Graduate Scholarships
On this page:
- Graduate Tuition Scholarships
- Graduate Student Scholarships
- Wright Fellows Program
- WPAFB Graduate School Scholarship
Graduate Tuition Scholarships
Each of Wright State’s colleges has a limited number of competitive scholarships to award each year.
Eligibility
- New and current Wright State full-time graduate students who maintain a 3.0 graduate GPA.
- Students cannot receive any other form of financial aid from Wright State (i.e. tuition scholarships, assistantships, etc.).
- Graduate tuition scholarship recipients must have regular admission status and be in good academic standing (i.e., new recipients may not be admitted conditionally, and continuing recipients may not be on academic probation).
Timelines
Graduate tuition scholarships are awarded on an ongoing basis for each semester.
How to Apply
Each program has its own process for awarding these scholarships. Contact your program directly for details.
Graduate Student Scholarships
To learn more about graduate student scholarships, visit the Graduate Student Scholarships webpage.
Wright Fellows Program
Wright Fellows Scholarships are awarded to students who demonstrate that they have the knowledge, skills, and/or experience to be a top scholar in their chosen field and the Wright State community.
The fellowship includes up to $6000 of (nonrefundable) tuition per semester of full-time registration (six graduate credit hours or more) for up to four consecutive semesters (with spring and fall counting as consecutive semesters if fellows do not register for summer). Wright Fellows are not expected to provide service for the award.
How to Apply
Applicants should apply at the Wright State Scholarship website. Applicants will provide the following information:
- A statement highlighting how the applicant's knowledge, skill, and/or experience demonstrate that they are a top scholar in their chosen field and the Wright State Community (100-300 words)
- A resume or CV from the applicant
- A letter of recommendation that speaks to the individual’s relationship to the applicant, as well as the past performance and future potential of the applicant
Eligibility requirements are as follows:
- The applicant is a US citizen or permanent resident.
- The applicant has been admitted to but has not yet commenced study in a graduate program (master’s or doctoral) that is overseen by the Graduate School. Students already enrolled in graduate programs or combined degree (4+1) programs, and students entering professional doctorates (MD, PsyD), are not eligible.
- The recipient must maintain full-time student status (i.e., at least six credits/semester).
- The recipient must maintain at least a 3.0 GPA each semester.
- The recipient must make satisfactory progress toward degree completion.
The Faculty Senate's Graduate Student Affairs Committee will meet during the Spring 2024 semester to recommend Wright State Fellows for 2024-2025.
Wright-Patterson AFB (WPAFB) Graduate School Scholarship
This non-refundable scholarship provides up to $6,000 of tuition support per year ($2,000 per semester) for qualified WPAFB employees or their family members who are enrolled full-time in a graduate program (which is 6 graduate credits, typically two 3-credit courses) at Wright State. One scholarship is available per qualifying family and may be transferred to a spouse or dependent child. A dependent is a daughter, son, stepdaughter, or stepson of the employee, as defined in Internal Revenue Code Section 152, who is eligible to be claimed as a dependent on the employee’s federal income tax return. Students cannot receive any other form of financial aid from Wright State (i.e. tuition scholarships, assistantships, etc.). Students may combine the scholarship with other external scholarships, military or civilian tuition assistance (see below), or other tuition remission programs.
Eligibility
You are eligible to apply for this scholarship if you are employed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base as a:
- Civilian or active duty military personnel
- Air Force Reservist who is an active participant in a WPAFB unit
- Spouse or dependent
Contractors are not eligible for this scholarship.
WPAFB employees whose official duties do not substantially affect the interests of Wright State University (as determined by appropriate WPAFB authorities) may be authorized to receive the offered scholarships. Wright State University employees and their spouses or dependents who are eligible for the tuition remission are not also eligible for this scholarship.
What programs can I take?
You can apply this scholarship to graduate certificates, licensure and endorsement programs, master’s degrees, and specialist degrees, as well as Ph.D. and Ed.D. degrees, but not to M.D. or Psy.D. programs. WPAFB scholarships are awarded as long as funds are available. This scholarship can be used for any graduate program, whether that program is taught through face-to-face courses, online courses, or a combination of both.
How to Apply
To receive the scholarship, you must:
- Be accepted into a graduate program at Wright State University. An application fee may apply.
- Complete the online WPAFB Graduate School Scholarship application form. There is no fee to apply for the scholarship.
- Provide verification of employment status (either the student's own or a spouse/parent’s) at WPAFB per the guidelines below for civilians and military personnel. For those using a Common Access Card (CAC) for verification, that document must be presented in person at the Wright State Graduate School. Scanned, faxed, or photocopied images of the CAC card will not be accepted.
- For current civilian employees: provide proof of your CAC or an Employment Verification document from your MyBiz account. If sponsoring a family member, provide the above information for the sponsor and a statement of the sponsor's relationship with the student.
- For active duty military personnel: provide proof of your CAC or present a Proof of Service letter. If sponsoring a family member, provide a Dependent Verification document.
- For actively participating reservist personnel: provide written notification from the commander of the unit (on official letterhead or from a verified email account). This letter must confirm that the reservist is an active participant in that unit and indicate the duration of duty the reservist will be serving. If sponsoring a family member, provide the above information for the sponsor and a statement of the sponsor's relationship with the student.
We will inform students of the scholarship award status after receiving the application form and verification of employment documents.
Completed applications for a semester (including both the completed online form and submitted verification of employment) are due by 5 p.m. on Friday before that semester begins. Any applications received after this time will be processed for the next semester.
Scholarship Renewal
To renew this scholarship automatically, you must:
- Maintain a 3.0 or higher GPA.
- Maintain six or more graduate credit hours per semester.
- Maintaining satisfactory progress toward a qualifying credential as determined by a program adviser
You can renew the scholarship for up to six semesters for master’s students or 10 semesters for doctoral students. If you receive the scholarship, but drop classes after the 100 percent refund date, that semester will still count toward the total number of eligible semesters. Special exceptions are made on a case-by-case basis if you need to drop classes late due to an unforeseen deployment.
Partial Scholarship Awards
If you have fewer than six credit hours remaining to complete your program, you may request permission to enroll for fewer than six hours in your final semester. Partial scholarships are limited to $1,000 for three to five hours of graduate credit for one semester. To receive this exception, you must:
- Be registered to graduate in the semester you want the waiver if you are a degree-seeking student.
- Submit a memo from the program stating that the listed semester is the final or graduating semester.
Scholarship removal due to inactive status
If you have not enrolled in classes for three or more consecutive semesters, you will need to reapply for both admission to your program and for the scholarship.
Combining the scholarship with the GI Bill or tuition assistance
Once you are admitted to your graduate program, work with the Veteran and Military Center (VMC) to apply your GI Bill, tuition assistance, or other military benefits to your account. The WPAFB Graduate School Scholarship is applied after those benefits up to the remainder of your tuition amount.
Degree/program completion if transferred from WPAFB
Once you have started a graduate program under this scholarship, you must maintain your eligibility for the scholarship until you have either completed that program or reached the end of your eligibility period, even if you transferred away from WPAFB or separated from the military.
