Prospective Masters Students
   
Finances

The Askew School offers a few graduate assistantships and scholarships to qualified students. Recipients are chosen on a merit basis. This financial assistance is awarded beginning in the Fall semester. To be assured of consideration, applications should be received by March 31st. Assistantships include a tuition waiver and a stipend for approximately 1/4 or 1/3 time service (approximately 10 to 15 hours per week). Students may be assigned as teaching, research, or administrative assistants.

College Teaching Fellowships are awarded by the College of Social Sciences. Competition is open only to new graduate students; minimum criteria include a GRE score of 1150 and an undergraduate grade point average of 3.2 (or a 3.5 graduate grade point average). Recipients usually greatly exceed the minimum criteria, so that in practice the minimum GRE score is 1350 and the GPA about a 3.5. The stipend includes a waiver of out-of-state tuition. Announcements for the competition usually appear in February.

New students with especially strong undergraduate grades and GRE scores may apply for University Fellowships through the school before January 10th. University fellowships include an out-of-state tuition waiver.

Other fellowship opportunities are announced throughout the year. The Office of Graduate Studies publishes a monthly bulletin, "For Your Information," which includes notices of newly-opened competitions. The Office of Graduate Studies maintains current information about sources of financial aid on their website at: http://gradstudies.fsu.edu/funding.html. Application forms for loans and financial assistance may be obtained from the Office of Financial Aid. In addition, the Division of Student Affairs has information on assistantships available elsewhere in the university itself.

The university offers a number of programs specifically for minority students. The deadlines are typically around the first of February, and require short separate applications. Those qualified are encouraged to apply simultaneously for one or more of the following:
  • The Wilson Assistantship program for Black graduate students offers stipends which may be supplemented by the Askew School.


  • The Delores Auzenne Fellowship for Black graduate students provides support which may be supplemented by the School.

The University administers a full array of general support programs. Interested students should apply far in advance to the Office of Financial Aid. MPA students receiving aid through the College Work/Study Program may request assignment to the Askew School where the work experience can be designed to complement academic interests. To obtain financial aid, you must be registered for at least six hours of coursework, and some sources require nine or 12 hours. Federal laws change concerning how financial aid affects your federal income taxes. Check with FSU’s financial aid office for current information, and ask about Lifetime Learning Credit information for taxes. You need to apply for or renew your financial aid each academic year, usually in late spring (even if you already receive aid). You can apply online for financial aid to save time.

Paid Internships

Most, though not all, MPA students obtain paid internships while in the program. Agencies usually expect students to have at least a semester of course work prior to beginning an internship. The most selective internships are those in the Gubernatorial Fellows Program. Only a handful of these are selected each year. This program provides a stipend and assigns the student to work with a specific state agency. In addition, FSU’s Office of Graduate Studies provides a tuition waiver for each Gubernatorial Fellow. Students who perform well in the classroom and elsewhere may qualify for the competitively selected internships of the Florida Senate and House of Representatives (these are separately administered). An internship competition of the Florida City and County Management Association Scholarship provides a stipend, placement in a paid internship, and waiver of out-of-state tuition when appropriate. Very few pre-service MPA students receive parental support. Many enter the program while working part-time in non-professional jobs and then manage to move into one or more paid forms of employment with governments and related organizations in the capital city of Tallahassee while completing their coursework.

There are Departmental Teaching and Research Assistantships, as well as many ways a graduate student can receive financial assistance. Below is a list.
Florida State University's most prestigious fellowship award is the Presidential Research Fellowship. It carries a stipend of $23,000. We award ten of these fellowships every year.
Forms and General Information
Downloadable Fellowship and Assistantship Application Forms
Fellowship, Assistantship, and Financial Aid Flyer (PDF download)
Fellowship Information Online
Internships
Waivers
Fellowships, Assistantships, and Internships Administered by FSU
From the Office of Graduate Studies:

From FSU colleges, schools, and departments:

From other FSU organizations:

External Funding Opportunities

To add to this list or submit corrections, email Velda Williams or call (850) 644-3525.


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