Financial Aid and Student Jobs
Explore all options. Resources are gathered here to help you fund your graduate education. Watch for deadlines for SLIS financial aid, and for outside scholarships. Student loans are often a necessity. However, if at all possible, keep them to a minimum.
Student employment is encouraged. Part time jobs can help enhance résumés. There are a number of jobs on campus and in Bloomington that will both complement your résumé, and help with your expenses. Some student jobs include fee remission.
IU Office of Student Financial Assistance
Other Sources of Aid - Scholarships
SLIS Financial Aid
SLIS FINANCIAL AID - for Master's and Specialist Degree
students
The School of Library and Information Science accepts
applications for SLIS aid to begin the Fall Semester. A few packages may come
open in the Spring semester. Also, some packages come open through our SLIS
technology department. About 10% of our students receive SLIS aid packages.
These merit-based packages are highly competitive. While some packages are
substantive, none of the packages will fully fund your graduate education.
Students need to check on tax issues. We encourage you to review the other
scholarship and aid links gathered on our website.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: JANUARY 15
New students must
have a completed admissions application on file by January 15
to be considered. No additional SLIS financial aid application form is needed.
Continuing students must indicate their wish to be considered to the SLIS
Office according to the guidelines that will be posted on our listserv, and by
January 15. Students may submit an updated
résumé.
Student loans are handled by the IU Office of Student Financial Assistance, and are not a part of the SLIS aid consideration process.
NOTIFICATION:
Students will be notified of SLIS
Financial Aid decisions by the end of April. SLIS is a part of the Council of Graduate
Schools. An agreement with this Council is that "Students are under no
obligation to respond to offers of financial support prior to April 15." This
agreement is to help you know your options, so that you can make the best
decision. Student loans are a separate process handled by the IU Office of Student Financial
Assistance.
International Student Aid
International students can
be considered for SLIS aid packages, but must have their completed applications
to the SLIS Office by January 15. International applications
must first be reviewed by the IU Office of International
Admissions. We recommend applying by October 1 so
that the application may be processed and forwarded to the SLIS Office by
January 15. International Admissions email: intladm@indiana.eduSLIS is glad to welcome
international students to our programs. However, aid resources are limited, and
international students are advised to seek sponsorship and support from sources
other than SLIS.
SLIS Merit Scholar Packages
Each year the School of Library and Information Science awards approximately 30 fee scholarship packages that include hourly positions. These packages are for one year, and are not renewable. Most include 24-27 credit hours of tuition remission (excluding university fees of about $35 per hour); plus hourly positions of 15 hours a week at $9.00 an hour. Packages may vary. They are merit-based and are highly competitive. Hourly positions include working with SLIS faculty and administration, with the IU Libraries, with SLIS technology, and other opportunities. These packages are similar to "graduate assistantships" but have some differences. (Most packages do not include parking or health insurance.) In addition, SLIS has some smaller fee remission only packages. Students should check on tax issues.
SLIS Fellowship Awards
SLIS offers annual fellowship awards. Many of these are possible through the generous gifts of alumni and other SLIS supporters. These are often established in memory or in honor of the person for which the award is named. Students who apply for SLIS Financial Aid by the January 15 deadline will be considered. Faculty may nominate students for some awards. Award decisions will be made by the end of April each year. Students should check on tax issues.
Examples of fellowship awards:
- Charles A. and Charles H. Davis Fellowship in Scientific Information - $4,000 annual award to assist graduate students in the study of scientific information. Charles A. Davis headed the Indiana State Police Headquarters Laboratory, and later that agency's Criminal Investigation Division. He was a pioneer in forensic science. Charles H. Davis has three degrees from I.U., and studied postgraduate chemistry at the University of Munich on a fellowship awarded by the German government. He was an editor at Chemical Abstracts; served as an academic dean in Canada and in Illinois; and is currently a senior fellow in library and information science here at I.U.
- Janice Kilner Egloff Scholarship - $800 annual award for a non-resident student. Janice Egloff was a 1978 MLS graduate from I.U.
- Dennis K. Grumling Award - $100 annual award to a SLIS student who has excelled in cataloging and demonstrates promise of success in the profession. Dennis Grumling was a 1984 MLS graduate from I.U.
- Frances Eleanor Hammitt Scholarship - $2,000 annual award.
- Keith C. Kuhn Tri-State Scholarship - $500 annual award to a student from the Tri-State area (Southeast Indiana, Southwest Ohio, and Northern Kentucky).
- Harold and Marjorie Sharp Scholarship - $1,500 annual award with preference for students pursuing special library career paths.
- Clayton A. Shepherd Information Science and Technology Scholarship - $2,500 annual award for a student whose major emphasis is information science and technology. The award was established in memory of Associate Professor Shepherd who had been a member of the SLIS faculty for 13 years.
- Charles B. Shaw Fellowship - $5000 annual award with preference to students interested in academic librarianship. Charles B. Shaw compiled the List of Books for College Libraries (the "Shaw List") and its supplements in the 1930s. Beginning in 1943, he was the President of ACRL (the Association of College and Research Libraries). An ardent amateur printer, he founded the Off-hand Press at his home in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.
- Evelyn Ray Sickels Award - $250 annual award for a student with exceptional potential in the field of youth services librarianship.
