Funding Options For Master's Students At The University Of Kentucky

The University of Kentucky offers funding for graduate students in the form of fellowships and assistantships. The former is a non-service award for academically superior students, while the latter involves specified teaching or research duties. The Graduate School's Business Office supports over 2000 funded graduate students and promotes student success across all graduate programs.

There are various types of assistantships and fellowships available for Master's students, each with different eligibility criteria and benefits. Assistantships provide a stipend and may cover tuition costs, while fellowships carry a biweekly stipend and usually cover tuition. Students can also apply for external funding through grants, scholarships, and other sources.

The University of Kentucky also offers several fellowship opportunities, including the Lyman T. Johnson Fellowship, which is available for Master's students entering one of the many programs at the University of Kentucky Graduate School. This fellowship provides a stipend of $10,000 for Master's students, along with a standard graduate tuition scholarship.

Fellowships

The University of Kentucky offers several fellowship opportunities for graduate students enrolled in and seeking a degree from one of its many graduate departments. Fellowships are non-service awards made to academically superior graduate students to assist them in the pursuit of an advanced degree. Fellowships that include a tuition scholarship are subject to current tuition policies.

Lyman T. Johnson Fellowship

The Lyman T. Johnson Fellowship is available for students entering one of the many programs at the University of Kentucky Graduate School. Johnson was the first Black student to enrol as a graduate student at the University of Kentucky in 1949 after a successful legal challenge. Applicants must describe, in an essay, how their pursuit of graduate education reflects the values of the fellowship's namesake. The application must be accompanied by the support of the program's Director of Graduate Studies. PhD students who receive a Lyman T. Johnson Fellowship are eligible to apply for a second year of funding for completion of the dissertation. Masters students are eligible for one year of support only.

Lexmark Graduate Fellowship

The Lexmark Graduate Fellowship is a $7,500 award designed to assist students who are pursuing graduate degrees in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering or Computer Science. The fellowship carries a tuition scholarship for the upcoming spring term and student health plan enrolment.

Presidential Graduate Fellowship

The Presidential Fellowship is available for a continuing student who demonstrates outstanding academic merit and research capabilities in their field of study. Students enrolling for their first term of study in the fall semester are not eligible for this fellowship.

Charles T. Wethington, Jr./W.L. Matthews Jr./Otis A. Singletary Fellowships

These fellowships are awarded to UK graduating seniors who plan to continue their post-baccalaureate education in one of the University's graduate or professional programs. The fellowships are awarded for the first year of graduate or professional study and are not renewable for subsequent years.

Cralle Foundation/Joan Cralle Day Fellowship

The Cralle Foundation/Joan Cralle Day Fellowship is available for graduate or professional study at the University of Kentucky for an entering student who is a graduate of one of the 18 four-year independent colleges and universities in the Commonwealth affiliated with the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities. The fellowship is worth $20,000, plus a tuition scholarship and student health plan enrolment.

James Still Fellowship for Graduate Study in the Humanities and Social Sciences

The James Still Fellowship is available for graduate study in the humanities and social sciences at the University of Kentucky for an entering graduate student who graduated from a private college in Central Appalachia. The fellowship is worth $20,000, plus a tuition scholarship and student health plan enrolment.

UK McNair Fellowship

The McNair Program was named in honour of Ronald E. McNair, the African-American astronaut who died in the 1986 explosion of the space shuttle Challenger. The fellowship is worth $20,000, plus a tuition scholarship and student health plan enrolment.

Northern Kentucky/Greater Cincinnati UK Alumni Club Fellowship

The Northern Kentucky/Greater Cincinnati UK Alumni Club Fellowship is worth $5,000 for the fall term and is given to support a full-time, degree-seeking graduate student who graduated from a high school in the club area. Preference is given to residents of Northern Kentucky and students who are considered in-state residents.

Assistantships

The University of Kentucky offers assistantships to graduate students pursuing an advanced degree. Assistantships are appointments that allow students to engage in specified teaching or research duties while also making progress toward their degrees. These positions are available for full-time graduate students and provide a bi-weekly stipend that may cover tuition costs.

There are three main types of assistantships at the University of Kentucky: teaching assistants (TAs), research assistants (RAs), and graduate assistants (GAs). TAs are employed by academic departments and are responsible for teaching, instructional assistance, or other related activities. They are selected based on their past teaching experience or their academic potential to be effective instructors. RAs are employed by academic departments, administrative units, or research units and are responsible for research-related tasks. GAs are employed by academic departments, administrative offices, or research units and assist with administrative or special projects, or work in a clerical capacity.

