Apply for scholarships in your program as soon as possible

It is in your best interest to limit the long-term cost of your graduate education as much as possible. Getting a scholarship and understanding the full range of available funding options for your graduate program is important for your career.

A scholarship at the beginning of your graduate study is particularly valuable. It can provide money so that you don't have to take time away from your studies to work. It is a mark of excellence that will facilitate your entire career. It defines you as an emerging scholar and can have significant positive impact on your confidence in attaining your graduate degree in a timely manner. It also can open doors for you to work with different researchers in the future. Scholarship application deadlines at the U of M come soon after you arrive. Therefore, you are more likely to be successful at winning a scholarship if you develop a careful strategy for scholarship application as soon as possible.

For more information on applying for scholarships, do the following:

• Discuss scholarship issues with your research advisor. You should raise questions about the procedures and deadlines for scholarship and graduate fellowship applications in your program. Be sure to find out about all awards for which you are eligible, and ask your advisor for advice about developing an effective scholarship application.
• Thoroughly review the Faculty of Graduate Studies Funding and Awards website. The website gives details about the range of financial assistance available for graduate students including academic merit-based and need-based funds.