Graduate Scholarships
The KU School of Engineering and its departments award scholarships to new and continuing graduate students. This support is made possible through generous donations from successful alumni and friends of the school who want to ensure others have access to the same great opportunities they had here.
All graduate students are STRONGLY encouraged to file the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) each year by December 1 to ensure they are considered for all scholarship aid for which they are eligible.
For a list of external funding opportunities for graduate students please view the External Funding Opportunities website. Please note this is not a comprehensive list of all external funding opportunities. Students are expected to work with their faculty advisor to identify and apply for funding.
School of Engineering Scholarships and Fellowships for First Year Graduate Students
All incoming graduate students applying for admission to the School of Engineering will be considered for scholarships if they apply to the School of Engineering by the priority deadlines set by each department (December). KU’s Graduate Application for Admission also serves as the School of Engineering scholarship application. No additional materials need to be submitted unless also applying for the Madison & Lila Self Graduate Fellowship or the GEM Fellowship. A full list of graduate funding options offered at KU can be found on the Graduate Studies website.
First Year Opportunities
GEM is a group of leading corporations, laboratories, universities, and research institutions that enables qualified students from underrepresented communities to pursue graduate education in applied science and engineering. GEM provides a large network, financial support, and expert knowledge to help ensure student success in competitive academic and professional environments.
To find out more about the GEM Consortium, check out their national webpage and apply to become a GEM fellow.
The mission of the University of Kansas Madison and Lila Self Graduate Fellowship is to identify, recruit, and provide development opportunities for exceptional Ph.D. students in business, economics, engineering, mathematics, biological, biomedical, pharmaceutical, and physical sciences who demonstrate the promise to make significant contributions to their fields of study and society as a whole. The Self Graduate Fellows salary is $34,000/year. For more information, please see link above.
Self Graduate Fellows are selected for their vision, career goals, and achievements. They are able to set and attain goals, show leadership potential and motivation, and possess a strong work ethic. Self Graduate Fellows also demonstrate initiative, passion for achievement and lifelong learning, and make a commitment to participate in the Fellow Development Program. Students are nominated by their department/program for this award in January each year.
Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little created this fellowship, which provides $25,000 of support to each fellow and advanced education in a range of fields. Fellows are also involved in professional development workshops and networking opportunities. Students are nominated by their department/program for this award in January each year.
Prospective engineering students who are offered scholarships will receive a letter detailing their total scholarship package from the University, School of Engineering and department. The combined scholarship letter documents the student’s award for the coming academic year as well as any projected amount over the first year provided the student meets the requirements for maintaining their scholarship funding. Note: most graduate scholarships are awarded during the student’s first year, and are not continuing scholarships.
Awards are applied directly to a student's tuition and fees. Typically, funds left over after disbursements are made are returned to the student in the form of a check (or direct deposit into a bank account). Awards typically post before a student’s bill is due.
All grade point averages are converted to an unweighted 4.0 scale so every prospective student has the same opportunity for consideration. Also, if GRE tests are taken more than once, the highest scores will be used for engineering scholarship consideration. Students submitting test scores after December may be re-evaluated by the School of Engineering on a case-by-case basis depending on available funds at that time.
Visit KU Financial Aid & Scholarships for additional scholarship and financial aid information.
Continuing Students
Currently enrolled engineering students can apply for a few specific engineering scholarships such as the GEA Travel Award, IHAWke Fellowship and Graduate Engineering Association (GEA) Ambassador Fellowship.
Submission deadlines for these applications vary, depending on the award or fellowship. These particular scholarships are considered non-renewable and will need to be applied for each cycle.
continuing students
Graduate students attending a local, regional, national, or international conference may apply for funds through the School of Engineering differential fee (094) account, which is administered through the Graduate Engineering Association (GEA). Students must be presenting a paper, poster, participating in a competition, or receiving an award and must indicate how their attendance benefits the University and enhance research. Awards are provided in spring, summer, fall, and winter cycles.
The Graduate Engineering Association (GEA) Ambassador Fellowship is a fellowship for current graduate engineering and computer science students who are chosen to assist with the recruitment & retention efforts for the School of Engineering. GEA Ambassadors travel to recruitment events and take part in school-wide efforts to present a positive image to current & prospective graduate students. For more information about this fellowship contact our office at kuengrgrad@ku.edu.
Diversity Program Scholarships
Please refer to the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging scholarship page for scholarship information.
Deferment of Scholarships
Current scholarship recipients may request a deferment of a scholarship for many reasons by contacting their Graduate Coordinator or the Research and Graduate Programs at kuengrgrad@ku.edu. A few examples of this could be delayed admission due to military, family, personal illness, or extension of an internship opportunity or delayed I-20/Student Visa.