Scholarships and Funding

Many awards and scholarships, which come with modest financial support, are available for M.A. students, described below in the main categories: tuition waivers, Department of Political Science awards, Brooklyn College awards and scholarships, and federal government scholarships and awards.

Department of Political Science Awards

Nominations are made by the M.A. chair to the Scholarship Office each April, with finalists announced in May.

Louis P. Goldberg Memorial Scholarship

An award of up to $1,000 for an M.A. student in international affairs, based on GPA.

Rose Goldstein Memorial Scholarship

An award of up to $600 for an M.A. student in international affairs, based on GPA.

Iris J. Giannota and Yolanda G. Jacobs Scholarship

An award of up to $1,000 for an M.A. student in international affairs, based on GPA.

Brooklyn College Awards

Tow Research Grant

The Tow Undergraduate/Graduate International Research Stipend enables students to conduct research in settings outside the United States during the summer, fall, winter, and spring sessions. It is designed to expand students’ academic experiences and to enrich their lives and that of the college by participating in educational opportunities abroad. See your chair for details.

Graduate Student Professional Development Fund

Through the Office of the Associate Provost for Academic Programs, the college provides funds for graduate student travel, allocated through a competitive application process.

1. Funding of up to $250 may be awarded to reimburse travel and/or registration fees to present a paper, poster, or creative project at a regional or national conference (funding cannot be allocated prior to travel; conference travel funds are intended to subsidize, not cover all the costs of, conference attendance for presenters).
2. Students may also apply for funding for travel essential to complete research for their thesis or other significant research project.

To be eligible, you need to:

• be a matriculated M.A. student registered for courses both during the semester of application and travel (students applying for summer funding don’t need to take summer courses),
• have completed a minimum of six graduate credits at Brooklyn College or document undergraduate research related to the conference topic, and
• have a cumulative graduate GPA of 3.50 or higher

To apply, submit a complete application to Office of the Associate Provost for Academic Programs (3208 Boylan Hall), which comprises:

1. Full Description and Application Form: Spring 2016 (pdf) (see your adviser).
2. A letter of acceptance from the conference.
3. A letter of recommendation from the student’s faculty adviser or graduate deputy.
4. A preliminary budget, including projected expenses for travel, lodging, and conference registration.
5. If you are applying for funds to support your research, you must include a statement explaining how the travel is essential for your research.

For more information: Travel Grad Student Conference Travel Funds (pdf)

Brooklyn College Graduate Scholarships

Palaniyandi, Balamabal Memorial Scholarship

Students demonstrating characters and/or parent is/was member of firefighters, police, or emergency services. Preference for those whose spouse and/or parent died in the line of duty.

BCAA, Long Island Chapter scholarship

One $1,500 award for an M.A. student commuting from Long Island.

Willig Memorial Scholarship

To an outstanding student admitted to the M.A. program in theater management or international affairs.

University Student Senate Scholarships

Are you an M.A. student with a GPA of 3.00 or above who has provided support to fellow graduate students? Then you may be eligible to apply for the USS Graduate Peer Mentoring Scholarship. It is awarded to students who have demonstrated efforts to help other graduate students through academic support, professional development, and leadership development within their college community. Selected students will receive an award of $1,000. Applicants must be permanent residents, citizens, or New York City residents to apply for any USS scholarship.

Checklist for Applying:

• Application
• Two letters of recommendation (at least one letter must be from a CUNY faculty member)
• Two personal essays (300 words each). The first should state why you would benefit from this scholarship and how you believe you have earned it; the second should state your field of interest, current projects, future plans, etc.
• Résumé
• An official letter verifying enrollment of the current academic year
• An official transcript
• Bursar receipts for the current semester
• Signed Declaration Form

Completed applications must be returned to the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, 2113 Boylan Hall, by the announced date each April.

Other

The application for Brooklyn College scholarships and awards is accessible on the BC WebCentral Portal under “Student Transactions” within the “e services” tab. Be sure to read the guidelines before you start the application. The deadline for submitting an application for entering and continuing graduate students is in March of each year. Contact the Office of Scholarships if you have any questions about the application at 718.951.4796 or via e-mail.

Federal and Other Scholarships and Awards

Fulbrights

The Scholarships Office is looking for high-achieving students (juniors, seniors, or graduates) to apply for the Fulbright Scholarship. If you are interested in spending a year abroad conducting research, participating in a creative project, or teaching English, this could be an excellent opportunity for you. For details on the program, consult the website. Once you have done that, if you would like to discuss your eligibility, contact Stephen Gracia, fellowship coordinator, Scholarships Office, 210 West Quad Center, to set up a meeting. Fulbright recommends that you apply through Brooklyn College’s application process, so if you are interested in applying, contact us because the application process is a long and complicated one.

U.S. Student Fulbright Grant

• Allows for individually designed study/research or an English Teaching Assistantship. You can propose a project and/or study plan that will take place during one academic year in a country outside of the United States.
• Provides grants for study/research/teaching in a single country (for exceptions, see World Region Summaries). You can meet, work, and live with and learn from the people of the host country, sharing daily experiences.
• Facilitates cultural exchange Through direct interaction on an individual basis in the classroom, field, home, and in daily tasks, you can gain an appreciation of others’ viewpoints and beliefs, the way they do things, and the way they think.
• Promotes mutual understanding. Through engagement in the community, you can interact with your hosts on one-to-one basis in an atmosphere of openness, academic integrity, and intellectual freedom.

Who can apply for a U.S. Student Fulbright Grant?

• Recent B.A./B.S. graduates. Graduating seniors and recent bachelor’s degree recipients usually propose projects for which they have had some preparation and/or direct work or internship experience.
• Master’s and doctoral candidates who demonstrate capacity for independent study or research, together with a general knowledge of the history, culture, and current events of the countries to which they are applying.
• Young professionals, including writers, journalists, and those in law, business, and other professional fields. May have up to five years of professional study and/or experience in the field in which they are applying. Those with more than five years of experience should apply to the Council for International Exchange of Scholars in the Fulbright Scholar Program.

Boren Fellowship

The Boren Fellowship is a federal award for graduate students for travel focusing on learning a new language.

Federal Financial Aid Programs for Brooklyn College M.A. Students

• TEACH Grant: This is a grant program that does not have to be paid back, but before each disbursement, students must sign an agreement with the federal government to commit to teach after they graduate or leave school, otherwise their grant will be changed to unsubsidized loan and will accrue interest from their first disbursement date.
• Federal Work-Study Program: Part-time job on or off campus. Students are placed into the department of their choice, at a maximum of 20 hours per week, $10/hour.
• Perkins Loan: Only the neediest students are eligible; packages (awards) are distributed by the City University of New York to the colleges until funds are exhausted. Early FAFSA filers will receive this loan at 5 percent fixed interest; the maximum award is $2,500 per semester. (Every year CUNY receives less funds from the federal government due to budget cuts).
• Unsubsidized loans and Graduate PLUS loan: Because a majority of our students apply for unsubsidized loans, it was very sad when we learned that subsidized loans were eliminated for our graduate students in 2011, forcing them to pay interest while in school.
• Alternative loans: Mostly international students apply for this loan. Students deal directly with a bank/lender.
• Veteran benefits: This benefit is administered by Brooklyn College’s Veteran and Military Programs Office. The benefit will cover up to the student’s tuition cost. Various programs exists, such as Post-9/11 GI bill, Montgomery GI Bill, etc.