Penn Engineering >> Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics [MEAM] > Graduate Program > PhD

Financial Aid

All PhD students who are in good academic standing are provided with financial aid that covers full tuition, a stipend, and health insurance throughout their program of study in the department. The financial aid is funded by research grants of faculty members, endowments, and other fellowships. The selection process is competitive and is based on merit. To be considered for financial aid, check the "financial aid" box on your application for admission.

During the first year, the recipients of financial aid take a full-load of courses (four per semester). During the first year, the students are not asked to assist with any teaching duties. Thus, the fellowship enables the students to focus on learning the fundamentals before they start their research program in their second year. In the second and third years, all graduate students are required to participate in the Teaching Practicum, that includes assistance with the teaching of three courses in three different semesters. The Teaching Practicum is structured so that students not only gain valuable teaching experience to prepare them for academic careers and leadership positions but also attain a mature understanding of the basics in their field of interest. Starting from the second year, the thesis research becomes increasingly important as compared to the formal courses. Furthermore, the financial aid then comes from the research grants of the faculty advisor. Thus, fellowship recipients are expected to work substantively on their research.

Types of financial aid that are available for eligible Ph.D. candidates:

As an incentive for students that secure graduate fellowships from the NSF or other federal agencies the Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics department may award an additional stipend up to $3,000 per year (this excludes IGERT Graduate Fellowships).

Ashton Fellowship: The eligibility for an Ashton fellowship requires the applicant to be a third generation American born citizen under the age of 25 and be a resident of New Jersey or Pennsylvania. If you fulfill these requirements, apply to the Mechanical Engineering and applied Mechanics Department and request an application for the Ashton fellowship by sending e-mail to meam@seas.upenn.edu.

Class of 1939 Graduate Fellowship: Two fellowships are made each year to students who have earned Penn undergraduate degrees within the three previous academic years and have been accepted into graduate programs at Penn. First-year funding from the fellowship is matched with institutional support to provide fully funded four-year awards. Apply to the Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics Department and note on your application that you are a recent University of Pennsylvania graduate and would like to be considered for this fellowship.

The Dean's Fellowship: These fellowships offers a full tuition scholarship, graduate assistantship, plus a living stipend to incoming, full-time doctoral students showing high academic potential. Several recipients are chosen each year through a school-wide competition. Dean’s fellowships provide up to three years of financial support to allow recipients to devote undivided attention to their studies. For consideration of this fellowship apply to the Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics Department and check the financial aid box on your application.

Fontaine Fellowship: The eligibility for an Fontaine Fellowship requires the applicant to be a member of certain minority groups, and a U.S. citizen. If you feel you might fulfill these requirements, you should apply to the Mechanical Engineering department and request an application for the Fontaine fellowship by sending e-mail to meam@seas.upenn.edu.

GAANN Fellowship: The Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GANN) provides fellowships to U.S. citizens in areas of national need to assist graduate students with excellent academic records who demonstrate financial need and plan to pursue a Ph.D. degree in Biological Modeling, Analysis,
Computation and Synthesis (B-MACS) or Lab on Chip Technology (LoCT). Women and minorities are especially encouraged to apply. Applicants should apply to the Mechanical Engineering department and note B-MACS or LoCT in Mechanical Engineering as intended area of study. Also, applicants should visit http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ and fill out a free application for federal student aid.

GANSTER Fellowship: The Joseph A. Ganster, Jr. & Julia A. Ganster Fellowship provides fellowships to outstanding applicants. Apply to the Mechanical Engineering Department and check the financial aid box on the application.

GEM Fellowship: The GEM Fellowship programs are designed to assist underrepresented minority students to obtain MS and Ph.D. degrees in engineering and the natural and physical sciences through a program of paid summer internships and graduate financial assistance. Apply to the Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics department and visit http://was.nd.edu/gem/gemwebapp/public/gem_04_100.htm to determine if you are qualified and fill out an application.

IGERT Graduate Fellowship: The IGERT is awarded to graduate students who are US citizens that will be engaged in research in the area of nanotechnology. Apply for admission to the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics at University of Pennsylvania, and send an application for the fellowship to:

Professor Dawn Bonnell, IGERT Program Director
University of Pennsylvania, Materials Science & Engineering
3231 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
215- 898- 6231
Bonnell@sol1.lrsm.upenn.edu

NSF Graduate Fellowship: covers tuition and stipend. Apply to the Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics Department and visit the National Science Foundation for a complete listing of policy and procedures for applying for this fellowship.

University Fellowship: covers tuition, stipend, and health insurance for twelve months. Recipients must be registered full-time, including the summer sessions. Apply to the Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics Department and check the financial aid box on the application.

The Walter L. Conwell Scholarships: Established in memory of Mr. Conwell in 1972, these fellowships provide support for superior students during their first year of graduate studies. The fellowships provides full tuition and a living stipend for 12 months. Apply to the Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics Department and check the financial aid box on the application.

Visit the School of Engineering & Applied Science Penn "ApplyYourself" Web site where you can fill out an application for admission directly.