What is the Graduate Student Member Support Grant?
Our committee stands to serve graduate students in the profession, and you are our priority. We have made strides towards providing tangible support to our fellow graduate students, including the development of a grant for Graduate Student Member Support, which launched in the fall 2023. By offering this indiscriminate support grant for graduate students facing unexpected financial insecurity, we hope to build community and solidarity across our graduate membership and allow students to more fully dedicate themselves to their professional development.
Please read these FAQs for more information before applying.
For the April 2026 cycle, applications will open at 8 am EDT on April 1, 2026 and close at 5 pm EDT April 8, 2026. Apply Here.
Who is eligible to request funds? You must be an active APSA Graduate Student member to request funds. For the January application cycle, those who have previously received funds will not be eligible to receive funds in this cycle.
What if I’m not an active APSA Graduate Student member? There are several ways to become an APSA Graduate Student member.
- The regular student membership fee is $52 per year or $140 for a three-year membership. More information can be found here.
- Through the contributions made by APSA members, members renewing in eligible categories can have 50% of their membership dues covered by APSA. This will reduce your membership dues down to $26. If you are interested in receiving this support, please complete the form here. Please note that you must create an APSA account to complete the form.
- APSA Member Departments gain the ability to sponsor their current students through the Department Sponsored Student Membership Program. Through this program the cost of an APSA student membership is shared equally between APSA and the member department. Reach out to your department today to see if you are eligible for this program.
What types of expenses can I use the grant for? We hope that this grant will be able to support students who face unexpected challenges––housing or food insecurity, health or medical support, and other emergency expenses. While we don’t require you to list why you’re using the grant, there is an optional field for you to include this information so that we may better advocate for you.
Is the fund limited to specific circumstances or emergencies? No, we don’t require you to list why you’re using the grant. However, given the need for funds exceeds our financial capacity, we ask that applicants consider requesting funds for unexpected and pressing emergencies.
What is the review process? How long does the review process typically take? The support fund application process will run as a lottery system. There is no review process– this fund is for graduate student members of APSA and all applications are eligible if certain conditions are met (being registered as a graduate student member of APSA). Applications will typically be open for a week. After applications have closed, all applications will receive a number. APSA staff will then use a random number generator to select the maximum number of applications to be funded. We anticipate that we will be able to fully fund 7 applications for the April cycle. Those who are not part of the applications randomly selected to be funded will be eligible to reapply for funding in the next application cycle.
What information do I need to provide when submitting my application? You will need information to submit relevant tax documents and a way to have the funds deposited. We collect this information from all applicants in order to expedite the award process for the selected students (see above FAQ on the lottery process).
How much can I request? You can request up to $150.
Will my request be kept confidential? Yes. Your request will remain confidential, and only select APSA staff will be notified. Please note that our secure application portal will have access to your APSA member profile information, and this information is used to verify your membership status.
How long will it take to receive funds after my application? It may take up to 3-4 weeks after applying for funds to appear in your bank account.
How can I contribute to the Graduate Student Membership Support Fund? You can find the link to donate here. Select Graduate Student Member Support Grant under Featured Opportunities.
How will donations for this fund be used? Donations to this fund will only be used to provide financial support to graduate student members of APSA. Funds will not be eligible for use in the general budget or operations of APSA.
I have additional questions. Who can I contact? Please send an email to grad@apsanet.org.