Tuition & Financial Aid
An education from the School of International Affairs is a sound investment that leads to lifelong rewards. However, as you consider admission at any institution, it is important to consider all factors in your decision and explore all possible avenues to help fund your educational investment.
Tuition & Fees
Penn State's Board of Trustees approves tuition rates in July of each year. In addition to tuition, students will also be responsible for fees, housing, and other living expenses. More detailed information for domestic and international students is listed below.
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Estimated yearly expenses for the Master of International Affairs program:
Billable Costs PA residents yearly tuition $24,956 Non-PA residents yearly tuition $43,266 Fees (tech and student fee) $562 Non-Billable Costs Books and supplies $1,840 Housing $9,344 Food and personal expenses $5,610 Total Estimated Costs PA residents $42,312 Non-PA residents $60,622 Your actual costs may vary, based on number of credits, personal budgets, lifestyle, etc. Tuition and fees are finalized each July for the following academic year. You should expect a tuition increase each year. Tuition rates listed above are based on 12 credits per semester—a typical course load for SIA students.
Health Insurance
While an allotment for health insurance is not included above, we can adjust this estimated budget for financial aid purposes for any student who purchases insurance. Penn State offers a comprehensive plan, which costs approximately $3,665 per year (rates are for 2023-2024). For more information about this option, please visit the Penn State Student Health Services website.
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Estimated yearly expenses for the Master of International Affairs program:
Billable Costs Yearly tuition $43,266 Fees (tech and student fee) $562 Non-Billable Costs Books and supplies $1,840 Housing $9,344 Food and personal expenses $5,610 Total Estimated Costs Billable costs total $43,828 Non-billable costs total $16,794 Total estimated costs $60,622 Your actual costs may vary, based on number of credits, personal budgets, lifestyle, etc. Tuition and fees are finalized each July for the following academic year. You should expect a tuition increase each year. Tuition rates listed above are based on 12 credits per semester—a typical course load for SIA students.
Required Health Insurance
International students and any accompanying dependents are required to purchase the Penn State Student Health Insurance plan (SHIP) online or submit proof of health insurance coverage that meets a set of requirements (Penn State’s Student Health Services website). While an allotment for health insurance is not included above, we can adjust this estimated budget for financial aid purposes for students who purchase SHIP.
Financial Guarantee
International students must provide a financial guarantee in order to pursue higher education in the United States. Please visit the International Student and Scholar Advising (DISSA) website to find the necessary information regarding the financial guarantees at University Park in order to receive an I-20.
Financial Support & Planning
The following information will help you develop a plan to finance your graduate education and identify sources of financial aid and support. For more information about financial aid for graduate students, visit the Penn State Office of Student Aid website.
Use the External Scholarship and Fellowship Database to help identify funding opportunities that you may be eligible for. Although not an exhaustive list, SIA maintains this database as a valuable resource and we encourage you to utilize it.
Penn State and SIA offer additional financial benefits to current members of the U.S. military, veterans, and their families. Learn More
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For more information about financial aid for graduate students, visit the Penn State Office of Student Aid website.
Merit-based scholarships
You will automatically be considered for SIA merit-based scholarships, based on information collected from your admission application, as long as you apply by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on January 31 in the year you are applying. This evaluation is automatic and does not require any additional forms. Competitively awarded, SIA merit scholarships are offered to top applicants based on a combination of outstanding academic achievement; professional, work, and volunteer experiences; potential for scholarly contributions to the SIA community; holistic factors provided in a candidate’s personal statement; letters of recommendations; and other information submitted by the applicant. These scholarships may be renewable if you maintain the required criteria for eligibility. If you are awarded a merit scholarship, you will be notified in your official admission letter.
Unfortunately, we cannot award merit- based scholarships to every applicant. You should expect to use other scholarship and loan opportunities to help ease the burden of your education expenses.
Educational Equity scholarships at Penn State
Federal Loans
A variety of student loan sources are available to our students. The Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan (also known as the Stafford Loan) is the financial resource most used by our students. Through this federally guaranteed loan program, students may borrow up to $20,500 per year. The student is responsible for the interest that accrues on that portion of the loan during times of enrollment, but no payments are required until after a student stops attending school at least half-time. For the 2023-24 academic year, the Stafford Loan has a variable fixed interest rate set at 7.05% with an origination fee of 1.057% deducted at disbursement. The rate for 2024-25 will be set in June.
Many students need more loan money than is available to them through the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan. These students turn to the Federal Direct PLUS Loan for Graduate Students (also known as Grad PLUS) or private educational loans. Applications for these loans require a credit check, so you will need a satisfactory credit history in order to borrow these loans. For the 2023-24 academic year, the Grad PLUS Loan has a variable fixed interest rate set at 8.05% with an origination fee of 4.228% deducted at disbursement. The rate for 2024-25 will become available in June. Interest rates and other fees on private loans vary.
