Scholarships

San Diego State University awards scholarships to students to foster academic excellence, to develop talents, and to recognize leadership, community involvement, and outstanding achievement. Scholarships are also awarded to students who have overcome significant challenges to obtain an education and to provide financial support to students for academic related activities, such as conference attendance and study abroad.

All students, regardless of nationality, citizenship, residency status, area of study, or grade point average are encouraged to apply for as many scholarships as possible.

Applications and specific requirements are available on the SDSU Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships Web site at http://www.sdsu.edu/financialaid. Deadlines vary and new scholarship opportunities are added to the Web site throughout the year. The main SDSU scholarship application filing period is November through early February for awards paid in the following academic year. A second filing period extends from early March through April. Applications accepted August through October offer awards paid in the current academic year. Of note is the prestigious ARCS Foundation Scholarships awarded to graduate students in the colleges of Sciences and Engineering. Each award has a $7,500 to $15,000 value and may be renewed. Students must be nominated by their faculty mentor.

The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships coordinates the scholarship application and awarding process with the committees from the various academic departments and organizations responsible for selecting recipients. Scholarship funds are provided by private donors, corporations, professional associations, and SDSU alumni.

The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships Web site also lists resources and links to outside scholarship information and free search Web sites.

Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships
Information about all state, federal, and institutional aid programs is available from the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships, located in Student Services West, Room 3605. The phone number is (619) 594-6323. Information on the financial aid Web site describes the available programs as well as the academic standards that a student must maintain to remain eligible for such aid.

Students interested in any of the aid programs administered by the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships should apply as soon after January 1 as possible for the following fall semester by completing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). File your FAFSA on the Internet. It is the easiest, most convenient, and fastest way to apply for financial aid.

Applications are reviewed and aid awarded throughout the year based on available funding. January through May is considered the optimum period to apply for aid to receive funding at the beginning of the fall semester.

Graduate Teaching Associates
Appointments as graduate teaching associates, known more familiarly as TAs, provide students the opportunity to participate directly in the teaching activities of the University. Indeed, faculty members in many programs consider such appointments an integral part of the academic curriculum for their graduate students. Under the supervision of senior faculty, TAs provide direct instruction to undergraduate students, primarily at the lower division level. Appointments as graduate teaching associates are available to qualified graduate students at the master's degree level in the areas of anthropology, art, astronomy, biological sciences, business administration, chemistry, child and family development, communication, communicative disorders, computational science, economics, educational technology, engineering, English, exercise and nutritional sciences, French, geography, geological sciences, history, linguistics, mathematical sciences, microbiology, music, physics, psychology, rhetoric and writing, sociology, Spanish, television, film and new media production, and theatre arts. In addition, all doctoral programs offer such appointments. Additional information may be located on the web. TA/GA Handbook 08-09

Graduate Assistants
Graduate assistants participate in the teaching program of the University by undertaking such classroom activities as reading examination papers, tutoring, and student advising. Alternatively, GAs may be assigned duties that directly support the research activities of the faculty. Appointments permitting up to 15 hours of service per week are available in most of the departments and schools. TA/GA Handbook 08-09

Student Assistants
Graduate students are eligible for employment as student assistants who perform a wide variety of tasks supporting faculty and staff across the University. Assistants are paid by the hour and are restricted to assignments not to exceed 20 hours per week. Students may apply for this employment through the department chairs or program directors. In addition, the Office of Career Services located in Student Services, Room 1200, maintains a listing of the positions available.

Research Assistants
The University offers some graduate students part-time employment as research assistants. Research assistants work directly with faculty in a laboratory or other research facility in the health sciences, the physical sciences, and the social sciences. Research assistants are employees of the SDSU Foundation, but they are generally hired through departmental faculty seeking assistance on research programs. Students may inquire about such appointments through the chair or director of the respective department or through Human Resources of the SDSU Foundation. Those interested in adding their names to a list of candidates for current or future part-time openings may obtain application materials from the ..

Further information is also available on the University web site.

Fee Assistance Program
For most students pursuing the Ph.D. degree, the University has some funds available to offset in whole or in part the cost of the state-mandated registration fees. Currently, these fees approximate $600 each semester for students enrolled in six units or less and about $900 for students enrolled in more than six units. Awardees must be participating in the graduate teaching program of the University. Information regarding this support is available from the directors of the doctoral programs.

