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We offer funding to all PhD applicants whom we admit. Our department anticipates extending full funding to about 70 Fall 2024 PhD applicants. Funding includes a graduate student salary, tuition remission, and 91% health insurance coverage. In your first year, you will be funded by the department as a Teaching Assistant (TA) for one semester and as a Research Assistant (RA) for the other semester. This structure enables you to find a research lab and to practice working in a classroom setting. Faculty with alternate sources of funding may petition the department to waive the TA requirement for first year students in their lab.

In your second year and beyond, you will be funded by a research advisor as an RA or through other fellowships, pending reasonable research progress and academic performance. If your research advisor has a funding gap, they can apply to the department for gap funding. This way, students have a safety net so that they can continue to be funded throughout their PhD program.

Students admitted to the master’s degree program, including BAM and BS/MS students, are expected to secure their own financial support. Although the department does offer a number of scholarship opportunities recipients will still be expected to cover the majority of their cost of attendance. Scholarship application requirements and timelines may vary but will be marketed through the departmental email listserv for current graduate students. 

Students in the Professional MS program are not eligible for TA or RA appointments but are eligible for hourly employment as graders, administrative assistants and research assistants. These positions do not provide coverage of tuition, fees or health benefits but do provide hourly pay at the rate of $15–18.50 per hour. Requests for hourly support can be submitted via the .

Master of Science Professional students may also wish to contact the Office of Financial Aid for loan information.

Students admitted to the master’s degree program, including BAM and BS/MS students, are expected to secure their own financial support. Although the department does offer a number of scholarship opportunities, a couple of which are detailed below, recipients will still be expected to cover the majority of their cost of attendance. Scholarship application requirements and timelines may vary but will be marketed through the departmental email listserv for current graduate students. 

While MS Thesis students are eligible for TA and RA appointments, these opportunities are rare. There is no formal application process for MS Thesis students to pursue assistantships. A student’s thesis advisor, at their discretion, may offer an assistantship upon demonstration of exceptional promise in research and academics.

Master of Science Thesis students may also wish to contact the Office of Financial Aid for loan information.

• Diversity Scholarship: Diversity and inclusivity are values embodied in the strategic visions of both the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Department of Mechanical Engineering. We are committed to fostering a diverse and equitable environment for our students in all respects, inclusive of financial support. The Diversity Scholarship offers incoming and current students the opportunity to apply for funding worth $1,000–$4,000 per semester. The application for the Diversity Scholarship will be available each semester. The graduate program will market, the application deadlines and specific requirements for the scholarship via the graduate student listserv and the department website. While students may apply for the scholarship during any semester the application is open, preference will be given to students who have not previously been awarded a diversity scholarship.
• Entrepreneurial Scholarship: As one of the top public Mechanical Engineering departments in the United States, conveniently located in one of the most well-respected technology hubs in the country, entrepreneurial opportunities abound in Boulder. Students with a demonstrated ability and/or interest in entrepreneurship may apply for the scholarship, which may be worth between $1,000–$4,000 per semester. The application for the Entrepreneurial Scholarship will be available each semester. The graduate program will market, the application deadlines and specific requirements for the scholarship via the graduate student list-serv and the department website. While students may apply for the scholarship during any semester the application is open, preference will be given to students who have not previously been awarded an Entrepreneurial Scholarship.
• Singh Graduate Fellowship: Shrawan Kumar Singh and Sudha Singh have generously established a fellowship intended to provide financial support to mechanical engineering students pursuing graduate studies within the department. Students that have research interest in bioengineering and/or biomechanical studies are given preference for this fellowship. Award amounts and lengths may vary. Students will automatically be considered for this fellowship by the Graduate Committee and departmental leadership.
• Tom and Brenda Geers Graduate Fellowship: Brenda  and Thomas L. Geers and have generously established a fellowship intended to provide one student pursuing a PhD in Mechanical Engineering with fellowship support. Students who are pursuing work in solid and/or fluid mechanics that have attained post-prelim status are eligible for the fellowship. Possible fellows are considered automatically by the Graduate Committee and may be awarded a fellowship for up to three years. Award amounts may vary and only one student at a time can be designated a Geers Fellow.
• Vogel Family Fellowship: Herbert and Karen Vogel have generously established a fellowship intended to provide one mechanical engineering student pursuing research in the area of thermodynamics, heat transfer or fluid flow with fellowship support. Possible fellows are considered automatically by the Graduate Committee and may be awarded a fellowship for up to three years.
• Dean’s Graduate Fellowships: Dean’s Graduate Fellowships are awards supported by the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. PhD applicants are automatically considered for this fellowship with their application for admission. Dean’s Graduate Fellowships are awarded to applicants that show exceptional potential during the admissions process. Fellowship amounts can vary, with a maximum award of $5,000 per year. These awards are provided in addition to the tuition, health insurance and living stipend provided by a student’s assistantship.
• University Graduate Fellowships: University Graduate Fellowships are awards supported by the Univeristy of Colorado and the Graduate School. PhD applicants are automatically considered with their application for admission. University Graduate Fellowships are awarded to the top applicants for each incoming class of PhD students. Fellowship amounts can vary, with a maximum award of $5,000 per year. These awards are provided in addition to the tuition, health insurance and living stipend provided by a student’s assistantship.
• Summer Fellowship: PhD students who have not received an assistantship offer for the summer term who wish to continue working in their lab may apply for a summer fellowship. These fellowship awards do not cover any summer tuition costs or health insurance. The fellowship is intended to supplement summer living expenses while the student continues to support faculty research. Amounts may vary from year-to-year; Summer Fellowships for the summer 2019 term provided recipients with a total of $7,880. Application deadlines and requirements for summer fellowships will be advertised through the department’s graduate student listserv each spring semester.

The Department of Mechanical Engineering accepts applications for travel grants for up to $250 for in-state conferences and up to $750 for out-of-state conferences. These awards are given to facilitate educational and professional development through conference participation by a Mechanical Engineering graduate student presenting a paper or poster. Mechanical Engineering PhD students are given preference, but highly qualified Mechanical Engineering MS students are encouraged to apply. Applications are accepted throughout the academic year and are reviewed by the Graduate Committee. Students must be pursuing a mechanical engineering graduate degree to be eligible to apply.

The awards are given as scholarship money and will be applied to the student's CU account. If your account balance is zero, then a refund will be issued to you. Funding will be preferentially awarded during the academic year; however, you may apply for funding during the summer semester. Funding is contingent upon formal acceptance of an abstract.

Submit Your Travel Grant Application

In addition to the department travel awards, you may also consider applying for funding from the programs below.

• Dean's Office Matching Grant for Student Travel
• Graduate School Student Travel Grant