The School of Graduate Studies and Research helps coordinate a number of funding opportunities for graduate students, to help with the costs of tuition and living expenses, as well as the costs of graduate research and creative projects.

• Graduate Tuition and Fees
• International Student Tuition and Fees
• Assistantships
• Grants and fellowships
• Scholarships
• Financial aid
• Student employment
• Faculty Development and Assistance

Graduate Tuition and Fe​es

CWU's Office of the Registrar provides the most up-to-date information on graduate tuition rates as well as quarterly fees.

International Student Tuition and Fees for 2013-14

The rates for international students are sometimes harder to calculate from the Office of the Registrar.  To assist you, we can provide the following guide: 

Nonresident full-time tuition:
$6,617 x 3 quarters = $19,851 . . . an assistantship in 2013-14 waives $7,697 of this total.

Mandatory fees per the Registrar's web page:
$345 x 3 quarters = $1,035 . . . an assistantship in 2013-14 pays $267 for the health center/wellness fees.

Total nonresident tuition and fees with an assistantship:
$19,851 + $1,035 - $7,697 - $267 = $12,922

Add living expenses, books, and misc of $13,716 as per the Office of International Studies and you have a total cost for the 2013-14 academic year for an international student with an assistantship of approximately $26,638

Assistantships

Central Washington University offers a number of assistantships during the academic year to beginning and continuing graduate students.

Graduate assistantships are available in most of CWU's graduate program departments. Nearly two-thirds of the University's graduate assistants teach; the remainder serve as research assistants with a few performing University service functions.

Graduate assistants are normally selected during the months of March and April for the subsequent academic year. For full consideration, applications should be filed before February 1. Later applications will be given consideration if positions become available. Award announcements are not made until sometime after April 15.

In some cases, but not all, non-resident graduate student assistants are assessed state resident tuition and their fee waivers are applied against this amount.

2013-2014 Graduate Assistant Package

Grants and Fellowships

The graduate school provides two competitive fellowship programs and a travel grant program to help graduate students with research and creative activities.

The Graduate Student Summer Research Fellowship provides a $2,800 stipend for students to conduct research over ten weeks during the summer, usually between the student's first and second year of graduate study. The research may be related to a student's thesis, but does not have to be.

The Master's Research or Creative Activity Fellowship provides up to $700 for expenses for students to conduct research related to their thesis or creative activity.

The Travel Grant program makes available to graduate students up to $400 to travel to a conference or meeting at which they are presenting their work.  Students should contact their respective college of study for information.

Scholarships

Scholarships exclusive to graduate students:

CWURA Graduate Student Scholarship- This competitive scholarship is offered to provide $1,000 to one student per year who holds an earned bachelor’s degree from Central Washington University and who is admitted to or currently enrolled in a master’s degree program at Central Washington University for the purpose of defraying all or part of the student’s unmet financial need as determined by the Office of Financial Aid.  Click here for more information.

The CWU Scholarship Office maintains an extensive list of general and CWU-only scholarships, as well as pointers to databases of scholarship opportunities.

Financial aid

Financial aid is also available through the university from federal and state funds for students demonstrating financial need. Applications should be made directly to the CWU Financial Aid Office by March 15.

Student employment

Employment both on and off campus is available; the CWU Student Employment Office will have details on some available positions.