Financial Assistance

ID offers a range of merit-based fellowships and scholarships for Master of Design (MDes) and PhD students.

Awards can exceed $1 million annually, but funding is limited, and early applicants receive priority. For the best chance at funding, submit before the priority admission deadline, and ideally as early as possible.

No additional materials beyond the application are required for consideration. You do not need to apply to a specific fellowship, as all candidates are automatically considered for all available fellowships and scholarships. Awards are typically announced at the time of admission.

Specific Fellowships

ID fellowships are funded by generous patrons who share in our commitment to improving the world through advanced design theory and practice.

ID Alumni Graduate Fellowships and Scholarships
Funded by contributions from the ID alumni network, this fellowship aims to continue to build the community of design leaders by supporting students of outstanding promise. Awards vary.

Grace Colby Fellowship
Funded by ID alumna and former board member Grace Colby (BS 1985), this fellowship supports a PhD student of outstanding promise.

Sam Farber Fellowship
Created by friends and family to honor the legacy of Sam Farber, the former CEO of Copco, who brought human-centered design to food preparation by launching the OXO brand of kitchen implements, this fellowship provides partial tuition to a student of outstanding promise.

Charles Harrison Fellowship
Funded by ID Board of Advisors Chair Emeritus Robert C. Pew and Susan Taylor in honor of the contributions of ID alum Charles Harrison to the field of design, this fellowship provides financial support to US residents who bring distinct intellectual and creative perspectives to ID.

Carole and Gordon Segal Fellowship
Endowed by Carole and Gordon Segal, the Segal fellowship supports an ID student of outstanding promise.

Robert Skyer Fellowship
Funded by Susannah Skyer Gupta in honor of her late father, Robert Skyer (BS 1958), the Skyer Fellowship provides financial support to an ID student in the design community.

ID students combine multiple funding sources to support their education. In addition to merit-based fellowships and scholarships, students access loans and grants through federal financial aid (for domestic students) and as well as private educational loans.

External Scholarships, Grants & Loans

Students also pursue external grants from foundations and other organizations. Find additional opportunities through these resources. (Note that some are graduate-student specific and some include undergraduate resources.)

• Illinois Tech’s list of outside scholarship search engines
• Additional Illinois Tech resources for external funding (Note: many of the opportunities listed won’t be relevant to Institute of Design students, but the resources are worth exploring):
  • Scholarship Opportunities spreadsheet
  • Online Funding and Scholarship Databases list
  • Office of Sponsored Research and Programs awards
• Sallie Mae scholarship search for graduate students
• US Department of Labor scholarship search
• Collegescholarships.org search engine

Targeted Scholarship Searches
Look into scholarships from:

• Local community organizations and foundations in your state, city or neighborhood
• Religious or ethnic support organizations based on your background
• Family affiliations: community service organizations, parents’ careers (military, teachers, healthcare workers), etc.
• Your current employer or related professional associations

Resources for International Students

International students are encouraged to explore funding opportunities in their home countries, including government-sponsored education programs, private foundations, and corporate scholarships.

The Illinois Tech Financial Aid Office has various tools and resources for students related to budgeting and planning, loans, external scholarships, and more. Below are a few of the resources they recommend starting with:

• Financial Aid Tools: Explore the Financial Aid Tools page for helpful resources, including:
  • Financial literacy tools to build your money management skills.
  • The How-to Guides for the Financial Aid Dashboard section, where you can find information about loans, aid requirements, forms, and more. (Note: this section is most applicable to domestic students.)

For additional guidance on financing your education, visit Illinois Tech’s financial aid website for additional guidance on financing your education. They can also be reached at +1 312-595-4900 or finaid@iit.edu.

Important for Domestic Students: Complete a FAFSA application as early as possible to maximize your financial aid opportunities.