Financial Support

Scholarship Aid

The Division of the Social Sciences offers tuition scholarships at the time of admission, and the majority of admitted students who request scholarship consideration receive scholarship aid. Admitted students can also apply for additional funds after receiving their offer. Funding consideration is most generous during our Early Action round. Prospective students who would need scholarship aid to enroll are strongly encouraged to apply during Early Action or Round 1.

Requesting consideration for scholarships does not have an impact upon consideration for admission.

Dean’s Opportunity Scholarship
After receiving an offer of admission, admitted students can apply for a limited number of full-tuition scholarships. The Dean’s Opportunity Scholarship is intended for exceptional students for whom the cost presents a substantial barrier to enrolling in the program. Low-income students and students who were the first in their family to attend college are particularly encouraged to apply. These awards are limited and extremely competitive, but we encourage all interested admitted students to apply.

Note that Round 2 applicants are not able to participate in this competition. Individuals who would need full tuition support to enroll should apply during Early Action or Round 1.

Tuition and Cost of Attendance

For specific information regarding tuition and fees, including cost of living estimates, please visit Admissions and Financial Aid for the Division of the Social Sciences.

Financing Your Degree

Most incoming students apply for funding from their undergraduate colleges, from outside scholarships, and occasionally from their home countries. Some colleges provide fellowships for alumni who go on to graduate study elsewhere. Check with your undergraduate Career Service Office and your Dean of Students (or their equivalents). The University of Chicago’s fellowship database also lists scholarship opportunities available to master’s students and can be a useful resource.

Student loans are also available, both through the University and through private lenders, but international students should note that many US lenders will not issue a student loan without a US cosigner.

International students should look into possible fellowship opportunities from their home governments, and review the websites of their local US consulates or embassies. Funding opportunities can also be found through EducationUSA. There are also a variety of nationality- specific fellowships for which you might be eligible:

• Students from Asia and Oceania
• Students from Europe and Eurasia
• Students from the Middle East and Africa
• Students from North and South America

In addition, our Office of International Affairs maintains a comprehensive list of funding available to international students.

Student Employment

It is common for MA students to work on campus. Graduate students at UChicago cannot work more than 20 hours per week, though we recommend students work 10 or less given the demands of graduate study. Incoming students may be able to begin a student employment position prior to the start of Autumn quarter with the permission of the Dean of Students Office.

Incoming students can search for part-time jobs, including Teaching Assistant and Research Assistant positions , through GRAD Gargoyle once they have a CNET ID and password. Many students work as Research Assistants (RA) for individual faculty, but positions are not typically arranged until shortly before the start of Autumn Quarter. Part-time jobs may be available at the Regenstein Library, the Smart Museum, the Court Theatre, the Oriental Institute, the 140 Centers and Institutes on campus, or NORC (the National Opinion Research Center).

Second Year Funding

For students enrolling in Autumn 2023:

• All students with a 3.4 GPA over their first nine courses will maintain any scholarship they received in their first year of the program, unless that scholarship is below $30,000.
• Any student with a 3.4 GPA over their first nine courses and who did not have a scholarship in the first year, or their scholarship was below $30,000, will receive a $30,000 scholarship in their second year.

Students who do not earn a 3.4 GPA or higher over the first nine courses will be assessed on a case-by-case basis for second year scholarship aid. For context, in most years 100% of our first year MACSS students receives a 3.4 GPA or higher.

For students enrolling in Autumn 2024:

Scholarships will be renewed for the second year if a student maintains a 3.1 or higher GPA. Students with a GPA below 3.1 may petition for limited scholarships based on a holistic review of their coursework performance and any extenuating circumstances.