Financial Aid

The Department of Urban and Regional Planning nominates candidates for and directly offers a variety of aid programs all of which are based on the talent and abilities of the applicant. These competitive programs include fellowships, cooperative internships, research and teaching assistantships, tuition waivers, and stipends. Awards to entering graduate students are primarily made for study beginning in the Fall term. Applicants who wish to be nominated by the Department for specific university awards listed here should so indicate as much when submitting their supplemental form.

The deadline to apply for departmental financial aid for fall admission is February 15th of the year in which the student wishes to attend. If you wish to be considered for a University Fellowship, the application deadline is January 9th.

Fellows Society Adelaide Wilson Fellowship

This fellowship provides support for up to 5 continuous years for newly admitted Ph.D. students. The Fellowship is $30,000 per calendar year and provides the university health insurance plan for the individual.

Legacy Fellowship

This fellowship provides support for up to 5 continuous years for newly admitted doctoral students. The Fellowship is a $10,000 supplement to a 0.5 FTE assistantship (required) per academic year and provides an annual health insurance subsidy.

McNair Scholars Fellowship

The McNair Scholars program is a federally-funded program that prepares first-generation or underrepresented undergraduate students for doctoral studies. This fellowship provides support for up to 5 continuous years for newly admitted doctoral students. The Fellowship is $16,000 – $20,000 per calendar year for the years supported by the Graduate School and an assistantship during the other years and provides the university health insurance subsidy for the individual.

FAMU Feeder Fellowship

This fellowship is for students who graduated from Florida A&M University and completed the FAMU Feeder program. Awards will be given for a maximum of four years for doctoral degree-seeking students, and two years for master’s degree-seeking students. The award will have a non-duty stipend of $5,000 for each of the Fall and Spring semesters, no summer funding will be provided. The Graduate School will also provide a twelve-credit hour tuition waiver for each of the Fall and Spring semesters along with the annual health insurance subsidy. The award may supplement an award by the academic unit or other entity if allowed.

McKnight Doctoral Fellowship

These fellowships provide up to five years of support, with a stipend of $12,000 plus tuition waivers and support for other fees. Fellows also receive an annual health insurance subsidy. This is a state-wide program administered through the Florida Education Fund (FEF). Applications are available on the FEF website. For more information regarding FSU application procedures, contact the Graduate School, 314 Westcott, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-1047, (850) 644-3501, or email gradschool@fsu.edu

Additional information about these opportunities can be found on the fellowship page of the Graduate School Website

Each year the Department arranges with a number of public agencies and private firms for Masters and PhD students to be placed in a professional planning or planning-related position. The one-year internships provide a stipend and tuition waiver. Work requirements typically vary from 15-20 hours a week. Recent sponsors have included the Blueprint 2000, the US Forest Service, the State of Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, and several other public agencies and private firms located in Tallahassee.

Florida Department of Transportation Public Transit Fellow Program

The Department of Urban and Regional Planning has partnered with the Florida Department of Transportation to offer a one-year cooperative internship for students interested in public transit. Transit Fellows work part-time with a public transit agency during the academic year and full-time during one summer. Funding includes a stipend for 12 months plus 24 credit hour tuition waiver. Previous fellows have had summer postings with agencies such as Tri-Met in Portland, Oregon, Atlanta Regional Commission in Atlanta, Georgia, Miami-Dade Transit in Miami, Florida, and Utah Transit Authority in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Graduate Research Assistantships

These one-year assistantships are awarded to incoming master’s students and provide a stipend and tuition waiver. The student is assigned to work 15-16 hours per week with one or two faculty members. These assistantships provide an opportunity to gain valuable research experience under the direction of the faculty. Criteria for awarding research assistantships include financial need, academic achievement, and research skills.

Doctoral Graduate Assistantships

These awards provide doctoral students with a stipend, plus a tuition waiver, each year for as many as four years. Students may teach one course each semester in the undergraduate program of the Department, under the general supervision of a faculty member. Alternatively, students may be assigned to assist faculty members with research projects. Criteria used in making these awards involve financial need, academic achievement, and potential or proven teaching and or research skills. Awardees work 15 hours per week.

Department Computer Assistant

This position provides a stipend plus tuition waiver for a student who works under the supervision of the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy GIS Lab Director. Awardees work 16 hours per week.

Joy Jinks Endowed Scholarship

The Jinks Scholarship provides a stipend and tuition waiver for students who are interested in community development and community sustainability. Awardees work 15-16 hours per week.

Richard A. Smith Memorial Scholarship

The Smith Scholarship provides a stipend and tuition waiver to a master’s student with outstanding credentials and demonstrated financial need. Awardees work 16 hours per week.

Mark and Alice Filteau Graduate Assistantship

The Filteau Assistantship provides a stipend and tuition waiver to a master’s student with outstanding credentials and demonstrated financial need. Awardees work 16 hours per week.

Leslie N. Wilson-Delores Auzenne Assistantship for Minorities

Awards are available for all new or currently enrolled minority graduate students. Nomination is through the department or college, but competition for these awards is on a university-wide basis. The stipend is a minimum of $5,000 per academic year plus tuition waivers.

Academic Common Market

Residents of selected southern states are eligible for in-state tuition while studying urban and regional planning for either the Master’s or Doctoral degrees at Florida State University. To determine whether your state permits you to do so, you can visit the Academic Common Market website or contact our admissions coordinator for assistance.

International Linkage Institutes

The Florida State University System maintains relationships with various foreign universities under which selected nationals of certain foreign nations may obtain tuition assistance at FSU. For detailed information concerning a specific nation please review the information provided by the Florida State’s International Program.

The FSU Graduate School offers information on funding opportunities, news and events, electronic thesis and dissertation (ETD) guidelines, degree programs and certificate programs, fee waivers, as well as links to staff contact information, a searchable scholarship database, important forms for students and much more.