Paying for Your Degree

The Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) degree is self-funded. Financial aid for professional graduate students at Cornell is limited and based wholly on merit. Each year, Cornell Engineering selectively awards a small number of full-tuition fellowships and partial-tuition scholarships to applicants who demonstrate extraordinary potential to succeed academically, to exemplify the mission of the M.Eng. program, and to flourish in a professional work environment. See below for more details.

Tuition

The Bursar’s office updates the tuition rate for M.Eng. degrees each academic year. M.Eng. degrees are considered Tier 1. For Distance Learning (DL) M.Eng. programs, tuition is charged by the credit hour. Rates for DL credits are listed under "Other Tuition Fees".

The Cornell Graduate School has compiled a comprehensive list of admissions costs for International Students.

Cornell Engineering Scholarships, Fellowships, and Stipends

Submit your complete M.Eng. application by February 1 to be considered for Cornell Engineering financial aid awards for the following academic year. Applications submitted after February 1 may not receive full consideration. Please note that M.Eng. financial aid awards are usable only in the designated academic year and are not guaranteed for recipients who choose to defer their program start.

  1. Master of Engineering Dean's Fellowship*

    Master of Engineering Dean’s Fellowships are highly selective, merit-based fellowships that cover the full cost of tuition for two semesters. Each year, outstanding applicants who have been admitted to eligible M.Eng. programs are chosen for this award by a College-level committee. Special consideration is given for those who contribute to the diversity of our M.Eng. population. No extra application is required. The number of M.Eng. Dean’s Fellowships awarded in any given year is based on available funding and may vary.

  2. Master of Engineering Committee (MEC) Fellowship*

    Master of Engineering Committee (MEC) Fellowships are highly selective, merit-based fellowships that partially cover the cost of tuition. Each year, outstanding applicants who have been admitted to eligible M.Eng. programs are chosen for this award by a College-level committee. No extra application is required. The number of MEC Fellowships and the award level in any given year are based on available funding and may vary.

    * Applicants admitted to the Computer Science M.Eng. program offered by the Bowers College of Computing and Information Science and the Biological and Environmental Engineering M.Eng. program offered by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are not eligible for these awards.

  3. GEM Fellowship

    Awarded by the Diversity Programs in Engineering to underrepresented minorities. Cornell Engineering (Ithaca, NY, campus only) is a member of the GEM Consortium. Cornell Engineering offers one (1) year of fellowship support for GEM fellows. Open to PhD and M.Eng. students, this fellowship requires an application: GEM Fellowship application

Cornell Engineering Special Awards

Arps Fellowship

Awarded annually to a Master of Engineering student(s) who was a member of the Cornell Crew Team for three years while an undergraduate student. Arps Fellowship application form (PDF)

Lazaro Memorial Fellowship

The is awarded annually to one or more Master of Engineering students who are permanent residents of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Preference will be given to students enrolled in the Civil and Environmental Engineering program. If you would like to receive consideration for a Lazaro fellowship, please provide legal documentation of residence along with the application. Lazaro Memorial Fellowship form (PDF)

Lester B. Knight Jr. Scholarship*

Awarded on a highly selective basis to eligible applicants interested in earning sequential M.Eng. and MBA degrees at Cornell University. Recipients will receive up to $30,000 towards the M.Eng. degree and up to $30,000 towards the MBA. Submit your Knight essay with your M.Eng. application by February 1.

*Applicants admitted to the Computer Science M.Eng. program offered by the Bowers College of Computing and Information Science and the Biological and Environmental Engineering M.Eng. program offered by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are not eligible for these awards.

Student Employment

M.Eng. students may take advantage of the variety of student employment options available on campus.

External Scholarships

The Cornell Graduate School provides a Graduate School searchable database of external scholarship opportunities.

Student Loans

The Graduate School has information about federally funded student loans.

International Student Loans

If you are not a citizen or permanent resident of the United States, or if you are otherwise ineligible for federal student loans, you may apply for a student educational loan through an alternative/private lender. Private lenders will vary on the interest rate, how much can be borrowed, and repayment terms.