Graduate Student Funding at Binghamton University

Grant writing is an important skill to gain in graduate school. Fellowships and grants can cover tuition, fees, and stipends, allowing you to focus entirely on your studies and research without relying on teaching assistantships or student loans. With additional funding you can purchase specialized equipment for your lab, hire trained personnel and student assistants, and conduct necessary field research or travel, thus giving you flexibility in your research. Winning competitive awards make you highly competitive for postdoctoral positions and faculty roles.

In this guide you can find a list of graduate student funding opportunities at Binghamton University.

Fleishman Center’s Professional Development Funds

These funds are established to support students’ costs related to career and academic professional development opportunities. Funds may cover expenses such as preparation for standardized tests, learning resources, professional attire, conferences/presentations and other professional development needs. Students who demonstrate financial need may receive partial to full funding, which will reimburse the costs of eligible expenses associated with the professional development opportunity.

Awards Available:

Due to limited funding (the Professional Development Fund is supported by donation and fundraising efforts), the following funding amounts are available:

• 2025-26 applications opened September 24, 2025.
• Funds will cover up to $500 in expenses.  Please note, this does not guarantee an award of $500. If accepted, you will be notified of the specific amount available to you. 
• Due to the large amount of conference funding requests, preference will be given to students who are presenting at a conference.
  • Awards of up to $100 may be available for conference attendance without a presentation

Who is Eligible:

Currently matriculated  Binghamton University undergraduate and graduate students who will make a professional development purchase.

For more detail about the funds visit the Professional Development Fund webpage.

Harpur College Graduate Student Grants

Supported by the Harpur Dean’s Graduate Investment Initiative Fund, established through the generosity of alumnus Mitchell J. Lieberman ’80 and Susan Lieberman, Harpur College Graduate Student Grants are intended to provide funding that will foster the research, creative activities, scholarship, and professional development of students enrolled in master’s degree or Ph.D. programs in Harpur College. 

There are two programs under this initiative: one for graduate students in the School of the Arts (currently, Art History, Cinema, Creative Writing, Music, and Theatre), and one for graduate students in all other programs in Harpur College.

School of the Arts Program

Review criteria for applications to the School of the Arts program will be based on the potential of the activity to contribute to the applicant’s professional growth.

DEADLINE: March 9, 2026

Award Amount

Applicants can request up to $2,000.

Eligibility

All current master’s or Ph.D. degree students in good academic standing in Art History, Cinema, Creative Writing, Music, and Theatre are eligible.

Please submit your proposal in advance of the deadline, if possible. You can view more details about the application materials and use of funds on the Harpur College of Arts and Sciences webpage.

Non-Arts Graduate Funding Program

The Non-Arts grant program is aimed at providing funding that will foster the research, scholarly, and creative activities of Harpur College graduate students who are in programs outside of the School of the Arts and connected with degree completion through projects, thesis, and dissertation activities.  Review criteria are based on the soundness of the research proposal. 

DEADLINE: March 6, 2026

Award Amount

Applicants can request up to $2,000.

Eligibility

All current graduate students in good academic standing within a Harpur College graduate program are eligible for this program. Priority is given to students in disciplines where funding is not an expected part of the graduate training and mentorship in laboratories.  

Please submit your proposal in advance of the deadline, if possible. You can view more details about the application materials and use of funds on the Harpur College of Arts and Sciences webpage.

Graduate School Fellowships

The Graduate School offers fellowships to both incoming as well as advanced graduate students attending Binghamton University. The Clifford D. Clark Fellowship, the Digital Scholarship and Communication Fellowship, and the Doctoral Focus Fellowship are three of the major fellowships offered. You can check out the details of these fellowships on the Graduate School’s website.

Graduate School Travel Grants

The Graduate School supports graduate students in their research endeavors through various funding opportunities. Awards can be applied for by clicking the Graduate School online award application portal button.

Spring Deadline: April 1, 2026 by 5 p.m. (for travel between February 1-May 31)

Summer Deadline: July 1, 2026 by 5 p.m. (for travel between June 1-September 30)

Fall Deadline: November 1, 2026 by 5 p.m. (for travel between October 1-January 31)

More information including the online application can be found here. Support of up to $1,200/year is considered for travel to conferences, to conduct dissertation research, or for professional development. While all graduate students are eligible, preference is given to ABD doctoral students. Awards can only be made once per year. If you were awarded once during the aforementioned time frame, you will not be eligible for funding again during the year, so please plan accordingly. You can get more information and apply here.

Graduate Student Organization (GSO) Funding

The GSO offers a variety of funding opportunities to help graduate students succeed in their academic careers. All funds are made possible by the graduate student activity fee. Funds are offered for Conference, Travel, and Research, Professional Development, Academic and Program support.

