Stanford
Materials Science and Engineering

Financial Aid Information

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Financial Support for PhD Students

We provide full financial support to all of our PhD students for the duration of their program, contingent on maintaining satisfactory degree progress. This financial support includes full tuition, a living stipend/salary, and a health insurance subsidy. Our stipend level is evaluated each year to ensure that students can afford the high cost of living in our surrounding community.

Graduate Fellowships

We strongly encourage our PhD students to apply for external fellowships, such as the National Science Foundation, Hertz and Department of Defense fellowships. If the external fellowship is not sufficient to cover our standard department support level, a supplement is provided to bring the full level of support up to the Stanford standard. In addition, current Stanford PhD students are eligible to apply for Stanford-specific fellowships once they are matriculated. These fellowships strongly enhance your resume for your future career.

Master’s students

Master’s students do not receive fellowships and are rarely appointed to research assistantships. The Stanford University Financial Aid office offers information about loans available to U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

Graduate student research funds

Students employed as graduate student researchers are supported by funds from research grants and contracts obtained by faculty in the department. The selection of a research topic is carried out by mutual agreement between the student and the advisor(s). 

Undergraduate financial aid

Undergraduate financial support is available through Stanford University’s Financial Aid office.

Undergraduate fee waiver information

Stanford Financial Aid Office

The Stanford Financial Aid office provides comprehensive information on financial aid options for both undergraduate and graduate students. You will find everything you need to know about financial aid at this website.

Stanford admissions financial aid FAQ

Stanford Undergraduate Admissions has an FAQ that answers common questions about financial aid.