The iSchool has several types of funding available:

Merit Scholarships

All MLIS applicants are automatically considered for a limited number of iSchool merit-based scholarships. Some scholarships are renewable for the second year of the program. If there is additional information you would like to provide the committee that you feel is relevant to your being considered for a scholarship, you can use the optional Scholarship Information section in the online application.

We also award scholarships to continuing students, so there will be more opportunities to receive funding after you have started the program.

Endowed Scholarships

The iSchool has more than 20 endowed funds from which MLIS students can apply for scholarships to cover the costs of their second (or third) year in the MLIS program.

Graduate Assistantships and Student Employment

The iSchool hires students for graduate assistantships that provide partial tuition reimbursement. This hiring process occurs concurrently with the admissions process. When the GA positions are posted in February, all applicants will be notified via email. Questions about the GA hiring process should be directed to the iSchool HR department at ihrhelp@uw.edu.

Students are also able to apply for hourly student positions at the iSchool and in other UW programs/departments:

• iSchool student employment positions
• Additional UW employment opportunities
• UW Graduate School financial support resources for graduate students

While some funding and work opportunities are available, we always encourage applicants to plan to finance their entire education. Scholarship awards and GA hiring decisions are made shortly after applicants are notified of their admissions decision.

Conference Travel Funding

The iSchool has funding available to defray the costs for students presenting at professional conferences, participating in case competitions or contributing to a research project that requires travel. These funds help cover registration fees, travel, room and board and other expenses associated with attending a conference. Funding is limited and is intended to help off-set the costs of students participating in these types of activities. Funds are requested through your program academic advisor.

Students should check with professional organizations for funding opportunities. These organizations often offer scholarships for students to attend conferences. Announcements received by the iSchool for these funds are sent to the program listservs and Facebook page.