute to the Lab's blog, and collaborate with research teams undertaking focused, short-term and long-term community-engaged projects.
To be considered for the Dean’s Graduate Scholarship, you must:
- be a full-time student
- submit the application for admission by January 15.
- file the FAFSA by February 1 if you are a US citizen or permanent resident
- include a writing sample as part of your application for admission
2. Graduate Assistant Positions
Each year, 1-3 fully-funded Graduate Assistant (GA) positions are available at Gallatin. Graduate Assistants carry out professional, administrative, and planning responsibilities central to helping the mission of the School. These highly selective Graduate Assistant positions are awarded to incoming graduate students pursuing full-time programs of study. International students may be considered for the Graduate Assistant positions and are not required to submit the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).
To be considered for a Graduate Assistant (GA) position, you must:
- be a full-time student for the duration of the Gallatin MA Program
- submit the MA application for admission by January 15
- where indicated in the application, upload a letter of motivation, resumé, and document with the names of three references
- file the FAFSA by February 1, if you are a US citizen or permanent resident
There are four broad categories of assistant positions:
- Gallatin Office of Student Life GA
- Gallatin Writing Program GA
- Gallatin Interdisciplinary Arts program GA
- Gallatin STAC (Science, Technology, Arts and Creativity) Community GA
GA positions rotate and the openings available in any particular year are dependent upon institutional need. Interested applicants are welcome to apply for both Graduate Assistant (GA) positions and the Dean's Graduate Scholarship.
3. NYU Peace Corps Coverdell Fellowship Program
The NYU Peace Corps Coverdell Fellowship Program offers a select group of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) partial funding to pursue a master's degree at one of six participating NYU graduate schools, including Gallatin. To be considered for the NYU Peace Corps Coverdell Fellowship Program, you must:
- be a full-time student
- submit the application for admission by January 15
- submit the Description of Service (DOS).
- If you have not yet completed your service, as an alternative to the DOS, a reference letter from your country director certifying your service may be submitted until the DOS is available. If you are offered admission, the DOS must be submitted prior to enrollment.
Applicants who wish to be considered for the Coverdell Fellowship are not required to pay the $50 application fee. The fee is automatically waived from your application. If you have trouble, please contact John Bradley (jwb9@nyu.edu).
4. Benefits for Veterans
A variety of educational benefits are available to veterans, their families, and in-service personnel, including the Yellow Ribbon Program. To learn how to use your VA benefits, please visit the Military Service/Veteran Resources website.
5. Outside Resources
Outside scholarships are an excellent way to help reduce your need to work and/or borrow student loans.