Funding & Scholarships
Graduate Assistantships and Fellowships
Graduate research and teaching assistantships with competitive stipends are available to students in our MS-Geology and PhD-Geology graduate programs. They are not available for students in the coursework-based AEG-MS degree. AEG-MS students may be eligible to receive in-state tuition as part of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP). Finally, prestigious university-level fellowships may be awarded to select graduate students.
Tuition Support
The Department of Geosciences works hard to provide graduate tuition funding through a combination of state funding, research grants, and donations from generous alumni. Generally, if you receive a graduate teaching or research assistantship, or a graduate fellowship, your tuition is covered. In order to do so, you are required to take the steps to gain formal Utah residency in your first year here.
Student Health Insurance
Full-time graduate students receiving assistantship support are required to have health insurance, and we subsidize the majority, but not all, of the costs for USU’s student health insurance program. All enrolled graduate students, including those less than full-time or not receiving assistantship support, are eligible for this insurance.
Geosciences Department Funding Sources
Through the help of our generous alumni and friends, the department maintains the Benchmark and Summit funds, which provide important and varied support for our graduate students.
Scholarships
In addition, the Department of Geosciences has several named scholarships that are awarded on an annual basis to graduate students in support of field research. Find out more about these by following these links:
for student with strong academic record, not well funded, and has interest or aptitude in other fields
for grad and undergrad Geo students with excellent academic achievement
Graduate Scholarship Application
Graduate Scholarship Applications are accepted in the Spring Semester, staring in February, with an April 1 deadline.
Please note, FASFA must be filled out before applying for scholarships.