Funding and Fellowships

We recognize the cost of studying and living in Boulder is an important consideration for students of all levels. Although tuition and fees are set by the university, in the mechanical engineering department, we attempt to provide as much financial support as possible for our graduate students. This support includes multi-year Teaching and Research Assistant appointments, hourly employment opportunities and travel grants for students giving presentations at conferences. Through these funding opportunities, we attempt to promote educational and research excellence, diversity and community, while ensuring that graduate students are able to complete their degrees without undue or unforeseen financial burdens.

Because tuition and fees are charged at variable rates based on residency, program, student status, and number of enrolled credits each semester, a good understanding of the structure of tuition and fees can help to maximize the return on educational investment. Information on tuition and fees for each of our programs is available on the Bursar's Office website. Some funding resources are shown below. 

Funding Opportunities by Program

We offer funding to all PhD applicants whom we admit. Our department anticipates extending full funding to about 70 Fall 2024 PhD applicants. Funding includes a graduate student salary, tuition remission, and 91% health insurance coverage. In your first year, you will be funded by the department as a Teaching Assistant (TA) for one semester and as a Research Assistant (RA) for the other semester. This structure enables you to find a research lab and to practice working in a classroom setting. Faculty with alternate sources of funding may petition the department to waive the TA requirement for first year students in their lab.

In your second year and beyond, you will be funded by a research advisor as an RA or through other fellowships, pending reasonable research progress and academic performance. If your research advisor has a funding gap, they can apply to the department for gap funding. This way, students have a safety net so that they can continue to be funded throughout their PhD program.

Students admitted to the master’s degree program, including BAM and BS/MS students, are expected to secure their own financial support. This means that Master’s students should plan on providing their own fellowships and/or private funds to finance their education. Possible funding sources may include student loans, outside fellowships, employer sponsorships, etc. (see below "Fellowship and Scholarship Opportunities" for suggestions) 

The ME Graduate Program offers scholarship opportunities at time of admission (see our Admissions application eligibility; link here) recipients will still be expected to cover the majority of their cost of attendance. 

There is an opportunity 1x a year in Spring semesters for continuing students scholarships. Application requirements and timelines may vary but will be marketed through the departmental Canvas page for current graduate students. If awarded, the scholarship will be distributed in Fall semesters ONLY. 

Financial Aid for U.S. Citizens & Permanent Residents
Student Employment

Students can sometimes secure jobs around campus, but it’s important to note that these types of positions would never be enough to pay for tuition and room and board. CU Boulder's Student Employment Office posts an average of 600 part-time, on-campus and off-campus jobs for students. Graduate students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents may qualify for work-study awards. International students may verify their employment eligibility through International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS).

External Resources
  • The SmartStudent Guide to Financial Aid
  • Gradsense
  • eduPASS: This site provides information for international students who are thinking about pursuing an undergraduate, graduate, or professional education in the USA. It also contains material of interest to international students who are already in the USA. There is also some information for international students who are interested in studying in countries other than the US, but the main focus is on higher education in the US.
Payment Plans

Tuition and fees can be spread out over the course of each semester by enrolling in optional payment plans.

MS Professional (cannot hold TA/RA appointments) 

Students in the Professional MS program are not eligible for Teaching Assistantship (TA) or Research Assistantship (RA) appointments (tuition is fully covered with appointment AND earn a monthly stiped). Those opportunities are reserved for PhD candidates and/or MS Thesis students (see below MS Thesis tab for more information)

However, MS Professional students are eligible for hourly employment as course assistants (graders), administrative assistants and lab/research assistants. The graduate program typically requests students interested in hourly employment complete an Hourly Employment Interest Form that is announced via the Current ME Graduate Student Canvas Course Announcements. Announcements of hiring usually occur three times per year; once each in Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters. These positions do not provide coverage of tuition, fees, or health benefits, but do provide hourly pay. 

