Financial Aid

We know that the cost of graduate school can be very daunting, but you have several options to cover the difference between the cost of attendance and whatever merit-based aid Georgetown is able to provide. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the student to secure the funding that is necessary to fund their education. We understand that it can be daunting to consider options like loans, but a graduate degree is a critical investment in not just your first job out of GHD, but in the entirety of your career. The investment of time and effort in getting a degree also demands a financial investment.

• Your strongest course of action is to pursue as many outside scholarships and fellowships as possible (you can find a list of some possibilities here). 

• In response to recent changes in federal student loan programs, Georgetown has negotiated new preferred lending options with six major financial institutions to support both U.S. citizens and international students seeking alternatives to finance their graduate education. Please contact your preferred lender (either a lender from this list or another lender of your choice) directly to learn more about their loan options. Note that Georgetown students are not required to use any of the listed preferred lenders and will not be penalized or disadvantaged if they choose to borrow from another lender. Some loan options may require a U.S. cosigner.

• In past years, sometimes (but not always) the University has made some modest amounts of additional funding available in early April for a small number of students. So, in addition to pursuing these outside scholarships, you can submit a request that your scholarship decision be reconsidered. Once the Graduate School releases your official admissions decision, you'll see a link to a Merit Aid Appeal form, which you should submit prior to March 31 for scholarship reconsideration. Please note that the university requires that our graduate scholarships be merit-based, so your letter should primarily focus on merit rather than need, but you can also mention financial need. The scholarship committee requires that, should you request additional funding, you include information on your offers from other schools as part of the letter. The Scholarship Committee would find it helpful to know the size of the scholarship that would make it feasible to attend Georgetown. Bear in mind that, the larger the request, the less likely it is that the Graduate School will increase your scholarship.

• Many students will obtain on-campus jobs to help offset living costs. You should not expect to earn more than $5,000 - $6,000 per academic year, so you should not view this as your primary way to finance your degree. GHD does not offer tuitionships that decrease the cost of tuition, but we do offer RA positions, as well as TA positions for second-year students. You can search for campus jobs here, and positions will begin to be posted starting in late July/early August.