Master's in Applied Behavior Analysis ABA Scholarships

ABA Scholarships, Grants and Other Funding at a Glance

The table compares the main ways ABA master's students pay, using the awards on this page and the federal rules in effect in 2026.

What Your ABA Funding Needs to Cover: The BCBA Requirements

The Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) describes the BCBA as a graduate-level certification in behavior analysis, so the degree is only part of what you're paying for. Under the BACB's current BCBA Handbook (updated June 2026), most applicants need a master's degree or higher, behavior-analytic coursework, supervised fieldwork completed within five years and a passing score on the BCBA exam.

The requirements change on Jan. 1, 2027. The BACB's 2027 requirements (updated February 2026) leave two routes:

• Pathway 1: a master's degree earned while the program was accredited by the Association for Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA), or a master's or doctoral degree earned in 2015 or later while the program held Tier 1, 2a or 2b status with the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI).
• Pathway 2: a master's degree or higher in any field, plus 315 hours of graduate-level behavior-analytic coursework from an institution with a registered Pathway 2 program contact. Neither the degree nor the coursework can be completed in less than one calendar year.

Both pathways require 2,000 hours of supervised fieldwork or 1,500 hours of concentrated supervised fieldwork, plus the BCBA exam. The BACB's upcoming changes page says Pathway 1 will be the only BCBA pathway starting Jan. 1, 2032.

For funding, that means budgeting for a program that holds qualifying accreditation or recognition when you earn the degree, or that delivers the full 315 coursework hours, and for supervised fieldwork. Under the handbook, fieldwork hours can start once you've begun qualifying graduate coursework, secured a qualified supervisor and signed a supervision contract, so fieldwork can overlap your degree. Before you apply for aid, ask any program which pathway it supports. Our ABA certification guide explains each credential level, from RBT to BCBA-D.

Scholarships for ABA Students

National awards come first, followed by awards limited to one state.

SABA Innovative Student Research Grant

Eligibility Criteria:

• Master's or doctoral students enrolled in, or accepted to, a program in psychology, education, behavioral science or an allied discipline with enough behaviorally oriented faculty to supervise the research.
• At least one full academic year must remain in the program, and applicants must show a commitment to basic or applied behavior analysis research.
• Applicants can't apply for this grant and a Bijou Grant in the same year.

Amount: Up to four master's thesis grants of up to $2,500 each and one of up to $1,000; doctoral dissertation grants go up to $5,000.

Deadline: Jan. 13, 2027, for the 2027 cycle.

Use of funds: Research costs. Overhead, staff salaries and professional travel (other than to present the funded research at the ABAI convention) aren't covered.

Conditions: Recipients send SABA a brief report on how the grant was used, with an outline of expenditures, by April 1 of the following year.

To Apply: Apply through the Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis (SABA) student grant page.

SABA Innovative Student Research Grant in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Eligibility Criteria:

• Master's or doctoral students enrolled in, or accepted to, a graduate program in psychology, education, behavioral science or an allied discipline with enough behaviorally oriented faculty to supervise the research.
• Applicants must show a commitment to basic, applied or translational research in behavior analysis and have enough time left in their program to finish the project.
• The project must study diversity, equity and inclusion in behavior analysis, through an empirical study or a demonstration project.

Amount: $1,000 to $5,000 per grant; SABA may make no award in a given year.

Deadline: Jan. 13, 2027, for the 2027 cycle.

Conditions: Recipients send SABA a brief report on how the grant was used, with an outline of expenditures, by April 1 of the following year.

To Apply: See SABA's DEI grant page.

Organization for Autism Research Graduate Research Grant

Eligibility Criteria:

• Students conducting autism research as a requirement of a master's degree; international students are eligible.
• The student must be the sole investigator. Projects that are part of a faculty member's ongoing research don't qualify.

Amount: $1,000 for master's students ($2,000 for doctoral candidates and postdoctoral students).

Deadline: Feb. 1, 2027.

Use of funds: Independent research. The grant can't be used for tuition.

To Apply: See the Organization for Autism Research (OAR) graduate research page.

Verbal Behavior SIG Student Research Grant

Eligibility Criteria:

• Full-time graduate or undergraduate students leading research on verbal behavior as principal investigator.
• Nominees must be current members of the Verbal Behavior Special Interest Group (SIG) of ABAI.

Amount: Up to $500 for research-related expenses.

Deadline: Feb. 1, 2027.

Conditions: Winners are asked to present at the 2028 ABAI symposium and must submit evidence of completion by April 1, 2028.

To Apply: Read the Verbal Behavior SIG's 2027 call (Word document).

Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) Graduate Student Research Grant

Eligibility Criteria:

• Graduate students in good standing with a clear financial need for their research; master's thesis and dissertation projects get priority.
• The project must be approved by a faculty advisor, who submits a separate letter of support.
• The winner must be a current ABCT member at the November convention awards ceremony.

Amount: Up to $1,000.

Deadline: March 3, 2026, for the 2026 cycle.

To Apply: See ABCT's research grant page.

The Autism Recovery Foundation Behavioral Analysis Scholarship

This foundation's scholarship helps students working toward BCBA or Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) certification.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Full-time or part-time students enrolled in, or admitted to, a course sequence approved by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board.
• Applicants must state that they intend to pursue a career in autism and applied behavior analysis in Minnesota; preference goes to applicants committed to rural areas or underserved populations.
• Applicants currently working in other states or internationally aren't accepted at this time.

