Education Doctorate (EdD) Scholarships and Grants Guide

EdD Scholarships, Grants and Other Funding at a Glance

Graduate tuition varies widely by school. The National Center for Education Statistics reports that average graduate tuition and required fees across all degree-granting institutions were $20,513 in the 2021–22 academic year, the most recent year in its graduate tuition table. That figure averages all graduate programs, so it is not the price of an EdD at any particular school. The table below shows the main ways EdD students can cover their costs.

The Internal Revenue Service explains in fact sheet FS-2026-10 (April 2026) that employer educational assistance can be tax-free and can cover graduate-level courses as well as payments on your own student loans. The $5,250 figure is the limit for 2026, it covers tuition benefits and loan payments combined, and the IRS says it will be adjusted for inflation in later tax years.

How the New Federal Loan Limits Affect EdD Students

Federal loan rules for graduate students changed on July 1, 2026. Here is what the changes mean for EdD students, based on the Federal Student Aid loan limits FAQ (May 20, 2026) and the Department of Education's current list of professional degree programs.

• The EdD uses the graduate limits. The Department of Education's professional degree list (Electronic Announcement GENERAL-26-42, updated Oct. 23, 2026) does not include the EdD or any other education degree, so EdD students fall under the graduate limits of $20,500 a year and $100,000 in graduate loans, not the higher professional limits of $50,000 and $200,000.
• Grad PLUS is gone for new borrowers. Graduate students who are not covered by the interim exception below can no longer borrow Grad PLUS loans.
• Only graduate loans count toward the $100,000 limit. The FSA FAQ says the $100,000 graduate aggregate limit counts the Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans you borrowed as a graduate student, including loans for a master's degree. Undergraduate loans and Grad PLUS loans don't count toward it.
• A separate $257,500 lifetime limit counts all your federal student loans. That includes undergraduate and Grad PLUS loans. The only exception is PLUS loans you borrowed as a parent for a dependent student.
• An interim exception applies to some current students. If you were enrolled in your program as of June 30, 2026 and received a Direct Loan for it before July 1, 2026, the FSA FAQ says you keep the earlier rules for the lesser of three years or the time remaining in your program's published length. Those rules allow up to $20,500 a year in Unsubsidized Loans, a $138,500 combined limit for Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans (including undergraduate loans) and Grad PLUS loans up to the cost of attendance minus other aid. The lifetime limit doesn't apply while the exception lasts, but Grad PLUS loans received during it count toward that limit once it ends.
• Part-time study can lower your annual limit. Starting with the 2026–27 award year, schools must apply a federal schedule that reduces annual Direct Loan limits for students enrolled less than full time, including students covered by the interim exception.
• The TEACH Grant does not cover doctoral programs. Federal regulations define a TEACH Grant-eligible program as one that leads to a bachelor's or master's degree or is a post-baccalaureate program.

Because federal loans may now cover less of the cost, it is worth adding up scholarships, grants and employer aid before you enroll, and weighing that total against whether an EdD is worth it for your career plans.

Grants for Doctor of Education Students

Grants are a form of gift aid that generally doesn't have to be repaid. At the doctoral level, though, two federal grants many students know are not available: federal regulations limit the Pell Grant to students working toward a first bachelor's degree, with limited exceptions (such as some post-baccalaureate teacher certification programs) that do not extend to doctoral study, and the TEACH Grant does not cover doctoral programs. The grants listed below come from professional associations and foundations, and several fund research rather than tuition.

You should still file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) if you plan to borrow federal loans. Federal Student Aid has released the 2027–28 FAFSA and recommends completing it online.

If you are a working teacher looking for classroom or professional development funding rather than help paying for your degree, see our guide to grants for teachers.

