Financial Information

Master's Degrees

The Brown School offers generous scholarships — more than $6 million was awarded last year. We take both merit and need into account when awarding scholarships.

Brown School students typically cover their educational expenses through a combination of the following:

  • Scholarships from the Brown School
  • Scholarships from external organizations
  • Brown School fellowships
  • Yellow Ribbon Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits
  • Federal work-study
  • Federal student loans
  • Part-time employment
  • Out-of-pocket payments

The MSW tuition rate for the 2023-24 academic year is $23,420 per semester. Learn more about MSW tuition, scholarships and fellowships on our website.

The MPH tuition rate for the 2023-24 academic year is $20,800 per semester. Learn more about MPH tuition, scholarships and fellowships on our website.

The MSP tuition rate for the 2023-24 academic year is $23,420 per semester. 

Doctoral Degrees

All Public Health Sciences and Social Work students admitted into the Brown School’s doctoral program receive a financial package that consists of tuition coverage and five years of stipend support.

Base stipends for 2023-24 will be $35,000 per year for five years. Receipt of this stipend is not tied to work responsibilities. In some cases, students may be awarded competitive fellowships upon admission, which supplement or replace the base stipend. Students also receive $1,000 per year that can be used toward professional development, which may include computer hardware, software, professional travel, and society memberships.

Students are encouraged to apply for additional funding opportunities in the form of research and teaching fellowships as well as dissertation grants. Fellowship opportunities may occur as early as the first semester of satisfactory academic progress. For more information, see the Public Health Sciences and Social Work program websites. 

Our programs are full time, and students are expected to be physically present through the first few years of the program.

The Ann W. and Spencer T. Olin – Chancellor’s Fellowship (OCF) is an elite cohort of outstanding graduate students with diverse backgrounds and from varied disciplines. The OCF is committed to promoting diversity in all dimensions and nurturing a variety of distinctive backgrounds and perspectives. The OCF particularly values students who have demonstrated a commitment to gender and racial diversity, equity and inclusion.

The OCF will begin admitting fellows for the 2023-24 academic year. The OCF offers a competitive award package and a best-in-class graduate fellowship experience including exceptional leadership and development opportunities, access to exemplary resources, and networking and mentorship opportunities that will empower fellows to demonstrate all-around excellence.

Interested applicants should apply to the OCF at the same time they apply for admission to their chosen academic program. To learn more, visit the OCF website.

Training Fellowships in Mental Health Services Research: These fellowships offer three years of tuition and stipend support from the National Institute of Mental Health. The fellowship is designed to prepare researchers to investigate such issues as the access, organization, and effectiveness of mental health services, particularly for clients in social service sectors of care. Visit the Center for Mental Health Services Research website for more information.

The Social Work Training in Addictions Research (STAR) Program: This program offers tuition, three years of stipend support, and a travel allowance from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Recipients conduct research on services for and treatment of substance-abusing and comorbid populations (particularly those who are underserved). The STAR Program will produce social work researchers who have state-of-the-art knowledge of addiction services, prevention and intervention, and service delivery system costs and burdens. For more information, call 314-935-6685.

Additional Funding

The Brown School provides additional financial support to doctoral students, such as travel subsidies for professional conferences. Advanced doctoral students are encouraged to apply for both internal and external dissertation awards.

Students who would like to be considered for Federal Financial Aid must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the appropriate academic year. The FASFA is available on October 1 of each year and should be completed with the student’s prior year federal tax return. The Washington University school code is 002520. For any questions regarding the borrowing process, please contact the Brown School Office of Financial Services.

Note: Students working toward completing a doctoral degree are automatically considered Independent for FAFSA purposes. No parent income information will need to be included.

Before borrowing a loan, students are encouraged to utilize a loan repayment calculator to estimate monthly repayments, which will go into effect after a six-month grace period.

Note:  International students may receive a university fellowship and stipend. hHowever, they are not eligible for federal financial aid loans and are asked to contact the PhD Office and/or the Brown School Office of Financial Services for more information on non-federal assistance. Students are urged to apply to the program early so that awards may be secured well in advance of the fall term.

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