Additional Funding Options

Funding Mailing List

The Graduate School disseminates funding opportunities as they become available through an opt-in/opt-out mailing list.  Students, staff, or faculty who are interested in adding their ECU email address to the list can follow these instructions. Announcements are mailed out typically no more than twice per week.

1. Address an email to listserv@listserv.ecu.edu
2. No subject line or signature file.
3. Type the message: SUBSCRIBE GRADFUNDING-L firstname lastname
4. Replace Firstname and Lastname with your own first and last names.
5. Send the email.

Campus Employment

There are three basic types of employment on campus:  Assistantships, Federal Work-Study, and Self-Help.  Graduate students are eligible for all three, although Federal Work-Study is the least common.

To be eligible for funding, students should complete the FAFSA if you want the Federal Work-Study option. Assistantships and Self-Help jobs do not require a FAFSA on file.

To seek out campus employment, students are encouraged to:

• Speak to their Graduate Program Director about assistantships.  See the Assistantships page for more information.
• Log into Career Services’ Handshake web portal.  All types of campus employment are listed in their job search tool.
• Speak directly to the Office of Financial Aid if you are interested in Federal Work-Study positions to determine how to request this option when you file the FAFSA.

Financial Aid

The Office of Financial Aid provides education, guidance, and support to individuals in the financial aid process. They administer Federal, State, and Institutional aid programs to students at ECU.

Review their website to ensure you:

• Understand the FAFSA and how to complete it.
• Review their Frequently Asked Questions page to learn more information about the process.
• Learn more about available aid options: Grants, Loans, and Scholarships..
• Graduate students are considered full-time if they are enrolled in 9 graduate credits or more. Graduate students are usually eligible for financial aid if they are enrolled in 5 credits or more.
  

Scholarships

The Office of University Scholarships administers numerous scholarships available to students. Many awards require the FAFSA to be on file, so it is good idea for all graduate students to complete the FAFSA. However, also completing the online application for the University Scholarships increases your chances of “matching” with a scholarship opportunity. Graduate students who choose not to file a FAFSA can still complete the online application with the Office of University Scholarships; however, the student will be ineligible for opportunities that require a FAFSA on file. Students are also encouraged to seek out external scholarship databases for additional opportunities.

Fellowships

Fellowships are competitive awards for graduate students that often provide salary support, but can include tuition, research costs, and travel. Students may seek out external fellowship sources and consult with their graduate program director prior to applying. Popular sites to search for fellowship opportunities include:

Searches for Funding Opportunities

Assistantships

Please review the Assistantships page to learn more. https://studentaffairs.ecu.edu/financialwellness/igrad/

Financial Help at ECU

If you would like to discuss finances such as budgeting, credit, etc., you may schedule free financial coaching appointments with the ECU Financial Wellness Hub. Make an appointment here.

All students may also take advantage of free financial wellness modules through iGrad.  Click here to learn more.