A doctoral degree is a significant investment in your future, and financing your education is a critical factor to consider. While the funding we provide covers the basic standard cost of attendance determined by Stanford University for a modest life as a graduate student, accepting an offer from a doctoral program has significant personal, professional, and financial implications. Below you’ll find information on GSE and Stanford financial support for doctoral students, as well as other important considerations when it comes to financing your PhD.
Funding
Stanford GSE offers all admitted PhD students a five-year funding package that provides tuition aid, fellowship stipend, and assistantship salary which covers the standard cost of attendance. The funding is based on meeting the basic financial need of the student alone for the first five academic years of the doctoral program and entails assistantship work. The cornerstone of the GSE doctoral experience is the apprenticeship that all students undertake, typically under the guidance of their academic advisor, but often with other Stanford faculty as well. In this apprenticeship model, doctoral students are provided with a funding package that consists of opportunities to serve as teaching and research assistants for faculty members' courses and research projects. By this means, and in combination with the coursework, students are prepared to excel as university faculty, education researchers, and leaders in the field.
All funding is contingent upon satisfactory academic progress and performance on the research and teaching assistantships. There is no separate application for this funding.
Assistantships
As part of the academic and professional training and development, students undertake assistantships which provide both salary and tuition. Research assistantships are funded by faculty research grants, other faculty funds or as needed, by the GSE Dean’s Office, and can lead to joint publications with faculty or to dissertation topics. Students who have sufficient expertise and experience may also be selected as teaching assistants for courses at the GSE or other Stanford schools and departments. Assistantships are typically secured in consultation with faculty advisors. Students work 10 hours (25% assistantship) or 20 hours (50% assistantship) a week depending on their year in the program.
Research assistantship (RA): Various duties for research projects
Teaching assistantships (3 types):
Course Assistant (CA)—course preparation and grading
Teaching Affiliate (TF)—full responsibility for course
Funding Details 2024-2025
Funding
Academic Milestone Guidelines
Year 1
Tuition (11-18 units): $61,095
($20,365 per quarter for autumn/winter/spring)
Summer Tuition (1 unit): $1,324
1st Year Fellowship: $25,800
($6,450 per quarter for autumn/winter/spring/summer)
Salary (25% assistantship): $25,800
($6,450 per quarter for autumn/winter/spring/summer)
Year 1
Successful completion of courses and assistantships
Progress towards the First-Year Review
Years 2-4
Tuition (8-10 units): $39,720
($13,240 per quarter for autumn/winter/spring)
Summer Tuition (1 unit): $1,324
Salary (50% assistantship): $51,600
($12,900 per quarter for autumn/winter/spring/summer)
Year 2
Successful completion of courses and assistantships
Progress towards the Second-Year Review/Qualifying Paper
Advance to candidacy
Year 3
Successful completion of courses and assistantships
Year 4
Successful completion of all coursework and assistantships for doctoral program and PhD Minor/Disciplinary Master’s
Achieve TGR Status
Completion of Dissertation Proposal
Dissertation Proposal Hearing
Year 5
Tuition (TGR level): $15,888
($3,972 per quarter for autumn/winter/spring/summer)
Salary (25% assistantship): $25,800
($6,450 per quarter for autumn/winter/spring/summer)
Graduation Year Fellowship: $25,800
($6,450 per quarter for autumn/winter/spring/summer)
Year 5
Confirm Reading Committee
Successful completion of assistantships
Dissertation Oral Exam
Completion of Dissertation
Note: The above figures reflect 2024-2025 rates.
Cost of attendance
Tuition depends on the units taken by the student. In addition to tuition expenses, the cost of attendance of a PhD program involves living expenses such as rent, food, and transportation. The sum of tuition and non-tuition expenses constitutes the standard cost of attendance.
As you consider applying to graduate school, you can use the standard cost of attendance of your program —plus any additional expenses you might have—to create your financial plan, keeping in mind that tuition and non-tuition expenses of the standard cost of attendance are set by the university on an annual basis.
What you can do now to prepare financially if admitted
Prepare for how your standard of living may change as a graduate student, especially if you are coming from a full-time job.
Understand that the GSE PhD funding package is intended to cover the basic Stanford student budget for the student alone, and create a financial plan for graduate school.
Consider the length of your program, any dependents, existing debt, and additional financial commitments you may have. Students with children may review Stanford support programs for families.
If you have personal or special circumstances that require additional expenses above and beyond the standard cost of attendance, plan accordingly.
Start saving as much as you are able to cover any unexpected expenses you may incur while in graduate school.
Familiarize yourself with federal as well as private student loans, their interest rates, fees, repayment options, deferment policies, and eligibility requirements, so that you are informed if you need to borrow.
Be ready to cover all initial expenses, since fellowships and stipends will not be disbursed until a few weeks into your first quarter. Onboarding into a PhD program often requires up front out of pocket expenses for relocation.
Additional GSE resources
Once PhD students matriculate, the GSE has a variety of resources available to support academic work and unanticipated needs.
Students are eligible for up to three travel fellowships during their time at GSE if they are attending a conference or other professional development opportunity.
GSE Student Emergency Fund assists graduate students who experience a financial emergency or unanticipated expenses causing financial hardship. This fund is meant to support those who cannot reasonably resolve their financial difficulty through fellowships, loans, or personal resources.
GSE Dissertation Support Grants help advanced PhD students who require additional financial support for dissertation research activities. These grants, available at up to $6,500 total per student, are available to students who do not have access to other funds to cover their dissertation costs.
Stanford University resources
Knight-Hennessy Scholars (KHS) program aims to prepare the next generation of global leaders to address the increasingly complex challenges facing the world. The program selects up to 100 students each year and provides three years of financial support that is integrated into the GSE’s funding package for PhD students.
Cardinal Care subsidy is an automatic university-wide subsidy program for graduate students. Vaden Health Center manages the university’s Cardinal Care student health insurance.
Stanford Financial Aid Office oversees a number of financial support programs specifically for graduate students with challenging financial situations.
Additional hourly work is available to students who wish to work for pay as "casual labor" at Stanford up to eight hours a week, provided work does not adversely affect the academic program. Requires approval from the student’s advisor and the Academic Services team.
Other funding sources
External fellowships are integrated into the GSE’s funding package. There are many funding opportunities offered outside of Stanford. The GSE admissions team has compiled an external fellowships and grants document for you to explore, though you should plan to do your own research as well. International students can find additional sources of funding on the Institute of International Education’s (IIE) Funding for U.S. Study website and this publication.
Stanford is committed to providing benefits through the Yellow Ribbon Program of the Post-9/11 GI Bill® to students in degree-seeking programs. GSE students who qualify for Chapter 33 benefits at the 100% level may be eligible for additional funding through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Please note that for GSE students receiving tuition fellowship funding, the Yellow Ribbon match may reduce and in some cases replace institutional grants and scholarships. For instructions, visit the page, Activate VA Education Benefits at Stanford.
International students are guaranteed the same funding package as domestic students. However, there may be restrictions regarding the number of hours and opportunities to work during the summer months. To learn more, please contact the Bechtel International Center.
To meet immigration regulations, international students must show proof of adequate financial support to cover the length of time of their graduate program. While international students are not eligible for U.S. federal loan programs, they may qualify for private/alternative loans. Many lenders, however, require that a U.S. citizen or permanent resident co-sign the loan. You can find information and tools to help you choose private loan programs most frequently used by Stanford students here. A comprehensive list of private loan programs is available at FinAid.org.