MS Thesis  (TA/RA eligible but RARE) 

MS Thesis students are eligible for Teaching Assistantship (TA) and Research Assistantship (RA) appointments, these opportunities are rare. There is no formal application process for MS Thesis students to pursue TA or RA positions . In rare instances, Research Assistantships (RA) are offered to M.S. students from their faculty research advisors. RA’s are provided by research projects that are funded by external agencies. TA's are offered by department and are very rare to obtain as an MS Thesis student. 
If an applicant/student requires a RA or a TA to fund their studies, we encourage them to pursue applying to the PhD program where if admitted, those positions are guaranteed at time of admission (see above information for PhD funding) 

Tuition & Costs 

The exact tuition and fees will depend on residency status, either resident (within Colorado) or non-resident (out-of-state and/or international). Graduate tuition is charged per total amount of credits enrolled in within each semester (the MS degree credit requirement is 30 credits). The tuition and fees do not include the likely and following additional expenses: 

  • Books & Supplies (Estimated less than $100 per course)
  • Transportation
  • Housing, food & other living expenses

Additionally, the cost of tuition and fees may increase from year to year.  You can view the past and current year rates (by credit) on the Tuition and Fee Rate Sheets on the Bursar's Website. Under the Graduate Heading there, the MS Professional degree program's rates are noted under the "Professional Master's" sheet (view the residency status that matches your own). We recommend to look at the 15-credit amount of tuition and doubling that rate to get an estimate idea of a 30-credit degree cost. There is also a helpful Cost Estimator on the Bursar's Office website which shows tuition based on residency, credit hours, and mandatory student fees

NOTE: If a student obtains a faculty advisor and transitions to the thesis MS program after admission, the student's tuition is noted on the "Graduate" sheet (view the residency status that matches your own). There are potential scholarship programs for non-resident MS Mechanical Engineering Thesis students since the "Graduate" tuition rate is higher than a "Professional Master's" non-resident tuition rate.

