Funding and Scholarships
student financial services
The Northeastern State University Office of Student Financial Services is dedicated to informing and educating you on options regarding federal student aid. The NSU Office of Financial Aid staff adhere to the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) code of conduct. Our main purpose is to provide you with the opportunity to reach your educational goals by ensuring you receive all eligible federal aid.
NSU is an educational partner serving Northeastern, Southeastern, Northwestern, Southwestern, Central, and Eastern Oklahoma. Scholarships are available for students from Arkansas, Missouri, Texas, and Kansas.
Graduate Scholarships
Criteria for scholarship eligibility:
New Students:
- Must be enrolled in 6 hours of graduate level coursework
- Must have a minimum 2.75 overall GPA or minimum 3.0 GPA in the last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework
- Must be degree seeking or ACE program
*If awarded, may apply to tuition only
*New students and Transfer students are eligible to apply for this scholarship in the term that they are first enrolled in courses at Northeastern State University.
Continuing Students:
- Must be enrolled in 6 hours of graduate level coursework
- Must have a minimum 3.25 overall GPA
- Must be degree seeking or ACE program
*If awarded, may apply to tuition, fees, room and board, or books
*Continuing students are eligible to apply for this scholarship in the Fall, Spring, or Summer term.
Application Deadlines for New & Continuing Graduate Students:
Summer: June 1
Fall: August 1
Spring January 1
Select the New Graduate Student Scholarship Application if you are a first-time graduate student, beginning your first semester.
New Graduate Student Scholarship Application
Select the Continuing Graduate Student Scholarship Application if you are continuing to your second or subsequent semester of graduate coursework, and you have not been previously awarded a Graduate Student Scholarship in this academic year.
Foundation Scholarships & Out-of-State Student Non-Resident Tution Waiver Scholarships
The General Scholarship Application for the 2026-2027 Academic Year is Open!
New Graduate Student:
Once students are admitted for the next Summer (2026) or Fall (2025) semester, the
General Scholarship Application will be added to their admissions portal, and a notification
will be sent to inform them to complete the application. By completing this application,
students will be considered for privately funded scholarships from the NSU Foundation.
This application also applies to our Out-of-State tuition waivers, which are listed below.
Please complete the scholarship application by March 1 to be considered.
Current Graduate Students:
Current in-state and out-of-state graduate students, as well as students who will
begin taking classes at NSU for the first time during the Spring 2026 semester, should complete this application. You may also fill out this application if you are not currently enrolled at NSU,
but plan to return for the 2026-27 school year, and NSU was the last school you attended.
By completing this application, you are applying for privately funded scholarships
from the NSU Foundation.
Please complete the scholarship application by March 1 to be considered.
TRIBAL HERITAGE SCHOLARSHIP
This scholarship program has been designed to support the education of American Indian students at Northeastern State University as they pursue their first master's degree. Those students eligible for the program will receive a non-resident tuition waiver scholarship for 100% of their non-resident tuition. Non-resident tuition is $352 per hour, in addition to in-state tuition. Students are responsible for paying the in-state portion of their tuition, which is $297.50 per credit hour.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Non-resident of the state of Oklahoma (not admitted as in-state)
- Must meet regular admission requirements as an incoming graduate student. (Students admitted on probation, or conditionally admitted, are not eligible)
- Must be enrolled full-time (at least 12 hours for undergraduate and 6 hours for graduate) at NSU
- Must possess a tribal citizenship card from a federally recognized tribe. A copy of your tribal citizenship card will be required to complete your scholarship application if you choose to apply for funding from this program.
How to Apply? Once students are admitted, the General Scholarship Application will be added to their admission portal to complete, and a notification will be sent to the student.
Application Deadlines: August 1 for the Summer or Fall terms and January 1 for the Spring term.
QUAD STATE SCHOLARSHIP
Graduate students from Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, or Texas who meet the regular graduate admission requirements (excluding those admitted on probation or conditionally) may be eligible for the Quad-State scholarship, which waives 80-100% of their non-resident tuition. Regularly admitted graduate students will receive a waiver for 80% of their non-resident tuition ($352 per hour) for their first master's degree. Graduate students who live on campus may be eligible to have their non-resident tuition waived entirely. This program waives only the non-resident portion of the tuition. Non-resident tuition is charged in addition to in-state tuition, and students are still responsible for paying the in-state portion, which is $297.50 per credit hour. If you are a legacy student whose parent, grandparent, or sibling earned a degree (bachelor's or master's degree) from NSU, you will not be required to live on campus to receive 100% of your non-resident tuition waived.
How to Apply? Once students are admitted, the General Scholarship Application will be added to their admission portal to complete, and a notification will be sent to the student.
Application Deadlines: August 1 for the Summer or Fall terms and January 1 for the Spring term.
*Optometry and PA Program students are not eligible due to differential tuition costs.
*If the program you are currently enrolled in only charges $1 per credit hour for
Non-Resident tuition, you are not eligible for Non-Resident tuition waivers.
NON-RESIDENT SCHOLARSHIP
Non-residents are students who are NOT residents of Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, or Texas. Non-resident graduate students who live on campus and are regularly admitted to the graduate college may be eligible for a scholarship that waives 50% of their non-resident tuition for their first master's degree. Non-resident tuition is $352 per hour, in addition to in-state tuition. This program waives only a percentage of the non-resident portion. Students are still responsible for paying the remaining 50% of the non-resident tuition AND the in-state tuition, which is $297.50 per credit hour.
If you are a legacy student whose parent, grandparent, or sibling earned a degree (bachelor's or master's degree) from NSU, you will not be required to live on campus to receive the scholarship.
How to Apply? Once students are admitted, the General Scholarship Application will be added to their admission portal to complete, and a notification will be sent to the student.
Application Deadlines: August 1 for the Summer or Fall terms and January 1 for the Spring term.
*Optometry and PA Program students are not eligible due to differential tuition costs.
*If the program you are currently enrolled in only charges $1 per credit hour for
Non-Resident tuition, you are not eligible for Non-Resident tuition waivers.
Graduate Student Professional Development & Research Grants
Procedures
Requests for funding will be submitted to the Graduate College, where the Graduate Dean will review and approve the requests pending available funds.
Grant Criteria
Professional development or research grant proposals are expected to be consistent with the Graduate College's vision and mission and have a reasonable correlation to institutional goals, priorities, and constituencies. Examples include proposals that:
- Contribute to growth in knowledge of a field/discipline
- Contribute to research activities that will enhance the graduate students ability to put into practice what they have learned in their graduate studies
- Represent significant professional service to professional association or the community
- Enhance efforts that will improve the student's overall professional growth in their chosen discipline
For more information on eligibility and the application process select Apply Here Today.