Graduate Funding Options at the University of Denver: Grants, Scholarships, and Assistantships

## Overview The University of Denver (DU) provides several categories of graduate financial aid, including institutional scholarships, departmental grants, federal and state grants, teaching/research assistantships, doctoral fellowships, and private scholarships. Most aid is administered by individual academic units rather than a central office. ## Types of Aid - **Institutional Scholarships** – Merit‑based awards offered by graduate departments; often automatic upon admission, but some require separate applications. - **Departmental Grants & Scholarships** – May be need‑ or merit‑based, typically require full‑time enrollment. - **Graduate Teaching/Research Assistantships** – Provide tuition waivers plus a living stipend; eligibility varies by department. - **Doctoral Fellowships** – Awarded to PhD students taking at least 8 credits per term; amounts range from $1,000 to $5,000 annually. - **Federal TEACH Grant** – Up to $3,772 per academic year for eligible education majors; requires a teaching service commitment. - **Colorado "Critical Career" Graduate Grant** – Up to $7,000 annually for Colorado residents meeting specific income and field criteria; funding limited and ending after 2025‑26. - **Private Scholarships** – External awards listed on various scholarship search sites; not administered by DU. ## Eligibility Highlights - **Institutional/Departmental Awards** – Generally require admission to the graduate program; some need full‑time status. - **Assistantships & Fellowships** – Must meet department‑specific criteria; doctoral fellowships require at least 8 credits per term. - **TEACH Grant** – Must be enrolled in specific teacher‑education master’s programs in the Morgridge College of Education and complete FAFSA. - **Colorado Grant** – Must be a Colorado resident, submit CO Residency Form, be enrolled half‑time, have a Student Aid Index < $7,000, and pursue a listed critical‑career field. ## Application Process - Most institutional and departmental aid is considered automatically with the admission application; separate forms may be required for some scholarships. - Assistantships and fellowships are typically part of the department’s admission or recruitment process; contact the department directly. - Federal and state grants require filing the FAFSA; the TEACH grant also needs entrance counseling and an agreement on the StudentAid.gov website. - Private scholarships must be applied for individually; DU can forward awarded funds to the student’s financial‑aid account. ## Unknowns & Gaps - Specific application deadlines for most scholarships, assistantships, and fellowships are not provided in the source. - Exact numbers of awards available, success rates, and detailed award amounts (beyond the ranges mentioned) are unspecified. - The source does not list eligibility details for many private scholarships or the criteria used by external search engines. ## Source Limitations The information comes from DU’s financial‑aid webpage and may be incomplete or outdated. Funding availability, especially for state grants, is subject to legislative changes. No verification of current award amounts or deadlines is possible from the provided text. Source: https://www.du.edu/admission-aid/financial-aid-scholarships/graduate-financial-aid/types-aid/grants-scholarships Checked: 2026-09-25T08:13:56.115550+00:00 Confirm details with the official institution before applying.