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Stanford University Scholarships: Your Pathway to Pursue PhD

Manisa Das Sep 1, 2025 1K Reads

UGC Notice

Those individuals who wish to pursue their doctoral degree from a foreign university can also consider Stanford University. Stanford University is a private research university in California, United States of America. The university is one of the top universities that offers programs in various specializations. Stanford University is also known for offering scholarships to eligible students in various programs, including PhD programs.

100% Scholarships for International Students at Stanford University | Undergraduate, Masters, PhD

The University’s scholarship mostly covers the tuition fee, fellowship stipend, and assistantship salary. The candidates are required to fill out the application form, and then the university offers the scholarship to the most eligible student.

Individuals can also earn their doctoral degree through an online DBA program. An online DBA program refers to a Doctor of Business Administration, which is considered equal to the regular PhD program. Those individuals who couldn’t get the scholarship can opt for this program, as the program cost will be higher without a scholarship. 

Key highlights 

Scholarship 

Details 

Institution

Stanford University 

Program

PhD

City

The United States of America

Program Area

Programs offered in arts, humanities, engineering, 

Duration 

5 years

Scholarship Stipend

$57,480 (Living expense)

Scholarship 

The candidates who are enrolled in the PhD program at Stanford University are eligible to receive the university's funding scheme. The university provides tuition aid, fellowship stipend, and assistantship stipend for individuals who are enrolled in the 5-year PhD program. 

Funding Details 

Here are the funding details of the Stanford University Fellowship:

Funding

Academic Milestone Guidelines

Year 1

  • Tuition (11-18 units): $63,540
    ($21,180 per quarter for autumn/winter/spring)
  • Summer Tuition (1 unit): $1,377
  • 1st Year Fellowship: $28,174.80
    ($7,043.70 per quarter for autumn/winter/spring/summer)
  • Salary (25% assistantship): $28,174.80
    ($7,043.70 per quarter for autumn/winter/spring/summer)

Year 1

  • Successful completion of courses and assistantships
  • Progress towards the First-Year Review

 

 

Years 2-4

  • Tuition (8-10 units): $41,310
    ($13,770 per quarter for autumn/winter/spring)
  • Summer Tuition (1 unit): $1,377
  • Salary (50% assistantship): $56,349.60
    ($14,087.40 per quarter for autumn/winter/spring/summer)

 

 

 

 

Year 2

  • Successful completion of courses and assistantships
  • Progress towards the Second-Year Review/Qualifying Paper
  • Advance to candidacy

Year 3

  • Successful completion of courses and assistantships 

Year 4

  • Successful completion of all coursework and assistantships for the doctoral program and PhD Minor/Disciplinary Master’s
  • Achieve TGR Status
  • Completion of Dissertation Proposal
  • Dissertation Proposal Hearing

Year 5

  • Tuition (TGR level): $16,524
    ($4,131 per quarter for autumn/winter/spring/summer)
  • Salary (25% assistantship): $28,174.80
    ($7,043.70 per quarter for autumn/winter/spring/summer)
  • Graduation Year Fellowship: $28,174.80
    ($7,043.70 per quarter for autumn/winter/spring/summer)

Year 5

  • Confirm Reading Committee
  • Successful completion of assistantships
  • Dissertation Oral Exam
  • Completion of Dissertation

Stanford University PhD assistantships program

Stanford University also provides apprenticeship opportunities to its students. The program is a part of academic and professional training and development. The assistantship program offers them both salary and tuition. These programs are funded by the university’s faculty research grants, other faculties, or the Dean's office. The students can choose the type of assistantship. Typically, there are two types of assistantship, which are Research Assistantships and Teaching Assistantships. 

Individuals who are subject experts and have experience in teaching can choose to teach other courses in the university. The assistantships are selected through consultations with faculty advisors. The students can work for 10 hours (25% assistantship) or 20 hours (50 % assistantship).

Here are the two types of assistantships offered by the university: 

  • Research assistantship (RA): Various duties for research projects
  • Teaching assistantships (3 types):
  • Course Assistant (CA)—course preparation and grading
  • Teaching Assistant (TA)—leads regularly-scheduled discussion sections
  • Teaching Affiliate (TF)—full responsibility for the course

Programs provided in the PhD program

Here is the list of programs along with their specializations that are being offered in the PhD program by Stanford University:

Programs

            Specializations





 

Curriculum Studies and Teacher Education

  • Elementary Education
  • History/Social Science Education
  • Learning Sciences and Technology Design
  • Literacy, Language, and English Education
  • Mathematics Education
  • Science, Engineering, and Technology Education
  • Race, Inequality, and Language in Education
  • Teacher Education
 

Developmental and Psychological Sciences (DAPS)

  • Developmental and Psychological Science
  • Learning Sciences and Technology Design
  • Race, Inequality, and Language in Education





 

Social Sciences, Humanities, and interdisciplinary 

  • Anthropology of Education
  • Economies of Education
  • Education Data Science
  • Educational Linguistics
  • Educational Policy 
  • Higher Education
  • History of Education
  • International Comparative Education
  • Learning Sciences and Technology Design
  • Philosophy of Education 
  • Race, Inequality, and Language in Education
  • Sociology of Education
 

Cross-area Specializations

  • Learning Sciences and Technology Design 
 
  • Race, Inequality, and Language in Education (RILE)

Who can apply for the Stanford Scholarship? 