- Caroline Smerk Memorial Award - $1000 annual award for a promising student who is pursuing a career in fine arts librarianship.
- Spectrum Initiative Matching Scholarship - SLIS will award one scholarship worth 6 credit hours of eligible tuition remission to an ALA Spectrum Scholarship recipient who comes to Indiana University. See Spectrum article from the "Black Collegian" magazine.
- H.W. Wilson Scholarships - $3,000 annual award(s) available due to the generosity of the H.W. Wilson Foundation.
- Yuan T'ung Li Memorial Fellowship - $2300 annual award to a student of Chinese ancestry. This award was established as a memorial to the late Yuan T'ung -Li, Director of the National Library of Beijing, who was associated with the Library of Congress for much of his later life.
Other Sources of Aid
Scholarships are available from a variety of sources. Check websites of related professional associations for options. Below is a sampling of scholarship leads.
- A. R. Zipf Fellowship in Information Management - A. R. Zipf Fellowship in Information Management
- American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) Scholarships
- American Association of University Women - American Association of University Women
- American Library Association (ALA) Scholarships - American Library Association (ALA) Scholarships
- Beta Phi Mu - Chi Chapter - Beta Phi Mu - Chi Chapter
- Beta Phi Mu: National Scholarships - Beta Phi Mu: National Scholarships
- Dialog Corporation - Roger K. Summit Scholarship - Dialog Corporation - Roger K. Summit Scholarship
- Educational OpportunityFellowship (EOF) through the University Graduate School, IU Bloomington - Educational OpportunityFellowship (EOF) through the University Graduate School, IU Bloomington
- Foreign Language & Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships - Foreign Language & Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships
- G.I. Bill Benefit Information
- GradGrants Center (I.U.) - GradGrants Center (I.U.)
- Graduate & Professional Student Organization (GPSO) - Graduate & Professional Student Organization (GPSO)
- Graduate School Links (IU)
- Indiana Library Federation (ILF) Scholarships - Indiana Library Federation (ILF) Scholarships
- Indiana University Librarians Association (InULA) Julianne V. Nilson Scholarship - Indiana University Librarians Association (InULA) Julianne V. Nilson Scholarship
- International Enhancement Grants (I.U.) - International Enhancement Grants (I.U.)
- International Librarianship Scholarship - International Librarianship Scholarship
- LITA (Library and Information Technology Association, ALA) Scholarships
- Library and Information Science Scholarship - Library and Information Science Scholarship
- MACH25 - free scholarship search by CollegeNET
- NASIG (North American Serials Interest Group) Scholarships and Awards
- Paul Evans Peters Memorial Fellowship (Coalition of Networked Information) - Paul Evans Peters Memorial Fellowship (Coalition of Networked Information)
- Paul and Daisy Soros Scholarship for New Americans - Paul and Daisy Soros Scholarship for New Americans
- Professional Association Scholarship Links
- Smart Student Guide to Financial Aid
- Smithsonian Institution Fellowships - Smithsonian Institution Fellowships
- Special Libraries Association (SLA) Scholarships
- University Graduate School, IU Bloomington - University Graduate School, IU Bloomington
Diversity Aid Resources
- Affirmative Action Scholarship, Special Libraries Association (SLA) - up to three $6,000 annual scholarships.
- Assosication of Research Libraries (ARL) Career EnhancementProgram for Minority MLS Students - 6-12 fellowship experiences and other benefits. Deadline: December 8.
- Association of Research Libraries (ARL) Diversity Program - $5,000 awards and a two-year mentored position after graduation in an ARL library (includes Indiana University).
- Century Scholarship, American Library Association (ALA) - awards up to $2,500 annually for persons with disabilities.
- Chinese American Librarians Association Scholarships - $500 scholarships to help students of Chinese heritage attend the annual ALA Conference and CALA program; plus other options.
- E.J. Josey Scholarship - $2,000 annual awards to persons of African American heritage - essay required - given by the ALA Black Caucus.
- Foundation for the Advancement of Education Minority Teacher Scholarship: - This is an annual scholarship for students aspiring to become teachers. Graduate students in the School of Library and Information Science that are working in K-12 educational setting are eligible. We define minority as someone of one of the following ethnicities: African American, Hispanic, Native American, Pacific Islander.
- LITA/LSSI Minority Scholarships - one $2,500 annual award funded by the Library Systems and Services, Inc. (LSSI) and administered by the ALA Library and Information Technology Association (LITA).
- LITA/OCLC Minority Scholarships - one $2,500 annual award funded by the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) and administered by the ALA Library and Information Technology Association (LITA).
- Indiana's Librarians Leading in Diversity (LLID) MLS Fellowship - A total of 30 SLIS students (Bloomington and Indianapolis) are eligible to receive these fellowships. They will be chosen in groups of 10 a year for 3 years. The deadline to apply for the final group is February 5, 2010. The award includes tuition for 36 hours, plus a $15,000 stipend. Students must commit to work in Indiana for a minimum of 2 years after graduation. Review the Indiana State Library website for details. Funding is supported by an IMLS (Institute of Museum and Library Services) grant.
- Reforma Scholarships: (National Association to Promote Library Services to the Spanish Speaking)
- Spectrum Initiative Scholarships, ALA - fifty annual $5,000 awards to persons of African-American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Latino/Hispanic, and Native American heritage.

