Please use the links on the right to learn about specific funding and fellowship opportunities.
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Graduate Students' Tuition and Support Policy
The information presented below is updated annually.
Tuition for all graduate programs, full-time and part-time, is set each year by the Board of Trustees upon recommendation by the President. For AY25-26 the full-time tuition is $64,400 and the part time tuition rate is $2,680 per credit hour.
To receive a degree from Rensselaer, a student must be enrolled in an approved degree program, (i.e., matriculated). Details on status, credit load, and time to degree are outlined below.
Normal load: Payment of full-time graduate tuition allows a student to register for up to 16 credit hours in each of the fall and spring semesters. Master of Architecture students may register for up to 18 credits per semester.
Full time status (minimum credit load): Full-time status is 12 credits per semester. Full time status for Teaching and Research Assistants (TA/RA) is 9 credits per semester. Only full-time students will be eligible for financial support in the form of merit scholarships, fellowships, and assistantships.
Overload: Students enrolling for more than the normal load in the Fall or Spring semesters will be charged the academic year tuition rate plus an incremental per credit hour rate, for each credit hour exceeding normal load. Any credits taken in the summer session will be charged the incremental per credit hour rate, for each credit hour.
Part-Time Student Policy Guidelines: The principal focus of Rensselaer@Work is on working professionals and part-time students. The principal focus on the Troy campus is on full-time students that support the teaching and research mission of the Institute. With the exception of students enrolled in special cohort programs, any Troy-based student with less than a full-time credit load will be assessed the part-time credit rate. The tuition for students enrolled in cohort and other special programs will be determined separately. Part-time students are not eligible for financial support from the Institute.
Summer Administrative Registration: Summer Administrative Registration (SAR) is a no-charge registration requirement for graduate students who will be receiving a stipend over the summer or graduating in the summer semester. Students taking credit-bearing courses or research credits should not register for SAR. Eligibility for SAR requires that the student has been registered in both the previous fall and spring semesters. All students who are employed as an RA or TA should be registered for the minimum credit load during the semester of their employment.
Cooperative Education: Graduate students may participate in the Co-op Program. Students participating in an approved Co-op engagement are considered full-time students, yet no tuition is assessed. Students who are on a Co-op in the Capital District are required to pay the Institute’s activity and health service fees. Students cannot graduate or defend their thesis/dissertation in the semester they are away. Following the Co-op, students must be registered for at least one additional academic semester to continue progress toward degree completion.
