Graduate Scholarships and Resources for Psychology Students

The American Psychological Foundation

• Organization: The American Psychological Foundation
• Amount: $2,000 to $5,000
• Deadline: June 30, 2023
• Eligibility: Available to any psychology graduate student to assist with research costs affiliated with their master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation. Must be an active member of the American Psychological Association.

Description: Over 20 scholarships are offered to graduate psychology students.

APF Dr. Christine Blasey Ford Grant

• Organization: American Psychology Foundation
• Amount: $1,250
• Deadline: February 15, 2023
• Eligibility: Applicants must be graduate students or early career/doctoral-level psychologists with less than ten years in practice. They must also be affiliated with nonprofit, educational institutions, scientific institutions, or governmental agencies that operate for charitable and educational purposes.

Description: This scholarship supports research focusing on the prevention, treatment, understanding, and exposure to traumatic events like sexual harassment, assault, and/or rape.

Benton-Meier Scholarships

• Organization: American Psychological Foundation
• Amount: $2,500
• Deadline: June 1, 2023
• Eligibility: Applicants must be full-time graduate students enrolled in a neuropsychology program and must have completed a doctoral candidacy.

Description: Awarded to graduate psychology students who have shown success in neuroscience.

The Violet and Cyril Franks Scholarship

• Organization: American Psychological Foundation
• Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: May 15, 2023
• Eligibility: Applicants must be graduate students enrolled at accredited universities.

Description: Awarded to a graduate psychology student whose work and projects target a reduction in the prevalence and impact of stigmas against mental health disorders.

Melanie Merola O’Donnell Memorial Scholarship

• Organization: American Psychological Foundation
• Amount: $2,500
• Deadline: March 5, 2023
• Eligibility: Applicants must be enrolled or accepted into a mental health program graduate program in the U.S. and provide evidence of extracurricular, volunteer, research, and career-related activities

Description: The winner chosen represents the foundation’s mission to educate the public regarding community violence.

California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists Scholarship

• Organization: California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists Educational Foundation
• Amount: $4,000
• Deadline: November 1, 2023
• Eligibility: Applicants must be studying in the field of marriage and family therapy at an accredited institution.

Description: Available to graduate psychology students looking to work in marriage and family therapy.

Elizabeth Munsterberg Koppitz Child Psychology Graduate Student Fellowship

• Organization: American Psychological Foundation
• Amount: Four fellowships of $25,000 and two runner-up fellowships of $5,000 each
• Deadline: November 15, 2023
• Eligibility: Students must have completed their doctoral candidacy at the time of the application.

Description: Awarded to graduate psychology students who are studying the field of child psychology.

National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program

• Organization: National Science Foundation
• Amount: $30,000 yearly, $10,500 cost-of-education payment, and $1,000 travel allowance
• Deadline: October 18, 2023
• Eligibility: Applicants must be enrolled in an accredited graduate institution and have completed no more than one academic year of full-time graduate study.

Description: Students must have demonstrated excellence in science and be pursuing full-time research for a master’s or doctoral degree. This award targets STEM students.

Predoctoral Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (MHSAS) Fellowship

• Organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
• Amount: Not currently provided
• Deadline: January 15, 2023
• Eligibility: Applicants must commit to being in a career in behavioral health services or policy serving communities of color and sign a letter of commitment stating that they will work for two years in communities of color addressing their behavioral health needs.

Description: Offers an opportunity for a paid summer internship at SAMHSA and three years of financial support.

• The American Educational Research Association offers programs and services, including the Graduate Student Council, for students seeking opportunities in mentoring, networking, professional development, and student advocacy, It offers campus meetings and associations and opportunities to network with graduate students who have similar objectives, values, and interests.
• The Association for Psychological Science offers a student program that gives benefits, including access to the latest research, to regular members. The APS student caucus offers competitive awards and grant opportunities in the form of a student research award, an emerging scholar research award, Researching Injustice and Social Equality (RISE) award, and a student grant competition.
• The American Psychological Association of Graduate Students offers annual conventions, networking opportunities, informational podcasts, a loan forgiveness program, scholarships, grants, awards, publications, databases, and more.
• Psi Chi International Honor Society in Psychologynot only offers awards and scholarships for undergraduates but other resources for students as well, including networking opportunities on campus, national, and international levels.