Deadline: July 1 for fall and Nov. 1 for spring.

To Apply: Visit the Autism Recovery Foundation's scholarship application page.

Craemer Shea Memorial Scholarship Fund

Eligibility Criteria:

• Connecticut special education teachers, paraprofessionals, speech-language professionals and other educators currently working with children with autism.
• Funds go toward the study of ABA or a specialized autism certification that includes substantial ABA training.

Amount: Usually $1,000 per semester; recipients may reapply in later semesters.

Deadline: Applications are accepted at any time and awarded in August, December and May.

To Apply: See Connecticut FEAT's scholarship page.

TxABA James L. Kopp Memorial Scholarship

Eligibility Criteria:

• Current student members of the Texas Association for Behavior Analysis (TxABA) listed as a presenting author at the ABAI annual convention.
• Applicants must register for the TxABA annual conference in the same year.

Amount: Two scholarships of $2,000 each, for education-related costs or the cost of attending the ABAI annual conference.

Deadline: Nov. 12, 2026. Awards are contingent on ABAI acceptance, and recipients must send proof of acceptance and any revised materials by Feb. 1, 2027.

To Apply: See TxABA's student page.

FABA B. F. Skinner Foundation Florida Graduate Student Research Award

Eligibility Criteria:

• Current members of the Florida Association for Behavior Analysis (FABA) attending a graduate-level program in Florida.

Amount: $500 to help fund graduate student-driven research.

Deadline: The 2026 window has closed; nominations reopen in June 2027 for the 2027 cycle.

To Apply: See FABA's awards page.

ABA Grants and Federal Aid

Federal grants rarely reach graduate ABA students. Federal regulations limit Pell Grants to students completing a first bachelor's degree, with narrow exceptions such as certain postbaccalaureate teacher-certification coursework. For most ABA master's students, federal aid means Direct Unsubsidized Loans, which accrue interest and must be repaid.

Federal Student Aid's loan limits guidance (May 2026) sets these limits for loans to graduate students starting July 1, 2026:

• Annual limit: up to $20,500 in Direct Unsubsidized Loans for full-time study
• Aggregate limit: $100,000 for graduate study
• Lifetime limit: $257,500 across federal student loans
• Grad PLUS: eliminated for new borrowers

To borrow, you must be enrolled, or accepted for enrollment, at least half time in an eligible program and meet the other federal student aid requirements, under the Direct Loan rules. The federal loan limit rules reduce the annual amount in proportion to how far below full time you're enrolled, except in programs without standard terms, and starting July 1, 2026, let a school set a lower limit that applies to everyone in a program.

Applied behavior analysis programs fall under the graduate limits, not the higher professional limits. The Department of Education's interim list of professional degree programs, issued after a June 24, 2026, court stay and most recently updated Oct. 23, 2026, lists applied behavior analysis among the programs not treated as professional.

If you were enrolled in your program as of June 30, 2026, and received a Direct Loan for it before July 1, 2026, the same Direct Loan rules let you keep the earlier limits, including access to Grad PLUS, during your expected time to credential, which Federal Student Aid defines as up to three academic years or the rest of your program, whichever is shorter. That exception ends if you withdraw or stop being enrolled in the program.

How to Apply for ABA Scholarships

1. File the FAFSA. The federal aid handbook says a student must complete the FAFSA form to be considered for federal student aid, and the form is free to file.
2. Join the associations whose awards you want, early. Several awards above require membership, including ABCT, TxABA, FABA and the Verbal Behavior SIG, so check each sponsor's membership rule before its deadline.
3. Plan around winter deadlines. SABA's student research grants close Jan. 13, 2027, and the OAR and Verbal Behavior SIG grants are due Feb. 1, 2027; ABCT's graduate research grant closed in early March in 2026.
4. Line up your faculty advisor. Research grants usually need an approved project and a supporting letter; ABCT, for example, asks for a separate letter from the applicant's faculty advisor.
5. Ask your program and your employer. Your program's financial aid office can tell you about its own scholarships and assistantships. If you already work in ABA, ask whether your employer offers an educational assistance program.
6. Watch for scams. The Federal Trade Commission's guide to scholarship scams warns that a guaranteed scholarship, an upfront fee or a request for a bank or credit card number are signs of fraud, and that you should never pay anyone to fill out the FAFSA.

ABA Scholarships: Frequently Asked Questions

Are there scholarships for ABA and BCBA students?

Yes, though most are modest and come from behavior-analysis associations and autism-focused foundations. Several are research grants for graduate students rather than tuition awards, and some are limited to residents, members or educators in one state. The list above gives each award's amount, eligibility and most recent deadline.

Can I use federal financial aid for an ABA master's degree?

Yes, if your program is eligible for federal aid and you're enrolled at least half time. Graduate ABA students can borrow Direct Unsubsidized Loans after filing the FAFSA, but they generally can't receive Pell Grants. The federal aid section above lists the current loan limits for graduate students and how part-time enrollment reduces them.

Can ABA research grants pay for tuition?

Usually not. OAR says its graduate grant can't be used for tuition, and SABA's student research grants exclude costs such as overhead and staff salaries. Check each sponsor's rules on allowable expenses before you count a grant toward tuition.

Is an ABA master's degree worth what it costs?

That depends on how much you borrow and the role you take after certification. Compare your expected borrowing against the federal limits above, and see our behavior analyst career guide for what the work involves and the steps to certification.