Graduate Aid

The Society of Presidential Fellows program provides full tuition support and professional development opportunities to select graduate students for the duration of their studies. All applicants admitted into a RISD graduate program for academic year 2023–24 will be considered for the fellowship. No additional application is required. Admitted applicants will be nominated by their academic department or program.

Graduate fellowships are awarded by the Student Financial Services office in conjunction with the student’s academic department. Fellowships may be based on financial need as determined by completion of the FAFSA, merit, or a combination of both (based on departmental preferences).

Typically, fellowships are awarded in equal payments for fall and spring semesters. Payments are made directly to a student’s tuition account.

Graduate assistantships are awarded through each graduate program and are assigned by the graduate program director. Assistantships are awarded during the admissions process. However, specific positions may not be assigned until the beginning of each semester.

International students or those without a social security number cannot be assigned an assistantship during the first semester.

RISD partners with Scholarship Universe, an online portal that matches you with outside funding opportunities. Sign in with your RISD account and answer questions to build your profile. This will provide you with info on scholarships you may be eligible to apply for. The portal lets you save scholarship results and receive emails about deadlines.

Reminders:

• You will apply with individual organizations (not RISD) that will contact you with updates.
• Scholarship Universe listings are fully vetted.
• Keeping your Scholarship Universe profile current improves scholarship matching.

Please contact Student Financial Services with any questions about Scholarship Universe.

Login to Scholarship Universe

Federal and RISD Work Study programs allow students to earn an income to offset educational expenses. Over 1,300 RISD students, more than half the student body, participate in the Work Study Program. This consists of both Federal Work Study (FWS) and student employment.

Priority is given to FWS financial aid recipients for jobs on campus. However, RISD also allows other students to work if there are jobs left unfilled by FWS recipients. Work study offers five levels of hourly pay rates and students are paid bi-weekly.

Work study is separate from assistantships awarded by your academic department. All assistantships originate from each graduate program and are assigned by the graduate program director.

Both on- and off-campus jobs are posted by RISD Student Employment. Off-campus job listings include the following:

• community service opportunities at nonprofit agencies in the Providence metro area.
• jobs in the local community (babysitter, waiter/waitress, retail sales, lawn/garden, etc.). 
• professional opportunities such as freelance art and design jobs.

To prove eligibility to work, students must provide RISD with documentary evidence of:

• identity (driver’s license, RISD ID or government photo ID).
• US citizenship (US passport, social security card or birth certificate with a seal).

Copies are not acceptable. You may request a duplicate social security card from the Social Security Administration. If you plan to work while at RISD, please bring the correct documentation with you.