• The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Robert G. Porter Scholars Program offers 10 one-time $1,000 grants to AFT members in good standing who have been members for at least one year. The grants support members' continuing education at an accredited institution or a project they propose, and applicants submit an essay and an implementation plan. Union staff are not eligible.
• The American Educational Research Association (AERA) offers Dissertation Grants of up to $27,500 to advanced doctoral students whose dissertation research includes analysis of large-scale data. The one-year award is nonrenewable and can go toward costs such as tuition and living expenses, but grantees may not accept concurrent grants or fellowships from another agency, foundation or institution. The most recent proposal deadline passed on May 20, 2026, and AERA says all awards are contingent on its receiving continued federal funding.
• The Children's Literature Association (ChLA) offers Hannah Beiter grants of $500 to $1,500 for dissertation or master's thesis research on children's literature. The grants cannot pay tuition or general degree costs, and winners must be ChLA members or join before receiving funds. Applications are accepted each year from Dec. 15 to Feb. 1.
• The Organization for Autism Research (OAR) offers graduate research grants of up to $2,000 for doctoral candidates and up to $1,000 for master's students conducting independent autism research. Applications for the current competition are due Feb. 1, 2027. The grant period runs from July 1, 2027, to Dec. 31, 2028, and OAR won't fund studies that begin before the grant period.
• SHAPE America's Thomas L. McKenzie Research Award provides one or more awards of up to $2,000 a year to SHAPE America members who are graduate students or early-career professionals within four years of graduating. It funds behavioral research on physical activity policy or promotion, with priority for studies in settings such as schools, parks and homes. Applications are due Dec. 11.
• The ITEEA Foundation, part of the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association (ITEEA), offers the Maley/ITEEA Foundation Teacher Professional Development Scholarship of $500 to ITEEA members who teach technology and engineering at any grade level and are beginning or continuing graduate study. Nominations are due Nov. 1.
• The American Psychological Foundation (APF) awards one Esther Katz Rosen Fund grant of $40,000 for research and programs that advance knowledge about gifted children. Graduate students at an accredited university may apply with a research proposal if they are affiliated with a school or education institution. Applications for the 2027 program year open Nov. 1, 2026, and are due March 5, 2027.
• Sigma Alpha Iota Philanthropies offers two awards for SAI members, both listed on its grant program page: a $2,500 Doctoral Grant for members enrolled in or accepted to a doctoral program who expect to finish between May 2027 and May 2029, and a $1,500 Music Education Scholarship for members who hold an undergraduate degree in music and are accepted into or continuing in an accredited graduate program. Applicants must be in good financial standing and current with national fees, and previous recipients of an award can't apply for it again. Recipients must meet the award's obligations within one year or return the funds; for the Doctoral Grant, that means completing the funded project and submitting a report within one year. Applications for the 2027–2028 awards are due March 15, 2027, through SAI's application portal.
• The International Literacy Association (ILA) awards the Steven A. Stahl Research Grant of $1,000 every two years to one graduate student with at least three years of pre-K–12 teaching experience who is conducting classroom research in reading and literacy. Applicants and any coapplicants must be ILA members in good standing and keep their membership active through June 30, 2028, and a candidate can accept only one ILA research award per year. Applications for the 2027 grant are due Feb. 1, 2027, under ILA's 2027 guidelines.

Guide to Scholarships for EdD Programs

Doctor of Education scholarships may be available based on financial need, your particular career experience, your teaching goals, your research interests and other factors. Scholarships generally don't have to be repaid. Because a single award may cover only part of your costs, it can make sense to apply for several, as long as each sponsor's rules allow it.

• The National Academy of Education's NAEd/Spencer Dissertation Fellowship pays $30,000 for one academic year to 35 doctoral candidates a year whose dissertations centrally relate to education. Candidates in any field at a U.S. graduate school may apply, but all pre-dissertation requirements, including coursework, qualifying exams and an approved proposal, must be complete by June 1, 2027. Applications for the 2027 fellowships are closed, and the next deadline has not been posted.
• The PDK Educational Foundation runs the PDK International Scholarship Program, which offers more than 100 one-time and renewable awards of $500 to $4,000 through a single application. Applicants must be members of Educators Rising, Educators Rising Collegiate, Pi Lambda Theta or PDK Association, be pursuing a career in public education and be enrolled for the fall semester. Applications for the 2027–28 awards open in December 2026. Separately, Pi Lambda Theta lists scholarships of $500 to $2,000 for members who are prospective educators, with its 2027–28 application period also opening in December.
• AASA, The School Superintendents Association, awards seven Educational Administration Scholarships of $2,500 each year to graduate students in school administration who plan to make the superintendency their career. Applicants need a recommendation from the chair of their school of education, and only one applicant per campus may apply. Applications open in May and are due Sept. 30. Our guide to how to become a school superintendent explains the role these awards prepare you for.
• For teachers in California, the California Teachers Association offers CTA Scholarships in a category for active, dues-paying CTA members, including members working on an emergency credential. Applicants' college coursework should show high academic achievement, and awards must be used for education-related purposes. The deadline for the current cycle is Feb. 5, 2027.
• The Virginia State Literacy Association (VSLA) offers the Carmelita K. Williams Scholarship for Graduate Studies in Literacy, which reimburses up to $2,500 of tuition. Applicants must be members of a local chapter and of VSLA, be accepted into graduate courses at an accredited college or university in Virginia, be pursuing an advanced degree in literacy or reading and work in a role where literacy or reading is part of instruction. VSLA's awards page lists a Jan. 10 deadline without a year, and the application it links to is the 2025–26 version, so confirm with VSLA that a new cycle is open before you apply.
• The AFCEA Educational Foundation's STEM Teachers for America's Future program offers graduate scholarships of $2,500 to U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are majoring in education at an accredited U.S. school with the goal of teaching STEM in U.S. K–12 schools. Graduate applicants need a bachelor's degree in a STEM field and a GPA of at least 3.5, must be in at least their second semester of graduate study, must be taking at least two semester-equivalent courses when they apply and must expect to graduate after the award year. Funds can be used only for tuition and required course-related expenses. Applications open Jan. 1, 2027.

