How to Search for Graduate School Funding: Undocumented Students

In-State Tuition Eligibility

Undocumented students may access in-state tuition if they meet certain requirements, including

• Living in Washington state at least three years, and meeting one of the following:
  • Graduated from a Washington state high school and you completed your senior year of high school in Washington
  • Earned the equivalent of a high school diploma, such as a GED

Washington State Financial Aid

• Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA)
  • Available to students who meet certain residency requirements
  • Priority filing date of January 15 for following school year
• Financial Aid for WASFA Applicants
  • Detailed description of WASFA and Washington State eligibility
  • Graduate students in fee-based programs of study are not eligible for this financial aid

Assistantships

• Available for DACA recipients
• Quick turnaround compared with other funding options
• Jobs across the university for UW graduate students in many disciplines
• Teaching, research, and graduate staff assistantships
• Some includes salary, tuition waiver, and medical insurance
• Tuition waivers require full-time enrollment (10 credit hours+ per quarter)
• More information on finding assistantships

Scholarships, Fellowships, & Grants

• Include money for school, research, travel, or other educational activities that does not have to be paid back. These terms are interchangeable.
• deally, begin searching for funding a year before you plan to begin school
• Deadlines for fellowships, scholarships, and grants are usually 6-12 months before they pay out
• Summer funding and some smaller awards will have quicker turnaround
• Immigrants Rising keeps two pdfs of scholarships and fellowships that do not require U.S. citizenship or permanent residency
• Several other search tools allow students to search by immigration status:

                      UW Scholarships Search

                      Harvard Database for Grants and Fellowships

                     UCLA Graduate and Postdoctoral Extramural Support (GRAPES) Database