National Fellowships
The Scholarship Office receives annual announcements of the Fulbright, Marshall, Kent, Rotary, Goldwater and other national and international fellowship programs. Since a campus is limited in the number of applications it may endorse, students interested in fellowships of this type are encouraged to discuss their candidacy with the Scholarship Director and with members of the university faculty who have themselves held these fellowships. Application information will be available on the Scholarship Office web page. Once you have read the web page information, you may also e-mail the office using scholars@mail.sdsu.edu if you have additional questions.

Graduate Equity Fellowship Program
The Graduate Equity Fellowship program provides support for economically disadvantaged graduate students, especially from groups who are underrepresented within their respective disciplines. Only legal residents of the State of California who can demonstrate significant financial need of $1,000, as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form (FAFSA) are eligible. Recipients must be classified or conditionally classified graduate students, maintain a 3.00 GPA, and must be enrolled for a minimum of nine units of graduate coursework each semester they hold the fellowship. Fellowships range from $500 to $4,000 for an academic year depending on the demonstrated need. Students may receive awards for a maximum of two academic years, but they must apply each year. Postbaccalaureate students are ineligible.

Interested students should complete an application, obtained in the Graduate Division office, and a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, obtained in the Financial Aid office. Both applications must be submitted by June of each year.

Download "Graduate Equity Fellowship Program Application 2012-2013" form here. Download "Graduate Equity Fellowship Program Application 2012-2013" (PDF Version) form here.

The Sally Casanova California Pre-Doctoral Program is designed to increase the diversity of potential university faculty by supporting the doctoral aspirations of individuals who are:

1. Current upper division or graduate students in the CSU system
2. Economically and educationally disadvantaged
3. U.S. citizens or permanent residents
4. Leaders of tomorrow

The program offers graduate students who are interested in doctoral programs the opportunity to explore doctoral study with a total cash award of $3000 to the student and the faculty mentor. This money can be used for travel expenses to prospective universities, taking the GRE, attending seminars/conferences, subscriptions to publications/journals, transcript fees, university application fees, etc.

Students receiving this award are also given the opportunity to participate in one of the University of California's summer research internship programs during the summer of 2010. Funding for the summer research internship is fully covered. Internships cover 8-10 week periods generally beginning in June and ending in August. The award amount is agreed upon between the institution and the Pre-Doctoral Program Office. Funding generally covers housing, meals, transportation, and program participation costs that are deemed reasonable for the institution. A separate stipend is also awarded to the scholar.

All details of this scholarship program can be found at www.CalState.edu/predoc. Applications can be obtained from the Graduate and Research Affairs office and must be submitted there no later than March 2010. Applications will be reviewed and recommendations will be forwarded to the CSU. Awardees will be notified in May.

The Chancellor's Doctoral Incentive Program
is a program designed for underrepresented students; it provides financial assistance to doctoral students who are interested in teaching careers in the CSU system. You may apply for this loan regardless of where you will obtain your doctoral degree. Loans of up to $10,000 per year and up to a total of $30,000 within 5 years are available at a very low interest rate. If the recipient is hired at a CSU campus as a tenure track faculty member, for each year of service, 20% of the loan is forgiven. This program also requires a faculty mentor who will sponsor the student. The deadline for SDSU applications is February, 2010. All details of this loan program as well as an application request can be found at http://www.calstate.edu/HR/FLP/

The application is now ready to access online! Here is a step by step guide to take you there:

1. Log on to the CDIP website: www.calstate.edu/hr/cdip/index.shtml
2. Click on "Applicant Information" in the left bar
3. Use the shortcuts at the top of the page to navigate through the various parts of the online overview of the program, and see the sample qualification and motivation statements and sample collaborative plans of support, OR just scroll through the pages
4. Use the link in the upper right hand corner to download the application as a pdf file.

Fill out the application online, then print it out and sign it. Notice that both the student AND the faculty advisor will be signing the bottom of the application form.

CDIP MINI-GRANT PROGRAM COMING
We are finalizing details of a mini-grant program designed to support active CDIP Scholars and their CSU Faculty Advisors as they implement the Collaborative Plan of Support submitted with their applications. This exciting program will provide money for travel to conferences/workshops, professional journals, small research projects, etc. Applications will be available Fall 2009 for activities during the 2010-11 Academic Year. The CSU Faculty Advisors and the CDIP Scholars will prepare a grant application together.

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• Financial Support for Graduate Students
• Scholarships
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