Graduate Funding, Fellowships & Financial Aid
The majority of PhD students in the College of Engineering are offered a 100% tuition waiver and a 100% stipend through their academic department as part of the admission process. Here are some important points to be aware of if/when offered funding:
A fully funded graduate student has their tuition waived typically each Fall and Spring term, stipends are awarded to support living expenses and we cover 87% of graduate students’ healthcare.
In order to know how stipend offers compare, it’s important to reference area living expenses (housing, food, healthcare costs, taxes, etc.). Students benefit from this comparison not only for living expenses but across a multitude of additional considerations such as:
- Delaware is a model for environmental restoration and beauty, clean and accessible beaches, cultural options, and proximity to major metropolitan east coast cities.
- The University of Delaware is the main driver of research expenditures for the entire State, which brings cutting edge research seamlessly into Delaware industries and corporations.
- Both our technology transfer and our talent pipeline benefit from the size and collaboration of state-wide initiatives. These benefits also apply to the thousands of start-up businesses started by students and alumni thanks to Delaware’s tax status for incorporation alongside the business start-up resources available on campus for our students.
The majority of awards in our College of Engineering are in the form of Research Assistantships, and Teaching Assistantships. Other forms of funding include tuition scholarships and fellowships, which are awarded on the basis of merit and availability by the department itself or faculty-awarded external sources including:
- Laird Fellowship
- Robert W. Gore Fellowship: Since its inception in 2012, thanks to a generous $1 million gift from Robert W. Gore, the Robert Gore fellowships within the College of Engineering have been made available to incoming doctoral students who have displayed strong academic progress. The annual fellowships are awarded at admission and are intended to help new, first-year graduate students support educational and living expenses.
- Houston-NEDA Engineering Graduate Scholarship: Established by the Houston alumni chapter of NED University in Pakistan. This scholarship is awarded to an enrolled College of Engineering graduate student who previously received an undergraduate or graduate degree from NED University. The scholarship is for one year and provides $10,000 per qualified student. The amount is applied to a first-year student’s stipend only.
- Rama Marda Scholars: This graduate support Fund will provide fellowship and/or tuition scholarship support for incoming or first year graduate students, who started and completed their undergraduate studies at a university in India, to enhance the quality of their research and education. The fellowship includes an annual stipend along with a tuition scholarship provided by your home department. This award recognizes excellence in graduate education in a student who studied in India prior to coming to the University of Delaware. Qualifications also include students who are proficient in an Indian language and have an in-depth knowledge of the Indian culture.
External Funding and Fellowship Opportunities
- External Fellowship Opportunities for Engineering Graduate and Postdoctoral Students
- Pathways To Science hosts a searchable database of Summer Internships, Portable Funding, and allows for searching by specific funding agencies.
- Council of Graduate Schools (be sure to uncheck “National Science Foundation” so you can see the full list)
- NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) – The purpose of the NSF GRFP is to help ensure the vitality and diversity of the scientific and engineering workforce of the United States. The GRFP provides three years of graduate support for individuals who have demonstrated their potential for significant achievements in science and engineering. COE coordinated an NSF GRFP Workshop to assist with student applications. For more information, please contact Lisa Katzmire.
Graduate College Funding Opportunities
Additional funding opportunities run through the Graduate College of the University of Delaware and include (UD Login required to view.):
Nominations
Full-time graduate students are eligible to be nominated for the following competitive merit-based financial awards:
- Dissertation Prize Nomination
- Unidel Distinguished Graduate Scholar Award
- Unidel Recruiting Grants
- University Dissertation Fellowship
- University Doctoral Fellowship Award
- University Graduate Scholars Award
Applications
Current Students seeking additional funding support can directly apply to the following awards:
Graduate Student Spotlight: Lauren Mottel
Lauren Mottel, a first-year biomedical engineering doctoral student and UD engineering alumna who proudly describes herself as a “bona fide nerd,” is someone who fully embraces both scientific and creative endeavors. Whether she’s conducting biomedical engineering research here at the University of Delaware or writing long-form prose in her spare time, Mottel enjoys finding ways to incorporate both STEM and art into her everyday life.
It’s this multifaceted, interconnected approach to both academics and extracurriculars that has led this “Renaissance woman,” as her advisor Brian Kwee described her, to be named as the latest recipient of the George W. Laird Merit Fellowship, a scholarship that is awarded to a first-year graduate student with a variety of talents and interests from the College of Engineering.
Additional Funding
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- OGPE Graduate Student Travel Research & Professional Development Award Application
- Emergency Loans are available through the Financial Aid Office and the Graduate College
- Financial Hardship Resources
Graduate financial aid is typically utilized by Masters students, although those with thesis are encouraged to inquire about year-to-year funding availability within their department of interest.