We know that financial stress can affect individual well-being and academic success.
MIT can provide some assistance to graduate students experiencing financial hardships arising from a variety of circumstances. The following financial assistance and grants are not loans, and do not need to be repaid. Funds disbursed are tax-reportable income and may reduce eligibility for educational loans. If you want to explore how this would impact you, you may talk to Student Financial Services.
Graduate students may be eligible for the following assistance programs:
- Guaranteed Transitional Support (for students who wish to change research advisors or groups)
- MIT Grant for Graduate Students with Children
- Graduate Student Short-Term Emergency Fund
- Doctoral Long-term Financial Hardship Funding
- Graduate veterans benefits
Have you lost funding or are you coming up short on tuition coverage? If you have gaps in funding, please speak first with your academic department or program. Faculty officers and staff in your program office will contact the OGE as needed to discuss funding gaps.
Additional support may be available through avenues such as Childbirth Accommodation and Parental Accommodation and the Graduate Student Council’s funding for individuals.
Guaranteed Transitional Support
In spring 2021, MIT implemented Guaranteed Transitional Support for students who wish to change advisors or research groups. In Phase I, the focus is on unhealthy advising situations in which students experience bias, harassment, or discrimination. The guarantee of transitional support is intended to empower students to more freely exercise autonomy over decisions that will deeply impact their health and wellbeing, research progress and productivity, and future career after leaving MIT. The Institute is also dedicated to helping students transition research groups for other reasons, such as an evolution in research interest, changing research approaches, or a mismatch in early group choice.
MIT Grant for Graduate Students with Children
The MIT Grant for Graduate Students with Children is a need-blind grant available to full-time PhD students. Master’s students who are eligible for summer tuition subsidy are also eligible for the grant. In order to qualify for the grant, the student’s child/children must reside with them at least half-time throughout the year. In fall 2023, MIT is pleased to offer a more substantive supplemental grant of up to $10,000 for the 2023-24 academic year for graduate students with children, based on need and eligibility. Grant funds may be used to cover expenses such as child care, health care, and housing.
Grant amounts for the 2023-2024 academic year are:
- $6,500 – 1 dependent child
- $7,500 – 2 dependent children
- $8,500 – 3 or more dependent children
Graduate Student Short-Term Emergency Fund
Graduate Student Short-Term Emergency Funding is intended to be a resource for students who are experiencing one-time, non-recurring financial emergencies, including unexpected and unavoidable expenses, when they have exhausted all other resources. Each request will be considered individually and decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Please note: Please be aware that awards made through this fund are subject to federal tax regulations and should be self-reported as income. More info on taxes can be found here: https://sfs.mit.edu/manage-your-money/education-taxes-credits/tax-resources/
This fund is not intended to cover program costs such as tuition, stipend, and student health insurance. If you have gaps in funding, please speak first with your academic department or program. Faculty officers and staff in your program office will contact the OGE as needed to discuss funding gaps.
Please note: Students in MIT Sloan Master’s programs who are experiencing financial challenges should review the guidelines for the Sloan Immediate Needs Fund, accessible via the MySloan portal.
If Graduate Student Short-Term Emergency Fund disbursements are granted, they do not have to be repaid. Graduate Student Short-Term Emergency Fund disbursements may be subject to taxation based on withholding rates set by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Doctoral Long-Term Financial Hardship Funding
Doctoral Student Long-Term Hardship Funding is intended to be a resource for students who are experiencing recurring financial distress, including unexpected and unavoidable expenses, when they have exhausted all other resources.
If MIT provides financial support, the award is in the form of a grant that does not have to be repaid. Awards are subject to taxation based on withholding rates set by the IRS. The duration of any award made is for the academic term.
Veterans benefits
Learn more about veterans benefits on the SFS site.