How to Apply for EdD Scholarships

1. File the FAFSA if you will borrow. You apply for federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans through it, and Federal Student Aid has already released the 2027–28 form (see the grants section above).
2. Join the right association early. Many of the awards above are open only to members, sometimes with rules on how long you must have been or must remain a member: AFT's Porter grants require at least one year of membership, and ILA's Stahl grant requires membership through June 30, 2028. Join the associations in your specialty well before their deadlines.
3. Build a deadline calendar. The awards above follow different cycles. Several of the research grants close between December and March (OAR and ILA's Stahl grant on Feb. 1, 2027, APF's Katz Rosen grant on March 5, 2027 and the SAI awards on March 15, 2027), while AASA's scholarship closes Sept. 30. The NAEd/Spencer fellowship is closed for 2027, and its next deadline has not been posted.
4. Time dissertation awards to your candidacy. The largest research awards above expect a defined dissertation project: the National Academy of Education requires NAEd/Spencer fellows to finish pre-dissertation work by June 1, 2027, AERA requires analysis of large-scale data, and SAI's Doctoral Grant is for students expected to finish between May 2027 and May 2029. Before you stack awards, check each sponsor's rules; AERA doesn't allow concurrent grants or fellowships.
5. Ask your program and your employer. Your program's financial aid office can tell you about its own scholarships, fellowships or assistantships, and your employer's human resources office can tell you whether it offers tax-free tuition assistance.
6. Watch for scams. The Federal Trade Commission warns that legitimate scholarship programs don't charge application fees or guarantee that you will win an award.

EdD Scholarships: Frequently Asked Questions

Will FAFSA pay for my doctorate degree?

No. The FAFSA is the application for federal student aid, not a source of money itself. For EdD students, it is how you apply for federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans, which must be repaid. Under the Federal Student Aid loan limits FAQ, graduate students outside the interim exception can borrow up to $20,500 a year and $100,000 in graduate loans; the loan limits section above explains the interim exception and the reductions for part-time study.

Can you get a scholarship for a doctorate degree?

Yes. Professional associations and foundations offer scholarships, grants and fellowships for EdD and other doctoral students in education. Eligibility can depend on membership, a specialty such as literacy or music education, or a dissertation topic. The lists above give each award's amount, eligibility and deadline, taken from the sponsor's own page.

Can I get my EdD fully funded?

The outside awards listed above are each limited in amount or length. For example, the National Academy of Education's NAEd/Spencer fellowship pays $30,000 for one academic year. Ask each program what fellowships or assistantships it offers, and ask your employer about tuition assistance (see the funding table above).

Are there federal grants for doctoral students in education?

Not through the Pell Grant or the TEACH Grant. Federal regulations (34 CFR 690.6 and 686.2, linked in the grants and loan sections above) limit Pell to students working toward a first bachelor's degree, with limited exceptions that do not extend to doctoral study, and limit TEACH Grants to bachelor's, master's and post-baccalaureate programs. The research grants from associations and foundations listed above are open to doctoral students.