As a Ph.D. student, you likely won’t qualify for most of the financial aid funds that you can get as an undergraduate or even master’s degree students. That doesn’t mean there isn’t any kind of monetary help out there. If you want to earn a doctorate in your field, don’t let lack of finances stand in your way. You can definitely find financial aid to help pay for your education – so when you finally do graduate, you don’t have mountains of debt in student loans.

Ph.D. Grants

One of the most common types of financial aid for Ph.D. students is the grants. Grants are common at every educational level, but they’re especially helpful for Ph.D. students, since grants at this level can be used for so much more than tuition. Many colleges and outside sources do offer grants for Ph.D. students to pay for tuition, but you can also find grants available for specific research projects, travel to professional conferences and other events, and more. Each grant is different, but one of the characteristic that sets grants apart from other forms of financial aid is the need to review your financial information. Most grants take into consideration how much you need the money, not just whether or not you deserve it from a merit standpoint.

Ph.D. Fellowships

As an undergraduate, you may have earned scholarships; when you’re a post-grad student, you’ll be more likely to find fellowships. They’re similar, but like grants at this level, are often available to be used for more than just tuition. Most fellowships are offered directly from schools and you must have a professor’s recommendation to be awarded this money. You might be required to perform research or teaching assistant tasks in order to earn the fellowships. However, outside organizations can also offer fellowships, and in this case, the money will act more like a scholarship – you’ll simply be offered money for your tuition based on merit.

Employer Programs

Occasionally, if you already work in your field, you can find an employer willing to fund your education through a tuition reimbursement program. With this type of financial aid, you’ll be committing to work for a specific company in some cases – employers pay for education because they want the best and brightest employees working for them. However, in exchange, you’ll not only get a free education, but also, in many cases, get a promotion or raise when you graduate.