Funding Resources

Funding is available for graduate students on a limited basis. Applicants who apply to the program by the appropriate deadline will be considered for funding. Graduate studies in Marine Affairs generally comes from one or more of five sources:

1) Self funding – Students pay their own tuition and sometimes obtain federal or other loans. Information on tuition and fees can be found at this link.

2) External funding – Students apply for and receive their own external funding through scholarships such as the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship. Other external funding opportunities can be found at our financial resources website. Johns Hopkins University also maintains a database of external Graduate Student Funding Opportunities. MAF faculty may be willing to assist you in developing your application.

3) Teaching Assistantships – Students may receive a “Teaching Assistantship” through the University, which covers tuition, a percentage of fees, and up to 20 hour/week stipend. TA positions are offered to the strongest MAF applicants who also have an academic skillset that meets the University needs for teaching assistants. The highest demand is for for students with a background in General Biology, Anatomy and Physiology (a semester of comparative vertebrate anatomy and a semester of animal physiology with a B or better adequately prepares TAs to teach the Human A&P courses, and Microbiology. For example, since large intro general biology courses typically require a many TAs, strong Marine Affairs applicants who also have a background in biology would be more likely to be offered a TA. A limited number of TA positions are also available for students who will have duties in Marine Affairs courses.

4) Research Assistantships – Students work with a faculty member who has a funded research program and receive a “Research Assistantship.” These also cover tuition, a percentage of fees, and up to 20 hour/week stipend for work conducted at the direction of the faculty member. PhD students generally spend at least two years of their program as an RA. Applicants are encouraged to reach out to faculty directly to inquire about potential RA positions.

5) Scholarships, Diversity Awards, and Fellowships – These awards have various deadlines and requirements and more information can be found at https://web.uri.edu/graduate-school/funding/

Below is a collection of other financial resources that students and applicants may find helpful.