Fellowship & Scholarship Opportunities

  • About: The purpose is to promote the education, recruitment and retention of outstanding undergraduate and graduate students in science, mathematics, and engineering studies; the DoD is also interested in supporting the education of future scientists and engineers in a number of interdisciplinary areas.
  • Website: SMART Scholarship for Service Program
  • Deadline: December
  • Eligibility: The program is intended for citizens of the United States; students must be at least 18 years of age to be eligible for an award.
  • About: The fellowship program is sponsored by the Army Research Office, Office of Naval Research, Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the DoD High Performance Computing Modernization Program.
  • Website: NDSEG Graduate Fellowship Program
  • Deadline: December
  • Eligibility: This program is intended for U.S. citizens at or near the beginning of their doctoral studies in science or engineering programs.
  • About: The East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes provide U.S. graduate students in science and engineering first-hand research experience in Australia, China, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Singapore or Taiwan.
  • Website: NSF-EAPSI Program
  • Deadline: November
  • Eligibility: This program is intended for U.S. citizens at or near the beginning of their doctoral studies in science or engineering programs.
  • About: A competitive stipend, relocation and travel allowances, and a pre-program site visit are offered.
  • Website: ONR Summer Faculty Research and Sabbatical Leave Program
  • Deadline: December
  • Eligibility: This program is intended for U.S. citizens who hold teaching or research appointments relating to science and/or engineering at U.S. academic institutions.
  • About: The AF SFFP offers hands-on exposure to Air Force research challenges through 8- to 12-week research residencies at participating Air Force research facilities for full-time science, mathematics, and engineering faculty at U.S. colleges and universities.
  • Website: Air Force Summer Faculty Fellowship Program
  • Deadline: December
  • Eligibility: This program is intended for US citizens or permanent residents who have an earned doctorate in science or engineering and who hold full-time science or engineering faculty positions at US colleges, community colleges and universities.
  • About: The program is designed to significantly increase the involvement of creative and highly trained scientists and engineers from academia and industry to scientific and technical areas of interest and relevance to the Navy.
  • Website: NRL fellowship
  • Deadline: Rolling deadline
  • Eligibility: This program is open to US citizens and legal permanent residents and offers a competitive stipend as well as insurance, relocation, and travel allowances.
  • About: The goals of the NREIP are to encourage participating students to pursue science and engineering careers, to further education via mentoring by laboratory personnel and their participation in research, and to make them aware of DoN research and technology efforts, which can lead to employment within the DoN.
  • Website: The Naval Research Enterprise Intern Program
  • Deadline: October
  • Eligibility: U.S. citizenship required; Permanent residents accepted at certain labs (Please see website for details.)
  • About: The goals of SEAP are to encourage participating students to pursue science and engineering careers, to further their education via mentoring by laboratory personnel and their participation in research, and to make them aware of DoN research and technology efforts, which can lead to employment within the DoN.
  • Website: The Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program
  • Deadline: January
  • Eligibility: SEAP is an eight week summer research opportunity at participating ONR laboratories for high school student who have completed at least grade 9, must be 16 years of age for most Laboratories, and a U.S. citizen. A graduating Senior is eligible to apply.
  • About: The purpose of this NASA program is to help advance the nation’s aeronautics enterprise by investing in the educational development of the future aeronautics workforce and to provide opportunities to attract highly motivated undergraduate and graduate students to aeronautics and related fields.
  • Website: NASA website.
  • Deadline: April
  • Eligibility: The graduate program is open to U.S. citizens, the applicants should be accepted or enrolled in an accredited program, and remain in good academic standing at their respected college or university.
  • About: In an effort to foster education and innovation in the area of societal production and utilization of energy, the Link Foundation has a two- year fellowship.
  • Website: Link Foundation
  • Deadline: December
  • Eligibility:  The applicant must be working toward a Ph.D. in an academic institution.
  • About: Hertz builds America's capacity for innovation by nurturing remarkable applied scientists and engineers who show the most promise to change the world. Emphasis on near-term application of applied sciences or engineering; approximately 20 new fellowships awarded annually, tenable at most top-level U.S. research universities; two options available, chosen at time of award.
  • Website: Hertz Foundation
  • Deadline: Fall
  • Eligibility: Citizen or permanent resident of US, College seniors wishing to pursue the Ph.D. degree in any of the fields of particular interest to the Foundation, as well as graduate students already in the process of doing so, may apply.
  • Website: IBM PhD Fellowships
  • Deadline: October
  • Eligibility: Enrolled full time in college or University, completed one year in doctoral program at time of nomination, must be nominated by faculty member
  • Website: National Physical Science Consortium
  • Deadline: November
  • Eligibility: US Citizen (Emphasis on underrep. minorities and women), senior year 3.0 GPA, first year grad school pursuing PhD, returning from workforce with no more than a masters.
  • Website: FastLane Graduate Research Fellowships
  • Deadline: November
  • Eligibility: Citizens or nationals of the United States or permanent resident aliens of the United States, graduate study leading to research-based master's or doctoral degrees in the fields of science, mathematics, and engineering, In most cases, an individual has three opportunities to apply: during the senior year of college, prior to or during the first year of graduate school, and at the beginning of the second year of graduate school. Individuals who have completed no more than 12 months of graduate study (or the equivalent in part-time study) are eligible.
  • Website: NIH Predoctoral Fellowship Awards
  • Deadline: April, August, December