To be eligible for an assistantship, students must be enrolled in a graduate degree program and maintain a minimum overall graduate GPA of 3.0 or higher. Assistantships are typically limited to a certain number of years, and students must make satisfactory academic progress to renew their appointments.

The application process for assistantships varies depending on the department and unit. Students should contact the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) in the department they wish to enroll in to inquire about the availability of assistantships and the application process.

In addition to the stipend, assistantships may also include tuition scholarships that cover standard tuition and mandatory fees, but not student-specific or program-specific fees. The University of Kentucky offers over 1,800 assistantships across its departments and units, providing valuable opportunities for graduate students to gain experience and financial support during their studies.

Tuition scholarships

The University of Kentucky offers tuition scholarships to graduate students. These scholarships are funded by a variety of sources, such as endowments, university scholarship accounts, and Research Challenge Trust Funds. The Graduate School Funding Office administers around 2,000 tuition scholarships each semester for graduate assistants and fellowship holders.

There are various types of assistantships and fellowships that can provide tuition scholarships. Here are some of the options:

• Teaching Assistantships: Graduate students with teaching assistantships engage in specified teaching duties. These assistantships provide a bi-weekly stipend and may cover tuition costs.
• Research Assistantships: Graduate students with research assistantships undertake specific research duties. These assistantships also come with a bi-weekly stipend and may cover tuition expenses.
• Graduate Assistantships: Graduate assistants support faculty members in various tasks. These assistantships offer a bi-weekly stipend and may cover tuition fees.
• Fellowships: Fellowships are non-service awards given to academically superior graduate students. They come with a monthly stipend and typically cover tuition costs.

To be considered for assistantships and fellowships, students should inform the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) of their chosen program. They can send letters to the DGS, in care of the department, at the University of Kentucky address in Lexington, KY. Alternatively, they can contact the appropriate DGS directly no later than January 15 for the following academic year. Most departments make their appointment decisions between February and April, and announcements are generally made by May.

It is important to note that tuition scholarships have specific eligibility criteria and requirements. For example, students on academic probation with a GPA below 3.0 will only have one semester to raise their GPA to maintain their tuition scholarship eligibility. Additionally, tuition scholarships may not cover all types of courses or expenses, so students should carefully review the terms and conditions provided by the University of Kentucky.

External funding

The University of Kentucky accepts external funding for graduate students. The University of Kentucky Graduate School's Business Office supports the success of graduate students across all programs offered at the university. The Business Office also provides tuition scholarships and stipends for students receiving fellowships.

The University of Kentucky offers several fellowship opportunities for graduate students enrolled in one of their many graduate departments. Fellowships are non-service awards made to academically superior graduate students to assist them in the pursuit of an advanced degree. Fellowships carry a biweekly stipend and usually cover tuition costs. All stipends are taxable income.

Students wishing to be considered for fellowships should inform the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) of the program to which they are applying. Students may also send letters to the DGS, addressed to the department, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506.

The University of Kentucky also provides a list of external funding opportunities for graduate students. These include:

