Financial Aid
Financial Aid
PhD Students
Statistics PhD Standard Funding Package
Doctoral students receive a generous funding package that includes a full tuition scholarship, paid coverage through the Student Health Program (health insurance and mandatory health fee), and a competitive 10-month stipend while they are enrolled and making satisfactory progress toward the PhD degree.
No special application is required for the standard funding award. Funding is offered to every PhD student who is accepted into the program, regardless of the applicant’s citizenship status or background. The stipend is reviewed for possible increase annually, but is not guaranteed beyond the end of the 6th year of study.
The fellowship award comes from the School of Medicine and Dentistry ("Dean's Funding") for the first two years (excluding July-August summers). Starting in Year 3, the Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology assumes responsibility for funding, supporting students as research assistants on collaborative medical research grants (e.g., supporting data analyses), our NIEHS-funded training grant in Environmental Health Biostatistics (T32), and grants supporting the development of statistical methodology (often linked to the student's dissertation research). We attempt to match each student with a project based on the mutual interests of the student and supervising faculty member. Students are not required to identify their own funding sources during the September-June academic year.
Unlike many of our peers, faculty advisors are not necessarily responsible for funding their students, and students may or may not receive funding from projects involving their dissertation advisors. Our centralized funding approach provides flexibility to both faculty and students by allowing students to work with any willing program faculty member on their dissertation research regardless of the faculty member’s current funding situation. Funding sources for all students are determined annually.
The 10-month stipend is $28,611 for the 2025-2026 academic year (September 1, 2025 - June 30, 2026) and will increase to $29,250 for the 2026-2027 academic year (September 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027). While not guaranteed, students may, upon request, receive summer support (July-August) depending on funding availability. Students are also encouraged to complete summer internships; most internships pay a much higher rate than summer support.
Professional Development Support
The Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology recognizes the role of participation in scientific meetings and conferences in the professional development of our doctoral students and strongly encourages such participation. Each PhD student may apply for a maximum of $1,500 in support of travel expenses from central departmental funds over the course of their doctoral studies. Funds obtained from other sources, including awards provided directly by conference organizers, will be considered supplemental. Students are also encouraged to apply for travel awards and myHub Career Exploration funding in the School of Medicine and Dentistry.
Re-location Awards
As funds allow, a limited amount of one-time re-location awards can be offered. Students may apply for consideration soon after they accept a PhD admissions offer. Funds are typically distributed within one month after the program start date. Award amounts may vary.
Support for PhD Students with Children
Since 2023, the University of Rochester has been offering a childcare grant program for full-time PhD students, on University appointments, who are parents of children, newborn through age 6 (“student-parents”). The objective of this program is to provide some financial assistance to PhD students with childcare expenses. The childcare grant is separate from support that is available immediately following birth or adoption through the PhD Student Parental Accommodation Policy. Details on purchasing health insurance coverage for dependent children and spouses/domestic partners can be found through University Health Service Health Insurance for Families.
Master's Students
Most students pursuing Master’s degrees are self-funded. Contact the Bursar's Office for current tuition rates and fees. The School of Medicine Graduate Education tuition rate for the 2025-2026 academic year is $2,150 per credit hour. Our full-time Master's degrees require completion of 32 credit hours spread across two or three semesters.
It is strongly recommended that applicants identify personal or external funding options while simultaneously pursuing admission to the program, as the process often takes longer than expected.
After arriving in Rochester and beginning courses, Master's students may seek hourly-paid on-campus positions across the University of Rochester through the Student Employment Office. Student employment positions do not offer tuition discounts, but may help with living expenses.
University of Rochester Undergraduates
Partial tuition awards are available for University of Rochester undergraduate seniors admitted for Fall 2026. The award cannot be combined or added on top of existing scholarships or tuition waivers.
U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents
The Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology offers partial tuition scholarships to U.S. citizens and permanent residents who meet eligibility criteria. Students will be notified separately if they are selected to receive a M.S. Biostatistics scholarship or M.A. Statistics scholarship.
Federal loans to help cover the costs of graduate study are available to U.S. citizens and permanent residents who qualify. In addition, many alternative loans are available to graduate students though private lenders. Full information and application materials are available from the Financial Aid Office.
International Students
International students requiring a F-1 student visa will need to provide financial documentation after accepting an admissions offer. Documentation to cover estimated expenses for at least one full year of study, including tuition and living expenses, is required before the Form I-20 will be issued.
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