Universities and community organizations sometimes offer scholarships specifically for married graduate students or graduate students with children. Many of these scholarships are discipline-specific as well as specifically for students with families. For instance, the Dr. Vigil L. Pennell Memorial Scholarship is awarded to married Doctor of Veterinary Medicine graduate students at Colorado State University. At University of California Berkeley, graduate students who have dependent children can apply for a Parent Grant. Although it can be time consuming, an Internet search for scholarships for students in a specific field with spouses or children may be well worth the hassle. Graduate students can also speak to financial aid advisors in their graduate colleges and to advisors in their departments about scholarship and grant opportunities.
Many universities recognize that the needs of married graduate students differ from those of unmarried students, especially when it comes to housing. Graduate students with families can save money on rent by applying to live in student housing. There are often apartments specifically for families with children, and the rent at on-campus or university-affiliated apartments is sometimes less expensive than rent at other comparable locations.
Many universities offer financial help in the form of savings on childcare expenses. For example, Princeton University offers a student child care assistance program that offers eligible graduate students grants to pay for in-home care or licensed day care centers. University of California Berkeley offers graduate students a need-based sliding scale rate for early childhood education.
Graduate students with families should keep in mind that many of the same student loan options that exist for undergraduate education also exist for graduate education. All graduate students should fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which may make them eligible for Federal Stafford Loans, Federal Grad PLUS Loans, Perkins Loans, and federal work-study. Some graduate programs also offer emergency loans which can be helpful for unexpected family expenses.