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Are there any scholarships available for studying in the USA for a Master's/PhD?

31 Aug 2026 · Answered by Muskan Jain · 2 min read
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Yes, most funding comes from your university through Teaching or Research Assistantships, which usually cover full tuition plus a monthly stipend, especially for PhD students. International students can also apply for Fulbright, AAUW International Fellowships, and Civil Society Leadership Awards, though masters funding is harder to secure than PhD funding.

Muskan Jain
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Yes, you can fund a Masters or PhD in the USA, but you should know that most support comes directly from your university rather than a single national scholarship. Your funding strategy will differ depending on whether you are applying to a research based PhD or a coursework Masters.

Main Funding Sources You Can Target

Funding SourceWho It SuitsWhat It Covers
Teaching or Research AssistantshipsPhD students, some thesis MastersFull tuition plus a monthly stipend for 10 to 20 hours of work
Fulbright Foreign Student ProgramInternational students in over 160 countriesTuition, airfare, stipend and health insurance
AAUW International FellowshipsWomen pursuing graduate studyFunding for full time graduate or postdoctoral study
NSF Graduate Research FellowshipUS citizens and permanent residents in STEMMajor research funding package

Why Masters and PhD Funding Differ for You

You will find that PhD programs in STEM and the humanities are far more likely to be fully funded through departmental assistantships, since departments actively want to bring in strong research candidates. If you are applying for a Masters instead, you should expect to self fund more of the cost and actively search for TA positions, merit fellowships, or external scholarships like the Civil Society Leadership Awards or Prospanica Foundation grants for business fields.

My Advice

Reach out directly to professors whose research matches yours before you apply, since they often control dedicated research assistantship funding that never appears on a general scholarships webpage. Prioritize PhD applications if full funding matters most to you, and treat a self funded Masters as a step you can offset later with a TA role once you are enrolled.

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