How long, on average, to find out about funding?

[AreDee2013]

Hey everyone,

I've recently been admitted to three Masters programs (Northwestern, Boston College, University of San Diego)... all programs that I would be excited about being a part of.

Browsing around the site, I've seen a lot of people mention how they are admitted WITH funding right off the bat. Do schools usually let you know about funding with your admission? I ask because I did not hear about funding from any of these schools. I know that PhD students have preference but do most schools give some kind of funding (TA, RA, etc) to Masters students? If so, how long until they usually let you know? Should I start e-mailing/making phone calls about it?

Thanks for any help... grad school applications can be a confusing process to those new to it.

[Gunner24]

It totally varies. Some may offer it within a few days, some take several weeks, etc. It just depends on the financial situation of the department or university to which you're applying. Yes, PhD students often get preference but that doesn't mean that they don't want Master's students....some students that are applying for an MA/MS/_______ have better credentials, LORs, SOPs, or research fits than PhD applicants, and therefore be more qualified for funding.

To let you know my experience, I was accepted to a Master's program and a week letter I received a great funding offer. This is a top-tier public university that also has a PhD program. I do not think that you are necessarily operating at a disadvantage by being a Master's applicant rather than PhD, but that's my opinion. I know many see it differently and will probably beg to differ. There can be value to a Master's degree outside of simply being a stepping stone towards a PhD.

Hope that helps and best of luck!

Edited March 3, 2011 by Gunner24

[CC139]

It depends on the schools: some schools decide on funding when they decide on admissions, so they send you your acceptance letter with funding offer. Others -mainly those with rolling admissions that start making decisions before the application deadline- have a separate admission and funding allocation processes, so you may receive info separetely (I was admitted to one of the latter schools on Jan and they said funding decisions will be available mid-March).