Here we provide basic information about the costs associated with attending the University of Maryland, along with typical stipends and benefits. Students in our program receive tuition remission benefits and are funded by graduate assistantships or fellowships.
Program Costs
Graduate Tuition & Fees for Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 (based on 10 credits):
| Resident | $8,780.00 per semester |
| Non-resident | $18,780.00 per semester |
| Mandatory fees | $727.00* per semester |
*Effective Fall 2017, the University of Maryland charges a fee of $125 per semester for all newly enrolled, full-time international students. As stated above, students in our program are funded by graduate assistantships or fellowships that include tuition remission. Most students pay some tuition and fees for summer or winter session courses; however, the great majority of expenses are covered by the tuition remission that applies to fall and spring semesters.
Costs of Living in the DC Metropolitan Area
Although the DC-Baltimore area has a relatively high cost of living, housing expenses vary greatly across communities and neighborhoods. Our students find affordable options by choosing less expensive areas to live and by sharing housing costs with roommates. Some students cut costs by living without a car, which is made possible through the large network of free University shuttles and the extensive public transportation system. Excellent practical information can be found in the UMD Graduate Student Life Website and the website of the Off-Campus Housing Services.
Stipends and Tuition Remission
In recent years, all of our students have had assistantships or fellowships that provide tuition remission and a stipend. For the 2025-2026 academic year, the minimum stipend for students on a graduate assistantship is listed below:
- GAs should be placed in the appropriate step: Step I for master’s students; Step II for doctoral students not advanced to candidacy; Step III for doctoral students advanced to candidacy.
- The Graduate School sets minimum stipend levels for each step and appointment term (9, 9.5, and 12 months).
Stipends in our program begin at step II and then increase to step III for those who advance to doctoral candidacy. Students on assistantships or fellowships pay only the mandatory fees. Applicants are automatically considered for fellowships offered through the University.
Assistantship assignments depend partly on the department through which the student has applied. On the Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education side, assistantships are typically for Graduate Administrative Assistant (AA) or Graduate Teaching Assistant (TA) positions. On the Department of Psychology side, assistantships are typically for Graduate Teaching Assistant (TA) positions. Graduate Research Assistant (RA) positions are sometimes available on a case-by-case basis, depending on faculty funding. There is no centralized posting of all available assistantships on campus. Explore the following resources for opportunities:
- Direct outreach to departments or faculty members
- Resident Life Graduate Assistantships
- Student Job Board in Workday
Tuition remission typically covers the cost of courses taken during the fall and spring semesters, which is when most courses are taken. However, students often must pay tuition for courses taken during the summer sessions, unless they have a 12-month assistantship or a summer assistantship.
Benefits
Graduate assistants and fellows are eligible for a number of benefits in addition to tuition remission. For graduate assistants, perhaps the most significant is the ability to enroll in the full range of health benefits available to State of Maryland employees, as well as the ability to sign up one’s legal spouse (both same-sex and other-sex), and dependent children for these benefits and dependent children for these benefits. A description of these benefits is available via the new employees link on the website of University Human Resources. Fellows may enroll in the student health insurance, and the premium will be covered by the Graduate School. A description of student health insurance options can be found on the Graduate School Health Insurance for Graduate Students webpage.