Financial Considerations

Planning for the financial aspects of your education is an important step that we encourage all prospective applicants to explore prior to applying. Your financial situation may impact which degree (MS or certificate) you decide to apply for.

Cost of Attendance

Please review the tuition rates provided by One Stop Student Services:

  • The MS is offered at the general graduate and professional rate.
  • The certificate program is offered at a lower per-credit rate. Please scroll down to College of Liberal Arts’ college-specific post-baccalaureate tuition rates for current tuition rates.

Information on student fees is also available from One Stop. 

Financial Aid

There are important differences in financial aid eligibility between the certificate and MS programs. All prospective students considering student loans are strongly advised to contact One Stop Student Services to learn about the financial options available for each degree.

Regents Scholarship Program & Employer Contributions

The Regents Scholarship Program covers a portion of tuition costs for eligible University of Minnesota employees enrolled in University of Minnesota credit-bearing courses.

Some of our students obtain financial assistance from non-University employers. Please explore potential differences in the reimbursement eligibility of our degrees with your employer.

Funding Opportunities

Provost’s Professional Education Diversity Fellowship

The Provost’s Professional Education Diversity Fellowship is intended to assist professional degree programs in promoting a diversity of views, experiences, and ideas through the recruitment and support of academically excellent students with diverse ethnic, racial, economic, and educational backgrounds and experiences. 

This award requires nomination by the graduate program in early February for fall semester applications for admission. Because this nomination deadline precedes the program's July 1 application deadline for fall admissions, interested applicants should plan to apply by January 1 instead and contact writgpc@umn.edu to communicate interest in having their application considered for a program nomination.

Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) Endowed Scholarship

The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) Scholarship was established in 2008 through a generous gift from the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community. It is designed to recruit and retain talented American Indian students with demonstrated financial need to the University of Minnesota. Newly-admitted graduate and professional students (first-year or transfer) with documented proof of American Indian heritage and demonstrated financial need are eligible to apply. 

Other Opportunities

Students in the MS and certificate programs receive announcements about paid internships, grant programs, and other University and external opportunities as they become available.