Internationally-Sponsored Graduate Fellowship Program

Program Overview

Graduate Fellowships at OSU are formalized appointments with specific policies and requirements. Some competitive and external awards do not meet all requirements to directly qualify as a fellowship appointment through OSU. However, it is the intent of the institution to ensure that an incentive remains for graduate students to seek competitive graduate fellowship support and for graduate fellows to be recognized and honored for the distinction that they bring to themselves and to the university as a result of their success.

In 2018, OSU developed a program to appoint Alternatively-Funded Graduate Fellowships. This program was expanded for the 2025-2026 academic year to include the following:

A formal educational experience sponsored by a country’s government institution, ministry, commission, secretariat, or research center. This named institution must provide full funding to support a student whose objectives broadly align with “international research distinction in areas of competitive advantage”, as outlined in OSU’s Prosperity Widely Shared(Link downloads document) Strategic Plan 2024-2030.

Upon appointment, these internationally-funded fellows will have (1) tuition charged at the resident rate and will be (2) eligible for the subsidized Graduate Employee Health Plan for the appointed fellow and respective dependents.

OSU Graduate Fellowship Requirements

Graduate Fellowships are a specific appointment type at Oregon State University that meet all of the following requirements:

Be admitted as a graduate degree-seeking student at Oregon State University;
Be enrolled full-time at Oregon State University, completing a minimum of 9 credits per term during the academic year (12 credits if receiving tuition support from any Oregon State University tuition support programs); 3 credits during summer session;
Be awarded full funding that can be independently and transparently identified, which provides the following:
- Full tuition support at the resident rate towards the intended degree completion
- Mandatory fee and student-only health insurance premium coverage
A stipend to offset living costs that meets or exceeds the prevailing recommended minimum rate for .49 FTE graduate appointments as established annually by the Office of Graduate Education (currently $2352/month for 2025-2026, and will be $2399/month for 2026-2027)

Graduate Fellows are not employees. However, through their advanced degree objectives, Graduate Fellows are mentored by Graduate faculty members. Fellowships, while a .49FTE expected time commitment, are considered as a 100% appointment at OSU. Therefore, graduate fellows should not expect to work or receive compensation in any additional capacity at OSU while on appointment.

Current Funding Requirements for Qualification (First-Year)

Support Funding Estimate Use 2025-2026
Participant Support Breakdown for Fellowship Award
Alternatively-Funded Graduate Fellowship
	9/16/25 - 9/15/26
Contract Period: 09/16/2025 - ?	Base	Engineering
Total Grant Award to Support Graduate Fellow	$ 48,971	$ 51,512
Less one-time matriculation fee	(364)	(364)
Less Sponsor Admin Fee	(1,100)	(1,100)
Less Academic Year Tuition (Resident)	(13,986)	(16,326)
Less Summer Tuition & Fees, 3 credits	(1,940)	(2,141)
Less Academic Year Fees	(2,577)	(2,577)
Less Graduate Fellow Health Insurance	(780)	(780)
Less Required Stipend Funding	(28,224)	(28,224)
OSU Provided Nonresident Tuition Waiver	18,522	18,522
OSU Subsidized Health Insurance Premiums	7,020	7,020
TOTAL Oregon State University Support	25,542	25,542

Total support requirements are provided for the first year of an academic program. The external funder should anticipate annual increases of up to five-percent per year for the duration of degree completion.

International Sponsor FAQs

What is the Alternatively-Funded Graduate Fellowship Program?

This program allows OSU to formally appoint graduate fellows whose funding comes from competitive external sources—particularly international government ministries, commissions, secretariats, or research centers. It ensures that students with prestigious external awards receive the same recognition, benefits, and academic support as traditional OSU Graduate Fellows.

Why did OSU create this program?

