Funding Resources

November 27, 2013

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. MAF faculty may be willing to assist you in developing your application.

3) Teaching Assistantships – Students receive a “Teaching Assistantship” through the University, which covers tuition and up to 20 hour/week stipend. These TA positions are offered to the strongest MAF applicants who also have an academic skillset that meets the University needs for teaching assistants. For example, since large intro biology courses typically require a number of TAs, strong Marine Affairs applicants who also have a background in biology would be more likely to be offered a TA.

4) Research Assistantships – Students work with a faculty member who has a funded research program and receive a “Research Assistantship.” These also cover tuition 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. 

5) Scholarships, Diversity Awards, and Fellowships – These awards have various deadlines and requirements and more information ca 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.