You can learn more about all of these loans at studentaid.psu.edu/types-of-aid/loans/.
Applying for Financial Aid
As mentioned above, merit-based scholarships awarded by SIA do not require a separate application. If you wish to apply for other financial aid for the upcoming academic year, you should complete the following steps:
- If you wish to be considered for student loans, you must complete the 2024-25 FAFSA. You can find this form online at studentaid.gov. You should include school code 003329 (the code for all Penn State locations). You do not need to include parent information. You are encouraged to complete this no later than March 1, 2024.
- In the spring (or a couple of weeks after you file your FAFSA—whichever is later), you will receive a financial aid award email directing you to view your financial aid eligibility on LionPath (Penn State’s student portal).
- In the summer you should begin the process of completing loan promissory notes and entrance counseling at studentaid.gov.
Applying for a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan (Stafford Loan)
Applying for a Federal Direct PLUS Loan
Maintaining Good Financial Health
The best way to assure that your financial resources last throughout the academic year is to establish a personal budget for yourself and to stick to it. You will find a helpful tools at financialliteracy.psu.edu/.
Some students find it challenging to adjust to a student budget. Following are some common problems that can cause a student to experience financial difficulty:
- Maintaining a lifestyle that is beyond the student budget guidelines (for example, paying more than the budgeted amount for rent or other amenities);
- Paying more than the budgeted estimates for food or recreation;
- Maintaining an automobile (the cost of purchasing a car is not allowed to be factored into the student budget);
- Making payments on credit card debt with high interest rates (you should try to pay off your prior consumer debts before starting graduate school); or
- Damaging one’s credit history by missing payments or making late payments on bills (this will often render a student unable to borrow PLUS Loans or private educational loans).
It can be a challenge to maintain a good credit history while in school. Your resources may not seem to keep pace with your bills. But it is important to budget and manage your money wisely. If you keep yourself in a state of good financial health, you will have the option to turn to PLUS Loans or Private Educational Loans as a resource if you should need them. If you allow your credit history to deteriorate, these loans will be hard to acquire, which could leave you facing even greater financial difficulty.
It is a good idea to assess your credit history before you start applying for student loans. You can request a free copy of your credit report once each year from each of the three major credit bureaus at annualcreditreport.com. This can help you to determine whether you are creditworthy and able to obtain the financing necessary for your legal educationExternal Scholarships and Fellowship Database
The School of International Affairs maintains the Advanced Fellowship Database Search, a helpful resource on external funding opportunities that includes information on scholarships and fellowships available to applicants based on demographic information, admission status, and field of study. Although not an exhaustive list of available external scholarships, we encourage you to utilize this valuable resource.
For further assistance, please feel free to contact Penn State's Office of Student Aid online or by phone at (814) 865-6301.
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International students must provide a financial guarantee in order to pursue higher education in the United States. Please visit the International Student and Scholar Advising (ISSA) website to find the necessary information regarding the financial guarantees at University Park in order to receive an I-20.
Merit-based scholarships
You will automatically be considered for SIA merit-based scholarships, based on information collected from your admission application, as long as you apply by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on January 31 in the year you are applying. This evaluation is automatic and does not require any additional forms. Competitively awarded, SIA merit scholarships are offered to top applicants based on a combination of outstanding academic achievement; professional, work, and volunteer experiences; potential for scholarly contributions to the SIA community; holistic factors provided in a candidate’s personal statement; letters of recommendations; and other information submitted by the applicant. These scholarships may be renewable if you maintain the required criteria for eligibility. If you are awarded a merit scholarship, you will be notified in your official admission letter.
Unfortunately, we cannot award merit-based scholarships to every applicant. You should expect to use other scholarship and loan opportunities to help ease the burden of your education expenses.
Maintaining Good Financial Health
The best way to assure that your financial resources last throughout the academic year is to establish a personal budget for yourself and to stick to it. You will find helpful tools at financialliteracy.psu.edu/.
Some students find it challenging to adjust to a student budget. Following are some common problems that can cause a student to experience financial difficulty:
- Maintaining a lifestyle that is beyond the student budget guidelines (for example, paying more than the budgeted amount for rent or other amenities);
- Paying more than the budgeted estimates for food or recreation;
- Maintaining an automobile (the cost of purchasing a car is not allowed to be factored into the student budget);
- Making payments on credit card debt with high interest rates (you should try to pay off your prior consumer debts before starting graduate school); or
- Damaging one’s credit history by missing payments or making late payments on bills.
It can be a challenge to maintain a good credit history while in school. Your resources may not seem to keep pace with your bills. But it is important to budget and manage your money wisely.
Office of Global Programs
Additional financial aid information can be found on Penn State's Office of Global Programs' website. You may also find additional scholarship listings on the EducationUSA website.