The eligibility criteria to apply for the Stanford Scholarship are:

  • The individuals must complete their required degree to apply for the scholarship for a PhD
  • They must be fluent in English. They can appear for the GRE or language proficiency Tests, but not mandatory 
  • The candidates are required to submit the required documents during their application. 

How to apply for the scholarship 

 The candidates applying for the scholarship must familiarize themselves with the admission process and the deadline for applying. The candidate has to apply directly to the university and follow the instructions. 

Here are the requirements needed to apply for the scholarship: 

Requirements needed to apply for the scholarship:

  • Application form- The candidates must apply on the official website of the university. 
  • Application Fee- The application fee is $125, which is nonrefundable. The fee should be submitted before the deadline. 
  • Statement of Purpose- The applicant must provide a statement of purpose that includes their reasons for applying, research interests, and the name of their faculty advisor.
  • Resume/CV- The applicant is required to submit their resume/CV with their application form. 
  • Three Letters of Recommendation- The candidates are also required to submit three letters of recommendation who have helped them in their academic journey. 
  • College and university transcripts- The candidates are required to submit transcripts of each institution/university they have enrolled in for at least 1 year in a full-time program. If the candidate is selected, they will be asked to submit their documents via email. 
  • Graduate Record Examination (GRE)- GRE scores are not mandatory for admission, but students can still send their GRE scores to enhance their application. 
  • English Proficiency Test (TOEFL/IELTS)- The candidate must show better proficiency in English reading and speaking. They can also provide English proficiency test scores of TOEFL or IELTS. To take admission, a minimum score of 100 is required for TOEFL iBT and 7.5 for IELTS. 

Online DBA: An Alternate option to pursue a doctoral degree

Students who couldn’t get the Stanford University Scholarship and wish to pursue their doctoral degree can opt for the online DBA program. An online DBA refers to the Doctor of Business Administration, which holds equal recognition to the regular PhD program. The online DBA program (Doctor of Business Administration) is an ideal option for individuals who are working and wish to continue their higher education in a PhD without leaving their jobs. 

If an individual is planning to take admission in Stanford University, the cost of living will be much higher than in the online DBA program, where the individual will only have to pay for the program. And will earn the degree while taking the classes online at their convenience. 

Features of an online DBA program

Here are a few features of an online DBA program:

  • The online DBA program is a three-year online program. 
  • The individuals will earn their doctoral degrees from top foreign universities 
  • They will also earn the ‘Dr’ title at the end of their program
  • The classes will be held online, where the enrolled individuals will get to meet their subject matter expert through online
  • The online DBA program offers practical knowledge in various specializations that they can use in National and International markets. 
  • The learners will get to interact with other students from diverse backgrounds, which will help in personality development. 
  • On receiving the degree, the individuals will get wider job opportunities, and many top companies will be eager to hire them. 

Who can apply for the online DBA program? 

The eligibility criteria for the online DBA program are- 

  • Those who have completed their bachelor’s degree in any of the specializations 
  • Along with a minimum of 5 or more years of experience. 
  • Individuals who have done their master's degree are also eligible for the online DBA program.

Universities offering Online DBA programs

Here is the list of universities that offer online DBA programs along with their fee structure:

Universities

Fees

Birchwood Online University DBA Online

INR 6,00,000

Golden Gate University DBA Online

INR 8,14,000

Rushford Business School DBA Online

INR 8,12,500

EIMT Online DBA

INR 5,50,000

ESGCI International School of Management Paris DBA Online

INR 8,14,000

Swiss School of Business Management DBA Online

INR 7,50,000


 

Edgewood College DBA Online

INR 7,00,000

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Individuals can get a full scholarship to Stanford University through their financial aid. 
 

Yes, Indian students can also avail the benefits of Stanford University’s scholarship. 
 

The cost to go to Stanford depends on factors like personal expenses, study materials, and house rent. The estimated cost is to going to Stanford will be around $221,892.

Yes, Stanford is ranked among the top 10 universities. Even though it is ranked 5th worldwide
 

Yes, getting admission to Stanford University is hard, as it is very competitive and difficult.
 

Stanford University is a private university 
 

The duration of PhD programs at Stanford University is 5 years in various specializations.
 

The individuals who are interested can apply directly to the university’s official page.
 

Yes, the university provides two types of assistantships for the students. These are research and teaching assistantship programs. 
 

To take Stanford University Scholarships, the students must be fluent in English. However,  students can put the test scores of IELTS or GRE along with their application, but not mandatory.
 

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By Manisa Das

3 Years of experience/ academic writer/ freelance writer

Academic writing expert and freelancer with 3 years of experience, specializing in law, business, and social sciences. I deliver clear, well-researched, and high-quality content with a strong foundation in social science and business studies.

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