Graduate Financial Aid

Financial aid is the responsibility of each graduate student and it is encouraged that applicants fill out financial aid forms early to cover tuition, fees, and other school expenses. The UIC School of Design offers several possible avenues for financial support.

GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS, RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIPS, AND HOURLY EMPLOYMENT
Graduate assistantships, research assistantships, and hourly employment can be found at the school, college, and university level. Many students find employment at UIC’s Innovation Center, Fab Lab, Daley Library, and the Center for the Advancement of Teaching Excellence; other opportunities exist across the campus. Hourly design positions for MDes students are available in several campus departments.

TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIPS
Second year MDes students who are interested in teaching will be considered for teaching assistantships. TAships include a tuition waiver and stipend and are awarded on a per-semester basis.

FELLOWSHIPS AND SCHOLARSHIPS
Awards without work obligation including scholarship programs and University Fellowships, are highly competitive. For financial aid consideration, we strongly encourage application by our December 15 priority deadline.

FELLOWSHIP, SCHOLARSHIP, AND DEPARTMENT FUNDING
All MDes applicants are considered for available funding when reviewed for acceptance. During the final year of study, all MDes students are considered for limited and highly competitive Teaching Assistantships in the School of Design’s Foundation program.

If you are applying for a fellowship, UIC requires the final grades posted from your school. If you attended a school that utilized a pass/fail grading system you must submit grading sheets from your professors indicating letter grade equivalents.

Fellowships and scholarships are not available for the MDes Preliminary Year Program.

APPLYING FOR GRADUATE, RESEARCH, AND TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIPS
Typically, students seek additional funding from UIC in the form of Graduate Assistantships, which cover the cost of tuition and some fees, and/or graduate hourly positions on campus. While the university offers centralized student employment services, the recruitment and hiring process for Teaching or Research Assistants and other positions in non-academic departments is often conducted through individual departments.

Look for positions on Job Listings where UIC students can view openings for on- and off-campus positions at Handshake. Work-study jobs are open to students who have applied for financial aid and have received a work-study award. Additionally, reach out to any of UIC’s academic Student Support offices to inquire about campus assistantships that haven’t posted yet. The list is broken into various sections, so be sure to scroll to the bottom of the page.

We have no special financial aid designated for international students. International students are required to certify that they can provide for their own tuition, fees, and living expenses for their entire stay here. Without proof of your financial support an I-20 cannot not be issued.