Financial Awards
All students offered admission to the doctoral program in Epidemiology receive a full tuition scholarship, stipend, health insurance and coverage of fees. All students, both domestic and foreign, receive the same financial support.
The 2024-2025 stipend rate is $38,000 annually. In addition, students may be selected for one of the competitive awards described below.
University Graduate Fellowship (UGF)
The University Graduate Fellowship is awarded by the Graduate School to highly qualified students entering study for the PhD or the master’s degree, if that is the highest degree offered by the program. In order to be considered for this award, an applicant’s file must be complete by January 15. Individual departments nominate applicants for this highly competitive award, and decisions are announced by the Graduate School in early March.
The University Graduate Fellowship, a stipend of up to $5000, is a supplement to a fellowship, assistantship, traineeship, or tuition award and is awarded for a period of up to three years for the PhD, or up to two years for terminal master’s programs. At the end of the third year, with continued academic success, eligible PhD students with approval from their home department and the Graduate School will receive up to 2 additional years of support from Harold Stirling Vanderbilt funds in the Graduate School. The University Graduate Fellowship carries the status of Russell G. Hamilton Scholar.
Provost’s Graduate Fellowships (PGF)
The Graduate School offers these fellowships to incoming U.S. citizen and permanent resident from diverse backgrounds who intend to pursue a PhD degree. Each award provides a $10,000 stipend awarded as a supplement to any other funding that is offered to the applicant and is made for a period of up to three years. At the end of the third year, with continued academic success, eligible PhD students with approval from their home department and the Graduate School will receive up to 2 additional years of support from Harold Stirling Vanderbilt funds in the Graduate School. The Provost’s Graduate Fellowship carries the status of Russell G. Hamilton Scholar.
Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical Translational Research (VICTR) Scholars Program
Each year several Vanderbilt doctoral candidates are supporting by full tuition and stipend funds from this NIH training grant program intended to develop the careers of quantitatively gifted individuals conducting graduate research that fosters the multidirectional and multidisciplinary integration of basic research, patient-oriented research, and population-based research, with the long-term aim of improving the health of the public. Candidates must be US Citizens or Permanent Residents.
This nationally prestigious award includes stipend, full scholarship and annual travel funds to present at the Translational Science meeting.
Harold Stirling Vanderbilt (HSV) Funds
Harold Stirling Vanderbilt Funds are awarded to graduate students by invitation-only and are used to extend either a PGF/UGF for up to an additional two years or to provide a new fellowship award of up to two years for an eligible and approved newly invited graduate student. These important awards recognize the continued success of our PGF/UGF recipients and reward new recipients for their excellent scholarly accomplishments.
Yellow Ribbon Program
As a participant in the Yellow Ribbon Program, the Graduate School of Vanderbilt University is committed to provide financial aid as necessary (specifically, in the form of tuition and fees) up to $6,000 per academic year to each post-9/11 eligible Veteran who is admitted and enrolls as a student in a degree program and who is determined by the VA to be eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students admitted to the Graduate School as special, non-degree students are not eligible for Yellow Ribbon financial aid from the Graduate School.