  • Eligibility: Citizenship: citizens or noncitizen nationals of the United States, or have been lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence. Underrepresentation: The applicant must be from ethnic/racial groups that have been determined by the applicant's graduate institution to be underrepresented in biomedical or behavioral research. Degree Requirements: An applicant must currently be enrolled in a Ph.D. or equivalent research degree program, a combined M.D./Ph.D. program, or other combined professional doctorate/research Ph.D. graduate program in the biomedical or behavioral sciences, or have been accepted by and agreed to enroll in such a graduate program in the academic year for which funds are sought.
  • Website: Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowships
  • Deadline: January
  • Eligibility: All citizens or nationals of the United States regardless of race, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, or sexual orientation. Individuals with evidence of superior academic achievement (such as grade point average, class rank, honors or other designations).
  • Website: National Defense Science & Engineering Graduate Fellowships
  • Deadline: December
  • Eligibility: Citizens or nationals of US, students at or near the beginning of graduate studies (be enrolled in their final year of undergraduate studies or have completed no more than the equivalent of one academic year of full-time graduate study as a part-time or full-time student).
  • Website: AT&T Labs Internship Program
  • Deadline: January
  • Eligibility: Currently enrolled, or planning to enroll, in a graduate school program leading to a PhD. Major field must be in computer science, math, statistics, electrical engineering, operations research, systems engineering, industrial engineering, or related fields. Students must have a US social security number. US citizenship or residency is not a requirement.
  • Website: NASA Graduate Student Research Program
  • Deadline: March
  • Eligibility: Applicants must be currently enrolled or accepted as a full-time graduate student in an accredited U.S. college or university. Applicants must be U.S. citizens. Students may apply at any time during their graduate program, or prior to receiving the baccalaureate degree, provided they have been accepted to an accredited graduate program at a U.S. college or university. All applicants must have a Faculty Advisor from the institution where they plan to receive their graduate degree. Graduating seniors accepted by a graduate school must contact their graduate school department and request an adviser to support the NASA research funded under the GSRP. Identification of an Adviser is important since the awards are made to the Research Adviser at the university on behalf of the student. 
  • MS Departmental Scholarship: Continuing MS ME students (including BAM who are entering and/or have started their MS tenure) are welcome to apply to the MS Departmental Scholarship for Fall semesters. There are no scholarships for MS students offered by the ME graduate program/department for spring or summer semesters. The criteria, prompt, deadline(s), etc. will be announced via the Canvas Graduate Student Resource Page.
  • Singh Graduate Fellowship: Shrawan Kumar Singh and Sudha Singh have generously established a fellowship intended to provide financial support to mechanical engineering students pursuing graduate studies within the department. Students that have research interest in bioengineering and/or biomechanical studies are given preference for this fellowship. Award amounts and lengths may vary. Students will automatically be considered for this fellowship by the Graduate Committee and departmental leadership.
  • Tom and Brenda Geers Graduate Fellowship: Brenda  and Thomas L. Geers and have generously established a fellowship intended to provide one student pursuing a PhD in Mechanical Engineering with fellowship support. Students who are pursuing work in solid and/or fluid mechanics that have attained post-prelim status are eligible for the fellowship. Possible fellows are considered automatically by the Graduate Committee and may be awarded a fellowship for up to three years. Award amounts may vary and only one student at a time can be designated a Geers Fellow.
  • Vogel Family Fellowship: Herbert and Karen Vogel have generously established a fellowship intended to provide one mechanical engineering student pursuing research in the area of thermodynamics, heat transfer or fluid flow with fellowship support. Possible fellows are considered automatically by the Graduate Committee and may be awarded a fellowship for up to three years.
  • Dean’s Graduate Fellowships: Dean’s Graduate Fellowships are awards supported by the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. PhD applicants are automatically considered for this fellowship with their application for admission. Dean’s Graduate Fellowships are awarded to applicants that show exceptional potential during the admissions process. Fellowship amounts can vary, with a maximum award of $5,000 per year. These awards are provided in addition to the tuition, health insurance and living stipend provided by a student’s assistantship.
  • University Graduate Fellowships: University Graduate Fellowships are awards supported by the Univeristy of Colorado and the Graduate School. PhD applicants are automatically considered with their application for admission. University Graduate Fellowships are awarded to the top applicants for each incoming class of PhD students. Fellowship amounts can vary, with a maximum award of $5,000 per year. These awards are provided in addition to the tuition, health insurance and living stipend provided by a student’s assistantship.
  • Summer Fellowship: PhD students who have not received an assistantship offer for the summer term who wish to continue working in their lab may apply for a summer fellowship. These fellowship awards do not cover any summer tuition costs or health insurance. The fellowship is intended to supplement summer living expenses while the student continues to support faculty research. Amounts may vary from year-to-year; Summer Fellowships for the summer 2019 term provided recipients with a total of $7,880. Application deadlines and requirements for summer fellowships will be advertised through the department’s graduate student listserv each spring semester.

Travel Funding for Current Students

The Department of Mechanical Engineering accepts applications for travel grants for up to $250 for in-state conferences and up to $750 for out-of-state conferences. These awards are given to facilitate educational and professional development through conference participation by a Mechanical Engineering graduate student presenting a paper or poster. Mechanical Engineering PhD students are given preference, but highly qualified Mechanical Engineering MS students are encouraged to apply. Applications are accepted throughout the academic year and are reviewed by the Graduate Committee. Students must be pursuing a mechanical engineering graduate degree to be eligible to apply.

The awards are given as scholarship money and will be applied to the student's CU account. If your account balance is zero, then a refund will be issued to you. Funding will be preferentially awarded during the academic year; however, you may apply for funding during the summer semester. Funding is contingent upon formal acceptance of an abstract.

Submit Your Travel Grant Application