Individual funding is provided as a reimbursement after the expense is incurred. Please read carefully each fund’s guidelines to make sure you understand what can and cannot be reimbursed, maximum reimbursement available, and what supporting paperwork is required. Pay special attention to deadlines.

Check out the different funds that are offered by GSO on their website: https://gsobinghamton.org/funding-opportunities/

Binghamton University Graduate and Teaching Assistantships

Graduate programs award assistantships and tuition scholarships on a competitive basis, with academic merit as the primary criterion.

Graduate assistantships (GAs) and teaching assistantships (TAs) provide competitive stipends and tuition scholarships in exchange for 10 to 20 hours of work per week during the semester. GAs perform research and/or provide administrative aid within their graduate discipline or for a department or program, while TAs provide classroom support, either by teaching, leading discussion sections, grading work or preparing classroom materials.

You can view a list of assistantship opportunities on the Graduate School website: https://www.binghamton.edu/grad-school/cost-funding/assistantships.html

SUNY Opportunity Programs: Graduate Opportunity Program (GOP) And Economically Disadvantaged First Professional Study (EDPS)

The Graduate Opportunity Program (GOP) is available to students who were former participants in the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) or the Search for Education, Elevation and Knowledge (SEEK) Program. The Economically Disadvantaged First Professional Study (EDPS) is available to EOP, HEOP or SEEK Program graduates who are entering the PharmD program. 

To be considered for GOP or EDPS funding, follow these steps:

1. File Your FAFSA: Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by the appropriate deadline. This is required to determine your eligibility for financial assistance.
2. Submit Your Application: Complete the Graduate Opportunity Program/Economically Disadvantaged First Professional Study Application by June 30.  If you did not attend Binghamton University as an undergraduate, the application will require you to upload a signed letter from your undergraduate EOP office verifying your participation in the program.

GOP and EDPS opportunity programs are available exclusively to New York state residents. For more information or assistance with the application process, please contact the Office of Financial Aid and Student Records at finaid@binghamton.edu.

Binghamton University Scholarships

The financial aid office provides scholarships for both prospective and current Binghamton University Students.

Current students who have demonstrated their academic abilities at the University are good candidates for scholarships. Regardless, all students are automatically reviewed for scholarship eligibility if they have maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. Typically, the only other qualification is to have a current FAFSA on file by our recommended filing date of March 1 for the 2025-26 academic year. However, certain scholarships for returning students may also require an additional application.

You can search the financial aid’s database of Scholarships for Current Students. Sign in using your Binghamton University ID.

External Scholarships and Awards Resource

Check out External Scholarships and Undergraduate Research’s Searchable Databases of Additional External Scholarships and Award Resources for both undergraduate and graduate students. This is a free database where you can search and find opportunities ranging from scholarships, fellowships, awards, and internships to conduct research, attend graduate school, obtain real-world experience, receive training, or a combination of these opportunities. Each database is different and includes academic and non-academic categories as well as special populations and disciplines.

John Hopkins University also provides an updated list of Graduate Student Funding Opportunities.

Also check out Financial Aid Office’s website on External Scholarships with many resources on where to look for scholarships and tips for applying to scholarships. They also list NY state residence only scholarships, STEM and healthcare professional scholarships, and scholarships for graduate and international students.

Prestigious National & Federal Grants and Scholarships

External Scholarships and Undergraduate Research Center lists a number of National Scholarships for graduate programs as well as deadlines. Be sure to contact the scholarship advisor associated to the scholarship.

Besides checking your graduate school and research center for fellowship and grant sources, you can also check grants offered by the federal government.

Grants.gov Search: The centralized portal housing over 1,000 grant programs across 26 federal agencies. It is the primary jumping-off point to search for available funding.

NIH Grants & Funding: The hub for all biomedical and behavioral research funding. It offers application guidelines, webinars, and program details for investigators.

NSF Funding Opportunities: The portal for the National Science Foundation, which manages grants spanning engineering, geosciences, mathematical and physical sciences, and STEM education.

EPA Grants: The official page for Environmental Protection Agency funding and current solicitations.

Additional Resources

 Profellow has a database for fellowships and scholarships in public service. They post open calls for fellowships, grants and fully funded graduate programs annually at Open Calls for Application.

APSIA unites leading graduate schools of international affairs to advance understanding, peace, and prosperity aiming to inspire global impact through education. On their website they include a searchable database of graduate programs in international affairs and tips for applying to them. You can also search for Fellowships and Scholarships in various areas and topics connected to international and global affairs.

Pathwaystoscience‘s mission is to increase diversity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). On this website you can Search 1,000+ fully funded STEM programs and funding opportunities nationwide. Graduate students (both Masters and Doctoral, as well as Postdocs) can search for graduate fellowships and funding opportunities.