PhD & Doctoral
Student Scholarships

What Are PhD & Doctoral Student Scholarships?

Doctoral degrees are the highest level of university or college degrees attainable. They can be difficult to earn, but they should not be difficult to fund. If you are a post-graduate looking to begin your graduate studies, PhD and doctoral student scholarships can help you fund your education without breaking the bank. 

Similar to applying to grad school itself, the application process for graduate school scholarships will require you to show evidence of your specialty, as well as information on you, the applicant, through essays, letters of recommendation, and other submissions. Funded by both private and public institutions, doctoral student scholarships are often awarded on the basis of merit, but many are need-based. In both cases, applicants will have to meet stipulations set forth by the scholarship institution. Ready to get started on your search for PhD and doctoral scholarships? On this page, we’ll show you how.

How Do I Qualify for PhD & Doctoral Student Scholarships?

To qualify for a doctoral scholarship, you must be actively pursuing a doctoral degree of some kind. In the United States, the Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) is by far the most common type of doctoral degree, awarded to students in both STEM and humanities fields. Other types of doctorate degrees include (but are not limited to) Doctor of Arts (DA), Doctor of Design (DS), Doctor of Science (DSc, ScD), and Doctor of Education (EdD). While nearly all doctorate scholarships require applicants to have gained admission into a doctoral program, there are some that award funding to applicants who have not yet been admitted into graduate school.

Perhaps the most common kind of doctoral student scholarship is called “fully funded doctoral” or “fully funded PhD,” and it’s offered by many schools. At the doctoral level, many programs are fully funded, which means if you get in, your tuition and other expenses are mostly, if not completely, paid for. Many students seek out fully funded programs when applying to graduate school, as they are an excellent means of funding several more years of education without accruing extra debt.

Beyond fully funded programs, there are doctoral scholarships offered by third-party organizations, foundations, and schools themselves. Applying for these scholarships is similar to applying for grad school itself: be prepared to submit relevant academic works, letters of recommendation, and specific essays on yourself or your work.

Why Are PhD & Doctoral Student Scholarships Important?

In a world where specialization is nearly synonymous with success, graduate school is a great tool for those looking to get ahead. It’s a place where students who want to dive deeper into their respective fields can do just that. It’s a great place for passionate minds to complete years of research that may not otherwise be conducted. It’s a place where tomorrow’s educators of the highest caliber are trained. For these reasons and more, graduate school is an indispensable part of the academic journey for many, and it’s a benefit to society as a whole. Doctorate scholarships help make graduate school a reality for students who may not otherwise be able to afford it. They’re a means to an end that is higher education — the highest level of education — and an investment in the future.

Find College Scholarships for PhD & Doctoral Students  

Getting ready to apply to a graduate school doctoral program? Get a head start on applying to doctoral student scholarships right here. Create a Appily account to search and apply for graduate school scholarships in seconds.