Some external awards do not meet all requirements for a standard OSU Graduate Fellowship. OSU created this pathway to:

Encourage students to pursue competitive international funding
Recognize the distinction these awards bring to OSU
Ensure sponsored students receive appropriate tuition, health insurance, and academic support

Who qualifies under the Internationally-Sponsored Graduate Fellowship Program?

A student must:

Be admitted as a degree seeking graduate student at OSU, in a program with a culminating research-based thesis (master’s degree) or dissertation (doctoral degree). Programs with an alternative summative assessment (including field-specific examination, project, or portfolio) are not eligible.
Be enrolled full-time (minimum 9 credits per term; 12 credits if receiving OSU tuition support; 3 credits in summer)
Receive full, independently identifiable funding that covers:
- Full tuition at the resident rate
- Mandatory fees
- Student-only health insurance premium, which can be included in the stipend payment
- A stipend meeting or exceeding OSU’s recommended minimum (currently $2,352/month for 2025–2026, and $2399/month for 2026-2027)

Why is there a minimum stipend requirement for a fellowship appointment?

Because fellowships do not require nor allow service hours (unlike assistantships), the stipend is the fellow’s primary means of support. A minimum stipend amount ensures students can realistically afford to study full‑time. All graduate fellowships are structured to have a student a focus on educational and research objectives for a graduate degree. A stipend below the published minimum would typically require outside financial support, limiting the ability of the student to complete their degree in a timely manner. A minimum stipend also ensures departments do not under fund students relative to others.

What types of sponsorships are eligible?

The program is designed for government affiliated institutions, including:

Ministries
National research councils
Commissions or secretariats
Government funded research centers

The sponsored student’s academic objectives must broadly align with OSU’s Prosperity Widely Shared Strategic Plan (2024–2030), particularly in areas of international research distinction.

Are Graduate Fellows considered employees?

No. Graduate Fellows are not employees of OSU.

However, the fellowship is treated as a 100% appointment, with an expected time commitment towards educational and research objectives (outside of coursework) equivalent to a .49 FTE graduate assistantship. Fellows should not expect to work additional jobs at OSU during the appointment.

Does OSU provide any financial support?

Yes. OSU contributes the following as of the 2025-2026 academic year:

A nonresident tuition waiver ($18,522)
Subsidized health insurance premiums ($7,020)

These contributions help reduce the total funding required from the external sponsor.

What documentation must sponsors provide?

Sponsors typically provide:

An official award letter
Funding breakdowns
Confirmation of stipend, tuition, and fee coverage
Duration of sponsorship
Any conditions or reporting requirements

How long does the fellowship last?

Appointments are issued annually, with renewal contingent on:

Satisfactory academic progress, as determined by both the Office of Graduate Education and the student’s academic department.
Continued external funding provided by the sponsor. Dependent upon the degree, sponsors will be expected to provide sufficient funding through the duration of the graduate degree.
- For master’s degrees, this is typically at least six terms (i.e. two academic years) of support
- For doctoral degrees, this is typically at least four years of academic support
Dependent upon the program expectations, degree demands, and prior academic background of the student, length of the support will vary.
Departmental approval, as the academic department primarily determines if the student is admissible under the degree program and meeting expected requirements in a timely manner. Approval is also dependent upon faculty mentor availability.

Academic Department FAQs

What is an Internationally-Sponsored Graduate Fellowship?

It is a formal OSU Graduate Fellowship appointment for students whose funding comes from an external sponsor—typically a government ministry, commission, secretariat, or research center—rather than from OSU. These fellowships allow externally funded students to receive the same recognition and benefits as standard OSU Graduate Fellows.

Why does OSU offer this appointment type?

Some competitive external awards do not meet all requirements for a standard Graduate Fellowship. This program ensures:

Students remain incentivized to pursue prestigious external funding
OSU can formally recognize these fellows
Students receive appropriate tuition, health insurance, and academic support
Departments can recruit high caliber international students with government sponsorship

Who qualifies under the Internationally-Funded Graduate Fellowship Program?