• The Masters in Psychology Podcast, available through Amazon Music, allows psychology students to learn from psychologists, educators, and practitioners to understand what they do, know what led them to their career choices, and receive the advice they have for those interested in getting a master’s in psychology or an advanced degree in a related field like counseling or marriage and family therapy.
• NPR offers Invisibilia, a podcast that talks about a variety of topics targeting behavioral psychology. Hosts and experts break down complex mental health and psychological topics on A Psych Central Podcast.
• Speaking of Psychology is produced by the American Psychological Association and is a great way for students to keep abreast of current psychological research.

• Psychology Today offers articles on a variety of psychological subject matter, job boards, career advice, and self-tests that can be manipulated for research testing purposes.
• Psychology Tools provides an online resource library with downloadable articles.
• The Social Psychology Network allows users to access research articles, educational resources, professional journals, podcasts, and blogs. It offers a psychology career center, a mentor program, PhD information, and clinical psychology programs.
• Theravive is sponsored by a network of psychologists and licensed therapists and provides free information, resources, and mental health services. There is a comprehensive encyclopedia, a general news section with current articles, and a directory offering workshops, seminars, and continuing education guides.
• The Student Room UK is for psychology doctoral students looking for jobs, internships, and networking opportunities. It also offers an international forum for students with similar backgrounds.

• Advances in the History of Psychology looks at the history of psychological sciences and changes throughout the years.
• Bad Science, while not specifically related to psychology, can help psychology students discern between good and bad research methodologies.
• The Team W Blog extemporizes on applying psychology and brain science research to better understand how people behave and think.
• In The Newsis for students interested in the law as it relates to psychology. This blog reviews topics like criminology, forensic psychology, and law.
• Mind Hacks provides research studies, psychological articles, useful websites, and more for professionals and psychology students.

• EBSCO Information Services provides a multi-disciplinary database containing over 4,650 journals in full text as well as 3,900 peer-reviewed titles. Files go back over 50 years and include searchable cited references.
• Gale eBooks (i.e., Gale Virtual Reference Library) is a database of specialized reference sources and encyclopedias for multidisciplinary research.
• APA PsycNet Advanced Search database provides access to full texts, abstracts, citations, and more than 140,000 articles from over 60 journals published by the American Psychological Association. It contains general and specialized psychology as well as applied, clinical, and theoretical research in most areas of psychology.
• APA PsycInfo is an absolute must resource for any psychology student. This database provides abstracts of scholarly journal articles, dissertations, books, and over 2.5 million summaries and citations dating back to the early 1800s.
• Scopus is Elsevier’s database of abstracts and citations. It covers almost 37,000 titles, most of which are peer-reviewed journals in physical and health science, life, and social science.

Many scholarships look at volunteerism, community activities, and other activities that show you are a well-rounded individual. This community engagement can include anything from assisting at local food banks, volunteering at a homeless shelter, helping during any type of disaster, and tutoring children. Simply being engaged in your community’s needs is one of the best ways to beef up your scholarship application.

Without research experience, it is doubtful you’ll be considered for many graduate-level scholarships and fellowships. Your research experience indicates that you know how to run experiments, collect data, analyze and interpret results, and communicate these results properly to your peers and colleagues. Any type of research experience is sure to make you stand out from other applicants.

Make sure you have at least three letters of recommendation to include in your applications. In addition to letters from professors, you can also ask local clergy or a supervisor with whom you’ve worked. These letters tell scholarship and fellowship committees about your academic excellence, personal and social skills, and other attributes that show you are a successful student as well as an authentic resource in your chosen field. Often, your recommendation shows an outsider why you are deserving of an award and gives a personal perspective of why you should receive a scholarship.

When writing a scholarship essay, show yourself as a proven leader with an emphasis on originality and the ability to take charge of research projects. Write about your unique traits and specific circumstances when you stood out from the crowd. Emphasize your personal and professional goals, too. Be intentionally candid, authentic, vulnerable, and honest. Tell your story but stick to any provided prompts. Try not to ramble. Instead, stay focused and be concise Read your essay out loud several times to different people and get their feedback. Before finalizing your essay, wait a few days, and review it again before you submit it.

Get your application in early. When a committee starts reviewing applications, it generally starts with those received first. Make an early impression to let them know you’re serious. Start by researching scholarships at the same time you apply to schools. After finding funding opportunities you are eligible for, write deadlines in your calendar. Allow plenty of time to complete each application well in advance of the due date, so you don’t have to rush to complete it.

Always review your application material meticulously. Double-check your eligibility requirements and make sure you meet and beat all necessary criteria. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Having another person review your application can help find errors or notice a gap you may have missed. Be thorough and answer everything asked.