Financial Aid

Undergraduate

Undergraduate financial aid is handled through the Stanford University Financial Aid Office, which provides comprehensive information on financial aid alternatives for undergraduates. The School of Engineering and the Aeronautics and Astronautics Department do not handle financial aid inquiries for undergraduates.

Stanford Undergraduate Admissions also has an FAQ section that answers some common questions about financial aid.

Graduate

Fellowships

U.S. applicants are also strongly encouraged to apply for national fellowships such as the NSF, NASA and NDSEG. Newly admitted students please see our fellowship resources page (Intranet) to learn more.

The table below gives a brief overview of the most common fellowships our U.S. students apply for.

Fellowships For International Students

To foster a global student body at Stanford Engineering and, in many cases, to honor their own educational experiences, donors have created graduate fellowships that target students from specific global regions or countries including Mexico, China, Taiwan and parts of the Middle East. These are based entirely on merit - no application is required or accepted. Some of these fellowships and their generous donors are listed below.

Mexico
Claudio X. Gonzalez Fellowship
Claudio Gonzalez, a Stanford chemical engineer, is Chairman of the Board and Managing Director of Kimberly-Clark de Mexico, S.A., that country's largest consumer products company. He's also served as a director for the parent company, Kimberly-Clark, and on the boards of many other internationally known brands, including Home Depot. The fellowship aims to attract exceptional students from Mexico to Stanford and prepare them for leadership roles in society.

CONACYT Stanford Graduate Fellowships
Established by CONACYT (Mexican National Council of Science and Technology) and Stanford University, this fellowship is designed to attract talented students from Mexico to pursue graduate study in engineering at Stanford. By doing so, the university and CONACYT plan to promote cooperation among scientists and scholars in the United States and Mexico and help enhance the quality of the relationship among people from the two countries.

Bechtel International Center
The I-center is the central resource for international students and scholars at Stanford. Please visit the Web site for information on application requirements and deadlines, visas and documents, recent changes in federal requirements (SEVIS), available scholarships and other information for international visitors. Because requirements continue to change, you should visit the I-center frequently for advisory updates.

Stanford Fellowships

Each year, the Aeronautics and Astronautics Department awards several graduate fellowships, primarily to entering master's degree candidates with the potential for doctoral study. Fellowships normally provide full tuition (8-10 unit rate) and a substantial living-expense stipend for one academic year (fall, winter and spring quarters). The department also nominates outstanding applicants for Stanford Graduate Fellowships, which provide three years of full support.

Fellowship awards are based solely on an evaluation of the graduate school application. No additional forms or materials are required for consideration. To be considered for assistance as an entering student, you must submit a completed application, including supporting documents, by the December deadline. Notifications on fellowships are sent to recipients in March and April. All major universities have signed the Council on Graduate Schools resolution that sets April 15 as the response deadline for fellowships and assistantships. Anyone receiving an offer of aid has the right to weigh his or her options, and cannot be required to make a binding commitment to any school before that date. We would appreciate hearing from you as soon as you have decided whether to accept the offer, but the deadline is April 15.

Knight-Hennessy Scholars cultivates and supports a highly-engaged, multidisciplinary and multicultural community of graduate students from across Stanford University, and delivers a diverse collection of educational experiences, preparing graduates to address complex challenges facing the world. Each year, Knight-Hennessy Scholars selects up to 100 students who are newly enrolling in a graduate degree program in any of Stanford’s seven schools. Knight-Hennessy Scholars participate in an experiential leadership development program and receive funding for up to three years of graduate study at Stanford. Candidates of any country may apply. Candidates must submit two applications to be considered; one to Knight-Hennessy Scholars by early October and one to the graduate degree program by its deadline. The Knight-Hennessy Scholars application to join the 2024 cohort closes on October 11, 2023 at 1:00pm PDT. 

Research assistantships

Aero/Astro research assistantships (RAs) are usually considered part of a long-term commitment to doctoral-level research, so it is rare for an incoming student to receive an RA offer in this department. The research assistants are selected by individual faculty members, who will usually have worked with the student in one or more courses, and in some directed study, before deciding on an RA appointment. Salaries are set by the faculty member according to department standards, within limits set by the university and school. Generally, salaries are highest for students who have passed the qualifying exams and lowest for those who have not received the master's degree.

RAs typically receive 8-10 units of tuition coverage and a salary in exchange for 20 hours of work per week. During the academic year, assistantship appointments may not exceed this level. Some students work fewer hours per week, and their salary and tuition benefits are adjusted accordingly. In summer, some labs will allow 75 percent or 90 percent RA appointments, with correspondingly higher salaries.

For the PhD program, incoming students are typically awarded RA positions based upon the information provided in their admissions application. Current students typically contact faculty members to arrange research assistantships.

Course assistantships

Application information for course assistantships (CAs) will be posted by the Aero/Astro Student Services Office in the spring quarter. Positions are assigned by the department quarterly, beginning in the summer for the following academic year. Applicants are expected to have taken and done well in the course in which they will assist. CAs typically receive 8-10 units of tuition coverage and a salary in exchange for 20 hours of work per week. Some students work fewer hours per week, and their salary and tuition benefits are adjusted accordingly.

Aero/Astro students may also serve as course assistants in other departments. A student who feels qualified to assist in graduate or undergraduate courses in another Stanford department may contact that department to ask how to apply for any available positions. (Each department at Stanford may set its own priorities and procedures for hiring assistants. The pay scales will be fairly consistent, however.)

Graduate student loans

Permanent residents and U.S. citizens can apply for need-based loans. For information on student loans and application packets, call the Stanford University Financial Aid Office at (650) 723-3058.

Tuition allowance

Students with 50 percent (20 hrs/wk) assistantships receive tuition allowances at the 8-10 unit rate in addition to their monthly salaries. Students with a 50 percent appointment may not enroll in more than 10 units.

RAs and CAs with an appointment below 50 percent receive a proportionally smaller tuition allowance. They may accept more than one RA/CA appointment in the same quarter, as long as the combination does not exceed 50 percent. The student will receive both salaries and a tuition grant based on the combined percentage. For example, if they total 50 percent, the tuition allowance will be 8-10 units and the bill will be adjusted accordingly.

For fall, winter and spring quarters, graduate students who are not on TGR status must be enrolled for at least 8 units to receive the tuition allowance. Tuition allowance for summer quarter assistantships of over 50 percent will adjust to lesser amounts. Students with the maximum 90 percent summer appointment will receive tuition allowance at the 1-3 unit level.