Public Policy

Merit Scholarships

Applicants are automatically considered for merit-based scholarships, and no additional application is required. These scholarships are awarded by the Admission Committee based on the "merit" or strength of an application. Applicants who receive an award will have an award letter included with their admission decision letter. Recipients must maintain a minimum registration level as outlined in their award letter, and must also maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 during the semester(s) they are awarded. International students are eligible for merit scholarships.

Professional Scholarships

Government and Nonprofit Professional Scholarship

Simmons is proud to support the investment that public sector and nonprofit employees make in themselves and their communities.. All government (federal, state, and local) employees as well as applicants in public education, civil service, or nonprofit civil society organizations who enroll in our Public Policy or joint Public Policy/ Gender and Cultural Studies graduate program benefit from a scholarship covering a minimum of 20% tuition, effective Fall 2025. To be considered, please ensure you submit an up-to-date resume with your application. The overall scholarship is based upon the tuition rate at time of admission, and the total scholarship amount and terms of the award will be shared following admission. For additional questions and a fee waiver, please contact [email protected].

Boston Public Library

Simmons has a strong relationship with our neighbors at the Boston Public Library. BPL employees beginning a degree-seeking graduate program in the Gwen Ifill College of Media, Humanities, and Social Science in Fall 2025 or later will receive a minimum scholarship of $10,000 in recognition of our partnership. Your fee waiver will be applied automatically.

Alumni Scholarships

Women's College Coalition Members

Simmons offers a minimum 20% scholarship for women's college alumnx enrolling in our joint Master's program in Gender and Cultural Studies and Public Policy. We're thrilled to extend this benefit as a way to honor the strong academic and leadership foundation that women-centered colleges provide our students. No separate scholarship application is required; all applicants whose transcript shows an undergraduate or graduate degree from a current Women's College Coalition member will receive it.The overall scholarship is based upon the tuition rate at time of admission, and the total scholarship amount and terms of the award will be shared following admission. For additional questions, please contact [email protected].

Double Shark Scholarship for Simmons Alumni

Simmons alumnae/i with a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree can review information about the Double Shark Scholarship on the alumni relations Alumnae/i and Friends web page.

Colleges of the Fenway Institutions

Simmons values its membership within the Colleges of the Fenway collaboration and its four neighboring institutions: Emmanuel College, Massachusetts College of Art & Design, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, and Wentworth Institute of Technology. As such, Simmons has designated up to five Colleges of the Fenway Scholarships to students and alumni of COF institutions. COF students/alumni are invited to reach out to [email protected] to receive an application fee waiver and to learn more about the COF scholarship and other benefits.

Wheaton College Students and Alumni Benefits

Simmons University offers Wheaton students and alumni from the last 5 years a range of benefits that can amount to a savings of up to 1/3 of the total tuition in the Gender and Cultural Studies and/or Public Policy programs. Wheaton students/alumni are invited to reach out to [email protected] to receive an application fee waiver and learn more about other benefits, including a designated scholarship and the potential to waive four elective credits in any of these programs.

Partner Scholarships

City Year

Simmons is a proud member of City Year's University Partnership Program.

Any new applicant who has been employed or is a graduate of City Year is eligible for an application fee waiver. Your fee waiver will be applied automatically.

All applicants who list City Year employment on the resume/CV included in their application for admission will receive automatic consideration for City Year Partnership Scholarships.

Awards will be equal to at least a 25% tuition scholarship in full graduate degree programs based upon the tuition rate at time of admission.

Admitted students will be permitted to defer enrollment by one year if they decide to stay with City Year for additional time before starting their studies. Students who are awarded the City Year Partnership Scholarship may not defer their award, but will be eligible for full reconsideration for the new intended start term.

Applicants who do not receive a City Year University Partnership Scholarship will automatically be considered for additional merit-based awards based on the strength of the application and availability of other Simmons scholarship funds.

Fellowships and Assistantships

Fellowships and Assistantships require a separate application for consideration. Some are available to incoming students and others are available to current students. Each position is different and may include a scholarship applied to your account along with a paid position. International students are eligible for fellowships and assistantships. Please note that fellowships and assistantships alone will not cover the entire cost of tuition or other educational expenses.

Teaching and Research Assistantships

Graduate students in the Public Policy graduate program may request consideration for graduate assistantships through their graduate program director after completing at least one semester of study. Graduate assistantships are single semester appointments that are available dependent up on faculty and require up to 10 hours per week of work.

Dean's Fellowships

The Ifill School provides annual funding for two graduate student Dean's Fellows who support the academic work of the School through special projects designated by the Dean. Project descriptions and opportunities to apply will be promoted through academic departments and/or graduate programs.

Ifill Graduate Admission Fellowship

The Ifill Graduate Admission Fellow supports recruitment to graduate programs in the Gwen Ifill School of Media, Humanities, and Social Sciences. They work in the graduate admission office for eight hours per week and receive a substantial tuition scholarship covering six credits per semester. The Fall 2025 application deadline is March 28. Please review the job description and application requirements below.

Ifill Graduate Admission Fellow

Graduate Student Professional Development Fund

Ifill School graduate students may seek financial assistance to attend and/or present at an academic or professional conference on an ongoing basis throughout their program. The same pool of funds is also available to support students in the completion of research for a thesis or independent project at Simmons.