Graduate students
We help graduate students with student loans, Federal Work-Study, sponsored billing, and veterans benefits.
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Graduate student support
We understand that oftentimes there are unexpected academic, professional, and personal costs that come up. Through additional financial supports, MIT wants to make sure that the graduate student community has resources to offer help if they need it.
What we do
We coordinate with you and your department and offer resources to help you with expenses. We also help manage student loans, federal benefits, and other forms of aid, as well as collect payments if needed.
Fellowships and assistantships
Most graduate students are supported by fellowships or by appointments as research or teaching assistants. More resources are coordinated by the Office of Graduate Education, an Institute-wide support and referral office for graduate students and administrators.
by the numbers
Finding fellowships
31%
The percentage of first-year degree-seeking graduate students primarily supported by fellowships in 2024.
Research and teaching
3,157
The number of graduate students primarily supported as research or teaching assistants in 2024.
Debt-free
91%
The percentage of doctoral recipients who graduated in 2024 with no graduate debt.
Key terms for graduate students
- Fellowship
- A fellowship is a funding award to a graduate student that covers tuition partially or fully, provides a stipend to help defray living expenses, and may also cover student health insurance.
- Appointment
- A graduate research or teaching appointment covers tuition partially or fully, provides a salary, and typically covers student health insurance, as well as other benefits. Salary rates are set each year by individual departments within ranges established by the collective bargaining agreement between MIT and the MIT Graduate Student Union.
- Direct Grad PLUS Loan
- A federal loan available to graduate and professional students. You must be enrolled at least half time, pass a standard credit check, and may not be in default on a prior education loan to be eligible. The maximum annual loan limit is the cost of attendance minus any other financial assistance you receive.