Graduate level scholarships, while less common than undergraduate level scholarships, are designed to financially assist students working toward their master's degree. Full graduate scholarships are often provided by private companies who are willing to support interns or salaries employees pay for graduate schools, while others come from research grants, the military, or career-specific essay contests. What separates graduate scholarships from undergraduate scholarships most notably is that graduate level scholarships are program-specific and far more career-driven.
Research Fellowships
Research fellowships are particularly beneficial to graduate students pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering or any discipline which relies heavily on research. The National Science Foundation offers a Graduate Research Fellowship Program to graduate students working toward research-based careers, and even graduate fellows to contribute to research, education and innovation within the science engineering field.
National Science Foundation
www.nsf.gov
Military Scholarships
Several branches of the United States military, the Army being one of them, offer Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) scholarships to graduate students within their specific field of study. After receiving an undergraduate degree, ROTC graduate students are automatically fast-tracked to officer status. They receive free housing and a steady salary from the U.S. government while they complete their graduate study. Terms of a the scholarship, although different for every branch of the military, generally require at least four years of service.
Army ROTC
www.goarmy.com/rotc
Career Specific Scholarships
Certain areas of graduate study qualify for career-specific, industry-related scholarships achieved through essay contests. The education and health-care industries are most prone to offering such scholarships. As an example, the Foundation of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) awards the Foster G. McGaw Graduate Student Scholarship to students enrolled in their final year of a health-care management graduate program.
American College of Healthcare Executives
www.ache.org
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