Financing Your Education
By providing many types of graduate aid through various programs, we help qualified students seek, obtain and make the best use of all resources available to meet the cost of your RISD education. Explore financial aid and support options below.
Plan in advance
If you you think you’ll need assistance to finance graduate study at RISD, you should prepare in advance. As you prepare, consider the following:
- Do you have consumer debt you need to pay off?
- Have you saved enough to cover expenses not included in the cost of attendance?
- Are your current student loans in good standing?
You should plan to arrive on campus with sufficient funds to cover initial expenses. Financial aid refunds and assistantship checks are typically not available until after classes start.
Estimated costs
RISD’s 2024–25 tuition is $61,564 for both undergraduate and graduate students, with a student activities fee of $284 and an academic and technology fee of $840.
The estimated cost of education for any college is based on tuition and required fees (costs that are billed to you directly) plus estimated costs for room and/or rent, board and/or food, supplies, personal expenses and transportation (indirect, variable costs). Our 2024–25 cost of education for graduate students is $91,864.
The above costs are for the current academic year. We will update this page with the coming academic year’s tuition and costs when they come available in the spring.
Need financial assistance?
Student Financial Services (SFS) can assist you and your family in seeking, obtaining and making the best use of all resources available to help finance the costs of attending RISD.
Financing options
Financing options for domestic and international applicants
Society of Presidential Fellows
The Society of Presidential Fellows program provides full tuition support and professional development opportunities to select graduate students for the duration of their studies. All applicants admitted into a RISD graduate program for academic year 2025–26 will be considered for the fellowship. No additional application is required. Admitted applicants will be nominated by their academic department or program.
Building Tall Fellowship
The Building Tall Presidential Fellowship is awarded to select first-generation graduate students who are admitted into RISD’s Master of Industrial Design (MID) and Master of Architecture (MArch) programs. This fellowship is especially suited to students with an interest in environmental and sustainability studies or related issues.
All first-generation applicants admitted into an MID or MArch program for the 2025–26 academic year will be considered for the Building Tall Fellowship. Admitted applicants will be nominated by their academic department.
RISD fellowships
Graduate fellowships are awarded by Student Financial Services in conjunction with the student’s academic department. Fellowships may be based on financial need as determined by completion of the FAFSA, completion of the institutional financial aid form, merit, or a combination of both (based on departmental preferences).
Typically, fellowships are awarded in equal payments for fall and spring semesters. Payments are made directly to a student’s tuition account.
RISD assistantships
Graduate assistantships are awarded through each graduate program and are assigned by the graduate program director (GPD). Assistantships are awarded during the admissions process. However, specific positions may not be assigned until the beginning of each semester.
International students or those without a social security number cannot be assigned an assistantship during the first semester.
Monthly payment plan
RISD offers interest-free payment plans. Learn more with SFS.
Financing options for US citizens and permanent residents only
Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans
Please note that for Federal Unsubsidized Loans, interest starts accruing at time of disbursement. Repayment begins six months after you graduate or cease attending school at least half-time. For additional information, including rates, please see the US Department of Education FAQ overview of subsidized and unsubsidized loans.
All borrowers need to complete a Master Promissory Note with the Direct Loan Program. First-time borrowers at RISD will need to complete a loan entrance counseling session, even those who have borrowed at a previous institution.
Borrowers can complete both steps via the Federal Student Aid Office.
Federal Direct GradPLUS Loans
GradPLUS loans are intended for graduate students in need of additional resources in order to finance their education. Approval of GradPLUS loans is based in part on the determination that the applicant does not have any adverse credit. Visit the US Department of Education's Direct Graduate PLUS Loan overview for rates and additional information.
Alternative (private) loans
Private student loans are consumer loans that should only be considered after first exhausting your federal loan eligibility. Typically, federal loans provide you with more beneficial terms and conditions. Some of these federal loan benefits may include a lower annual percentage rate, fewer and lower fees, and more favorable repayment options.
A number of private educational loans are available if you need extra funding to assist in managing your family's expected contribution. We encourage you to learn more about private education loans from ELMSelect.
External scholarships
External/outside scholarships are an excellent way to help reduce your need to work and/or borrow student loans while at RISD. Keep in mind that federal regulations stipulate that an outside scholarship cannot be used to reduce your family's expected contribution. When you receive an outside scholarship, our office is required to reevaluate your financial aid package and account for the additional resource.
Outside scholarships can be used to reduce the following:
- Student Loans
- Federal Work-Study
Listed below are several links to search engines where you can investigate and apply for various outside scholarship opportunities:
Repayment and loan forgiveness programs
The US Department of Education offers a number of loan repayment programs and options. If you are committed to working in public service after graduation, we encourage you to learn about federal loan forgiveness from the Institute of College Access & Success.
It is important to understand what the true cost of graduate education will be. To explore estimated monthly payments and options for repaying federal student loans, find out more about loan calculators from the US Department of Education.
Federal Work-Study
Federal and RISD Work-Study programs allow you to earn an income to offset educational expenses. Over 1,300 RISD students, more than half the student body, participate in the Work-Study program. This consists of both Federal Work-Study (FWS) and student employment.
Priority is given to FWS financial aid recipients for jobs on campus. However, RISD also allows other students to work if there are jobs left unfilled by FWS recipients. Work-Study offers five levels of hourly pay rates and students are paid bi-weekly.
Work-Study is separate from assistantships awarded by your academic department. All assistantships originate from each graduate program and are assigned by the graduate program director (GPD).
For international applicants
For international students applying to RISD, International Education Financial Aid provides information about aid programs, scholarships and grant opportunities to help finance your education.
The Institute of International Education (IIE) also manages several scholarship programs throughout the world.
Additionally, at RISD we have created an international student aid application to better support our international student community. If you are an international applicant and want consideration for any funding from RISD, you need to complete the institutional financial aid form, available via the Admissions applicant status portal to prospective students who complete their application for admission.
Get to know RISD
At RISD, you'll find a passionate community of critical thinkers and makers that will inspire you to push your own practice. Find important information and links for applying to our exceptional graduate programs.
SFS is here to help you and your family in seeking, obtaining and making the best use of all resources available to help finance the costs of attending RISD. Learn more about our financial aid options and deadlines.
Student Employment assists with all aspects of on-campus student employment and off-campus Federal Work-Study. Find out what steps you need to take to begin working as a RISD student employee.