• Pivot
• GRAPES (Graduate and Postdoctoral Extramural Support Database at UCLA)
• FundSource
• Foundation Center
• National Science Foundation
• The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
• National Institutes of Health
• Wenner-Gren
• Social Science Research Council
• American Educational Research Association
• American Association of University Women
• Kentucky Foundation for Women
• Kentucky Arts Council Folk Arts Project Grants
• NASA Kentucky Space Grant & EPSCoR Programs
• Kentucky Academy of Science
• Ford Foundation Minority Fellowships Program
• IBM Ph.D. Fellowship Program
• Research Supplements to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research
• Gates Millennium Scholars
• APA Minority Fellowship program
• NIH Predoctoral Fellowship Awards for Minority Students
• Bluegrass Indo-American Civic Society
• Hispanic Scholarship Fund
• American Indian Graduate Center
• United Negro College Fund
• ACLS/Mellon Dissertation Completion Fellowships
• AERA Dissertation Grants
• AERA Minority Dissertation Fellowship in Education Research
• AAA Minority Dissertation Fellowship
• AHRQ Grants for Health Services Research Dissertation
• American Egg Board Egg Nutrition Center Dissertation Fellowship
• American Fellowships
• American Marketing Association Scholarship
• American Political Science Association Minority Fellowships
• American Psychological Association Dissertation Research Awards
• American Psychological Association Minority Fellowships
• Arnold L. Mitchem Dissertation Fellowship Program
• Association for Women in Science (AWIS) Educational Awards
• Baird Society Resident Scholar Program
• Carter G. Woodson Institute for African-American and African Studies, Residential Fellowship Program
• Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts - National Gallery of Art
• Center of Military History Dissertation Fellowship
• The Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships
• Chateaubriand Fellowship
• Christine Mirzayan Science & Technology Policy Graduate Fellowship Progam
• City of Chicago Mayor’s Office Fellowship Program
• Council on Library and Information Resources Mellon Fellowships for Dissertation Research
• Council on Social Work Education: Minority Fellowship Program
• DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) Graduate Study Scholarships
• DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) Graduate Research Grant
• DAAD - German Academic Exchange Service - Study Scholarship for Artists and Musicians
• Dartmouth - Eastman / Marshall Dissertation Fellowships
• Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship
• Department of Energy Office of Science Graduate Fellowship
• Department of Energy NNSA Stewardship Science Graduate Fellowship Program
• Department of Homeland Security Fellowship Program
• Dibner Library of the History of Science and Technology Resident Scholar Program
• Dissertation Proposal Development Fellowship
• The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
• East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes for U.S. Graduate Students
• Economic History Association Graduate Dissertation Fellowships
• Five College Fellowship Program
• Ford Foundation Diversity Fellowships - Predoctoral
• Francis A. Countway Library Fellowships in the History of Medicine
• Friends of the Princeton University Library Research Grants
• Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Fellowships
• The Fund for Theological Education
• Gates Millennium Scholarships
• Geological Society of America Graduate Student Research Grant
• Grants in Aid of Research Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society
• Guggenheim Foundation Dissertation Fellowships
• Hans Boeckler Doctoral Fellowship
• Hartford Doctoral Fellows Program in Geriatric Social Work
• Henry Luce Foundation / ACLS Dissertation Fellowships in American Art
• Hertz Foundation Graduate Fellowship Award
• Howard Hughes Medical Institute Research Training Fellowships for Medical Students
• Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship
• Huntington Library Fellowships
• International Dissertation Research Fellowship Program
• International Reading Association Jeanne S. Chall Research Fellowship
• International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX) Individual Advanced Research Opportunities Fellowships
• Jacob K. Javits Fellowship Program
• Japanese Government Scholarships
• Jennings Randolph Peace Scholar Dissertation Program
• Josephine de Karman Fellowship Trust
• Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies
• Kauffman Dissertation Fellowship Program
• Kettering Foundation Research Fellowships
• Kobe College Corporation - Japan Education Exchange Travel Grants
• Kress/ARIT Pre-Doctoral Fellowship in the History of Art and Archeology in Turkey
• Lake Institute Dissertation Fellowship
• Leakey Foundation Research Grants
• Leopold Schepp Foundation Grants
• Link Foundation Energy Fellowships
• Link

Loans and work-study

The University of Kentucky offers various funding options for master's students, including loans and work-study opportunities.

Loans

The university provides information on Federal Direct Loans, which are federal loan assistance that must be repaid. To be eligible, students must maintain at least half-time enrollment status, and their enrolled hours must count toward their program of study. Half-time status is defined differently for various programs of study. For undergraduates, PharmD, and graduate, professional doctorate, and law students, half-time status is 6, 6, and 5 credit hours, respectively.

There are two types of Direct Loans: subsidized and unsubsidized. The government pays the interest on subsidized loans while the student is enrolled in school at least half-time, whereas interest on unsubsidized loans accrues immediately, and students can choose to pay the interest quarterly or have it capitalized. The maximum Direct Loan Amount for graduate students is $20,500 per year, with an interest rate of 8.08% fixed for Unsubsidized Loans.

Additionally, the Federal Direct PLUS Loan is available for graduate students, which can be borrowed in addition to Federal Direct Loans. The interest rate for the 2024-2025 academic year is 9.08% fixed, and the loan amount cannot exceed the student's cost of attendance minus other financial aid.

Health Professions Loans are also available for students enrolled in the College of Dentistry and the College of Pharmacy. These loans are interest-free while the student is in school, with a grace period of 12 months after enrollment drops below half-time status.

Work-Study

The University of Kentucky offers assistantships and fellowships for graduate students. Assistantships are appointments where graduate students engage in specified teaching or research duties and receive a bi-weekly stipend. Fellowships, on the other hand, are non-service awards given to academically superior graduate students, also providing a bi-weekly stipend. Both assistantships and fellowships typically cover tuition costs, and students interested in these opportunities should inform the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) of their program.

Frequently asked questions