Financial Aid
Merit-based Aid
Applicants are automatically considered for merit-based aid by the admissions committee on the basis of academic record and intellectual promise. Decisions about scholarship awards for incoming students are made at the time of admission.
Tuition for Georgetown University graduate programs is calculated on a per-credit basis, exclusive of room and board and other fees. For the most up-to-date information about Georgetown graduate tuition rates, visit the Office of Student Financial Services.
Tuition Scholarships
The MAAS program offers full and partial-tuition scholarships, as well as a limited number of stipends, to highly qualified applicants. Tuition support is provided by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the Walsh School of Foreign Service, and friends of the Center. Funding is awarded on a yearly basis.
Fellowships and Assistantships
The MAAS program has a limited number of stipends available, which are awarded in the form of fellowships or assistantships. Incoming students are automatically considered for stipend assistance during admission; returning students are considered when they apply for merit-based funding at the end of their first year.
Kuwait-America Foundation Scholarship
CCAS’ Kuwait-America Foundation Scholarship is for applications to the M.A. in Arab Studies program who are residents of the Middle East and North Africa region and who hope to work in the region following graduation. The KAF Scholarship provides one student per year with a full-tuition scholarship and living stipend. Students who meet the aforementioned eligibility criteria will be automatically considered when applying to the MAAS program by the January 15th deadline.
Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships
The National Resource Center on the Middle East and North Africa (NRC-MENA), housed in CCAS, is pleased to offer FLAS Fellowships for language and area studies to MAAS students. These fellowships are funded by a U.S. Department of Education Title VI grant.
To be eligible, a student must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, be enrolled in a full-time program of study, show potential for superior academic achievement based on academic record, demonstrate long-term interest in the Middle East, and have minimum of intermediate-level proficiency in FLAS language.
Each fellowship provides $18,000 for tuition and a $15,000 subsistence stipend. Students are required to be enrolled in a language and an area studies course while receiving the fellowship. The fellowships aim to provide training in MENA languages and area studies in order to meet the national need for specialists on the Middle East region. For more information and to apply, please visit https://ccas.georgetown.edu/resources/flas/ .
Research Assistantships
CCAS faculty and staff hire students every year who work as hourly-paid research assistants or student employees. MAAS students are notified of such employment opportunities as the positions become available.
Language Study Scholarships
The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences offers students Language Study Scholarships to cover the cost of one undergraduate-level language course (courses numbered below 350) per semester. All Arabic language classes needed to reach proficiency are undergraduate, so MAAS students receive scholarships for these courses and do not pay additional tuition for Arabic instruction.
Once students have passed the Arabic proficiency exam, they are permitted to take courses in other languages for which they may receive a Language Study Scholarship. The Language Study Scholarship may also be used for post-advanced Arabic content courses numbered below 350.
Undergraduate-level language courses are taken in addition to the required graduate coursework for the MAAS program and do not count toward the degree.
Additional Funding Opportunities
Because scholarship funding is limited, applicants should seek outside funding while applying to MAAS, including federal assistance. For information on sources of funding, please consult Georgetown’s Office of Student Financial Services website.
Summer Grants
MAAS students may apply for grants to support thesis research, internships, and language study in the summer between their first and second year. Funding for summer opportunities is provided by the CCAS and the School of Foreign Service. Students apply for summer funding through the MAAS program. The number and amount of awards are based on the amount of money available and are subject to change each year.
Conference Travel Grants
The Graduate School supports the professional development of graduate students by providing Conference Travel Grants. These grants may be used toward travel and other expenses associated with participation in a professional meeting, and may be requested in advance. MAAS students who present at a conference may apply for supplemental funding from CCAS to help with transportation and accommodations associated with the conference.