Financial Support

Entering Ph.D. students in the Graduate Program in Religious Studies receive:

  • Tuition grants up to the full amount of tuition and fees for each academic year
  • An annual stipend of $20,000 renewable for four years.  

Assuming satisfactory progress, a student will then be eligible for a dissertation fellowship of $10,000.00 for the fifth year of the program.

University Fellowships

Additional competitive awards such as the University Ph.D. Fellowship are available through the University. These awards could add anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000 to the annual stipend. To learn more about the University Ph.D. Fellowship, visit this link.

SMU has also recently launched the Mustang Fellowship. This fellowship provides tuition waivers, health insurance, and stipends of $30,000 for up to five years for Ph.D. students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents and identify as diverse in their disciplines. It is available to newly matriculating students, who should submit themselves for consideration as part of the application process. To learn more about the Mustang Fellowship, visit the SMU Graduate Student Funding page. Please note: recipients of the Mustang Fellowship will receive this fellowship instead of the provisions listed under the heading "Financial Support" on this page.

Other Financial Assistance

A limited number of teaching and research assistantships are occasionally available in SMU's Perkins School of Theology. In addition, there are some restricted scholarships and fellowships for which graduate students in religious studies may be eligible. 

Students may also apply for grants and loans for Texas residents, private and federal loans, and employment programs by filing a FAFSA. Additional information on financial aid for graduate students is available from the SMU Office of Financial Aid.

To apply for a departmental fellowship:

  • US citizens and permanent residents should file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and request that the results be reported to SMU (Title IV Code #003613).
  • Applicants who are not US citizens or permanent residents should complete a departmental fellowship application form in lieu of the FAFSA.

Departmental aid awards are offered at the same time as admissions decisions are made. The FAFSA may be filed online at www.fafsa.ed.gov beginning January 1 and should be filed by applicants no later than February 15.

Printable version of financial information for Graduate Program in Religious Studies