Financial Aid - School of Labor and Employment Relations

At most universities, students in Master’s Programs, like our MS in HRER, are usually expected to cover their own tuition and living costs. This is because these programs prepare students for attractive, well-paying jobs and the cost of the program is seen as an investment that will pay for itself many times over in the course of a career. Many students take out low-cost student loans to help cover their costs.

However, the Penn State MS in HRER program does have financial aid available for a limited number of students. This aid usually takes the form of graduate assistantships that pay a modest stipend and provide a full-tuition scholarship. In return, students serving as graduate assistants are expected to work 10-20 hours a week assisting faculty with research or teaching. Financial aid is awarded on a competitive basis to the students with the strongest academic and professional records.

The School also has limited scholarship money made available through the following endowments:

Chartwell Investment Partners Graduate Scholarship: made to full-time graduate students enrolled or planning to enroll in Human Resources and Employment Relations who have achieved superior academic records or who manifest promise of outstanding academic success.
Joseph and Karin Costello Graduate Award: made to HRER graduate students in their first year of study who have demonstrated excellence in their area of study.

For full consideration, students interested in being considered for assistantships or scholarships must complete their application to the program by Feb. 1 preceding the Fall they wish to enroll. Students applying to begin the program in Spring may ask to be considered for aid, but most aid is usually awarded in the Fall for the entire academic year.

Note: Eligible IUG or JD/MS students will be contacted by the Graduate Staff Assistant (Erin Hetzel) towards the end of the spring semester preceding the final year they will be a full-time student in the MS program to ask if they wish to be considered for aid.