Financing Your Education: Frequently Asked Questions

Costs & Financial Aid

How much is the tuition?
Are part-time students eligible for financial aid?
How do I apply for financial aid?
What percentage of students receive financial aid?

Merit Aid

What is merit aid?
What kinds of merit aid awards are available?
What are Presidential Fellowships?
What are Graduate Assistantships?
How do I apply for merit aid?
What are the chances of receiving merit aid?
Are international applicants eligible for merit aid?
If I defer my admission, can I defer my merit award?
Are there special requirements for students receiving merit aid?
Do merit awards affect students' federal loans?

Applicant Information

General Applicant questions are located in the Admission & Deadlines section.

How much is the tuition?

Tuition for the 2005 - 2006 academic year is $752 per credit. For example, a 40-credit graduate program would cost $30,080 (40 credits x $752; not including fees or living expenses).

There are two types of financial aid available: merit-based awards (non-need based) and loans.

Are part-time students eligible for financial aid?

Yes, as long as they are registered for 4 credits or more, part-time students may have loans. Merit-based awards (non-need-based) are only available for full-time students.

How do I apply for financial aid?

There is no application process to be considered for merit-based awards. You simply need to submit your completed application by the merit aid deadline.

To apply for federal loans (only available to U.S. citizens and permanent residents), you must complete Emerson's Application for Financial Aid (which is mailed to you once we receive your application for admission), as well as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Both international and domestic students can apply for other alternative loans that are offered through private banks or companies.

What percentage of students receive financial aid?

Approximately 60% of all graduate students have loans or some kind of financial aid. Typically 20-25% of incoming students receive merit-based awards.

What is merit aid?

Each year, a certain number of incoming graduate students are awarded merit-based financial assistance from Emerson College. Merit-based awards are offered to full-time applicants who are judged to be exceptionally well-qualified for graduate study based upon their comprehensive academic credentials, including professional promise and past academic excellence.

What kinds of merit awards are available?

Merit-based awards are distributed as Presidential Fellowships and Graduate Assistantships.

What are Presidential Fellowships?

Presidential Fellowships are $10,000 tuition remission awards, offered to a small number of incoming full-time graduate students, who have demonstrated the highest degree of academic excellence. The award is distributed by semester in two, $5,000 disbursements during the academic year. Recipients of the Presidential Fellowship will receive $3,000 in tuition remission for one additional semester (fall or spring) following the fellowship. Fellows in the MFA in Creative Writing and the MS in Communication Sciences & Disorders programs will receive $3,000 for two additional semesters. Recipients from the MA in Global Marketing Communication & Advertising program are not eligible for any additional funding beyond the two semesters of the Presidential Fellowship. Presidential Fellows receive this merit award without having to satisfy an on-campus work requirement.

What are Graduate Assistantships?

Graduate assistantships are awards ranging from $3,000 - $5,000 tuition remission per semester with assignments in academic or administrative departments for ten hours per week for 13 weeks, performing research, working with faculty, or providing administrative support. These awards are for the academic year.

How do I apply for merit aid (non-need-based award)?

Applications received by the appropriate deadline are automatically considered for merit awards. There is no separate application for merit awards.

What are the chances of receiving a merit award?

There are only a limited number of merit-based awards available each year. Approximately 25% of all incoming graduate students receive some kind of merit award.

Are international applicants eligible for merit aid?

Both domestic and international students are eligible for merit awards.

If I defer my admission, can I defer my merit award?

Offers of merit aid cannot be deferred until a later semester, even when an accepted student defers his/her admission to the College. If you defer your admission, you will be reconsidered for the merit award along with new applicants.

Are there special requirements for students receiving merit aid?

Students receiving merit-based awards must enroll in a minimum of eight credits each semester and maintain a minimum GPA of 3.20 each semester. Most graduate assistants are required to work ten hours per week in their placement.

Do merit awards affect students' federal loans?

Students who receive merit-based awards should be aware that this aid could affect any need-based federal loans they are also receiving.