MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

MIT Graduate Program in Science Writing
Tuition & Financial Aid Tuition & Financial Aid Tuition & Financial Aid

A note before you read this page – tuition costs for MIT are high, as are living expenses in the Cambridge/Boston area. Please don’t let costs deter you from applying. All admissions decisions are made on a need-blind basis. One-hundred percent of our students receive direct financial aid in the form of a grant and the vast majority of our students have research positions that provide a subsidy as well as additional financial aid. We also work extensively with our students to secure internal and external grants and fellowships to help pay for your education.

Tuition 

Tuition rates for the following year are established each spring. Tuition for the 2023-24 academic year is $29,875 per semester plus approximately $2,600 for the summer*,  and a Student Life fee of $198.00 per term.  The total cost of attendance is $62,350.

For more detailed information regarding the cost of attendance, including specific costs for tuition and fees, books and supplies, housing and food as well as transportation, please visit the SFS website.”

Students are automatically enrolled in MIT’s Student Extended Insurance Plan (SEIP), which costs $3,237 for the year. Students who hold sufficient coverage may be able to waive the SEIP.

*tuition rates are established each spring, for the upcoming year.  This summer rate is for current students; next year will be slightly higher.

Housing and Living Expenses 

Typical monthly expenses for housing, food, books, and personal items average about $3,161.00 for a single student. This figure is a guideline only, and should be carefully estimated based on individual circumstances. Some GPSW students live on campus—the MIT Graduate Housing Office can provide information on cost and availability of student housing—while others find housing in the surrounding area.  

Departmental Financial Aid 

Our students receive financial aid in the form of tuition fellowships offered through MIT, and research assistant positions. Research assistants work up to 10 hours per week at an MIT publication, communications office, or research facility. They receive partial tuition assistance plus a stipend.

All tuition fellowships offered through GPSW is “gift aid” that does not need to be paid back. Past science writing students have also received competitive MIT fellowships through the Graduate Program in Science Writing or through MIT‘s Office of Graduate Education after being nominated by the program director. These fellowships include the John S. Hennessy Fellowship, the Collamore-Rogers Fellowship, the Ida M. Green Fellowship, and the John A. Lyons Fellowship. Please contact the Graduate Program in Science Writing for further information at 617-253-6668.

Additional Fellowship and Grant Resources 

In addition to the funds available at MIT, there are other sources of financial aid for graduate students worth exploring. The Office of Graduate Education’s fellowships page is a good place to start the search for outside funding. Past GPSW students have supplemented their departmental award with the Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship, the Taylor/Blakeslee University Fellowship (specifically for graduate science writing students), the Switzer Foundation Fellowship, and the National Press Club Feldman Fellowship.  We have also hosted international Fulbright Fellows  

Student Loans 

If you need loans to help cover remaining graduate education costs, federally subsidized loans are available to US citizens and permanent residents. Apply by submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which becomes available October 1 of the year before your GPSW fall semester will start. Student loans are also available through private lending companies, but these companies usually offer higher interest rates and more stringent borrower terms than the US government. MIT Student Financial Services in room 11-120 can help you navigate forms and financial aid procedures for student loans. They are available at sfs@mit.edu or at 617-253-4971.