Tuition and Financial Support
Tuition and Fees
The current (2025-2026) tuition for the Ed.D. in Higher Education is $970/credit hour plus associated program and course fees, which is the anticipated minimum for all students. Please visit our Bursar's website for details on tuition and fees for this program. Every effort will be made to maintain these tuition rates for the full 3 years of the program but cannot be guaranteed. Tuition and fees are subject to change. This program does not qualify for the Teach for America (TFA) tuition rate.
The deadline to be considered for need-based departmental scholarships is March 1, 2026.
Financial Aid
Financing your Ed.D. requires planning in savings and lifestyle choices, and many students finance their graduate education through a combination of institutional funding, federal aid, private educational loans, and other sources. Students are encouraged to seek financial assistance from their school districts and other organizations. More detailed information about federal financial aid can be found at the Office of Financial Aid.
What Departmental Scholarships Are Available?
1 free credit hour in in Fall 2026!
No additional steps required!
Eligibility: Students must apply by 12/1/2025 and be admitted as a student in Fall 2026. Students using SMU tuition benefits are not eligible for this scholarship.
New students will apply for this scholarship via a short application that is shared once students have submitted their application.
Eligibility: Students must apply by 3/1/2026 and be admitted as a student in Fall 2026. Students using SMU tuition benefits are not eligible for this scholarship.
$3,000-$5,000 scholarship in Fall 2026
This fellowship has been established as an additional source of support for EdD students that have embraced the practitioner-scholar role. A goal of our EdD program is to support students as practitioner-scholars who leverage and integrate both their practitioner and scholar roles to change higher education for the better. Specifically, the fellowship is intended to provide additional support to prospective students that are already using research in their practice and/or whose practice is informing their research. This includes those students who have concrete plans for how research can inform practice or their practice can inform their research as they move forward with the program.
Applicants should prepare a brief essay between 750 and 1,000 words in length. This essay should describe: (1) the ways in which they currently use data and research in their professional roles and/or plan to do so moving forward and/or (2) ways in which their current roles as practitioners have shaped/will shape their research. Applicants are also encouraged to address how they would use skills and knowledge they anticipate learning in the EdD program to further their practices as practitioner-scholars within the field. This essay is an optional essay within the application and should be submitted via that system.
Eligibility: Students must apply by 3/1/2026, to be admitted as students in Fall 2026. Selections for the Fellowship will be made by faculty committee in early March. Students using SMU tuition benefits are not eligible for this scholarship.