Korbel ranked 12th best place in the world to earn a master’s degree in international relations.
Korbel ranked 20th in the world for the best undergraduate degree in international studies.
Korbel ranked 12th best place in the world to earn a master’s degree in international relations.
Korbel ranked 20th in the world for the best undergraduate degree in international studies.
At the Korbel School, approximately 90% of graduate students get some form of merit aid or scholarship, reducing the need for other types of financial assistance and making the dream of grad school much more attainable. Let’s follow two applicants—a U.S.-based student, Kate, and an international student, Amira—as they navigate the process to get the financial support they need.
These simplified journeys are examples of how the Korbel School’s financial aid process supports both domestic and international students. For information specific to your situation, please contact the Korbel School’s Graduate Office of Admission.
Kate, a teacher from Ft. Collins, CO, has a background in social work and a desire to have a globally focused career. She is ready to take the next step by applying to the Korbel School. She’s excited because the application doubles as a scholarship application—no extra forms to fill out!
Kate arranged to have her recommendations and transcripts submitted, wrote a statement of purpose that she is proud of, and officially submits her application by the priority deadline.
Kate also completes her FAFSA to see her options for U.S. federal loans and grants beyond any scholarship she may receive from the Korbel School. Knowing she’s covered her bases for scholarships and federal aid, she feels she’s well on her way to making graduate school more affordable.
Less than two weeks after officially submitting her application, Kate opens her email and finds she has been accepted to Korbel! In Kate’s admission letter, she also sees that she’s been awarded a merit scholarship! She’s thrilled to see that Korbel has prioritized the single highest possible award for her, cutting down her tuition by a huge margin. A few weeks later, the FAFSA response arrives, showing her federal loan options, which she can use if needed.
Based on what she has read online, Kate knows that she qualifies for multiple scholarships offered by the Korbel School, but her award letter shows only one—the one with the highest monetary value.
For instance, as a Colorado Resident, she is eligible for the Colorado Advantage Award. She is also a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, which is a separate Korbel scholarship. In her letter, she only sees the Colorado Advantage award listed. By checking out the admitted student page linked in her letter, Kate realizes that for equity and resource considerations, Korbel prioritizes giving a student the biggest single award for which they qualify, which in practice helps Kate cut down costs even more.
With the highest Korbel scholarship secured, Kate does some quick math to figure out her remaining costs. Subtracting her scholarship and any federal loans, she sees a clearer path to affording graduate school.
After securing her spot in the next class by submitting her deposit, Kate attends the on-campus admitted student day and learns that a few months before starting classes, Korbel will share opportunities for paid research and administrative jobs on campus. These positions are flexible, offer competitive wages, and provide the chance to gain career-relevant knowledge and skills. Such a job will also help offset her tuition and living expenses, enhancing the value of her graduate experience even more.
Amira is an international student from South America with a passion for psychology and human rights. Amira is thrilled to apply to the Korbel School, as she hopes to continue her studies in the U.S. at the 12th ranked best place in the world to earn a graduate degree in international studies. Amira is relieved to see that there’s no separate scholarship application—once her application for admission is submitted, she is automatically considered for merit aid. That means less paperwork and more time to focus on her goals.
Less than two weeks after submitting her application, Amira receives her admission notification letter, and she’s been accepted to Korbel! What’s more, she sees that she’s been granted a merit scholarship, which brings her a step closer to managing her tuition expenses.
At the Korbel School, scholarship awards are designed to maximize financial support for prospective students by offering the student the single highest-value award they qualify for. This streamlined approach means Amira sees just one scholarship listed in her letter, reflecting Korbel’s commitment to providing the most substantial financial assistance available to help her achieve her academic and professional goals. She appreciates this approach—it’s simple, equitable, and straightforward.
From attending information sessions, Amira knows that receiving this one award from Korbel does not impact her ability to seek external scholarships—which she does, applying for a tuition scholarship offered by an organization in her hometown.
With her Korbel scholarship in hand, Amira calculates her remaining costs. As an international student, she knows she doesn’t have the same access U.S. federal aid, so having this merit-based scholarship is essential for her dream to become a reality. After subtracting the scholarship from her total tuition, Amira feels more confident in her ability to manage her expenses, so she secures her spot in the incoming class by paying the $500 deposit.
She now has the knowledge and information she needs to request and complete her I-20 for a student visa and submit proof of funds. Amira has a few questions about the visa process, so she contacts the University of Denver’s International Student Services Office and they address her question over email. Now that she has everything in order and her visa appointment secured, she is excited to make travel arrangements and begin studying in the United States.
While she makes plans to move to Denver, Amira attends a Korbel information session about student employment, and learns that after she enrolls and prior to arrival, Korbel will send her opportunities for paid research and administrative campus jobs, which are flexible, pay a competitive wage, and will allow her to gain career-relevant knowledge and skills while earning money to offset her tuition and living costs. This gives her greater peace of mind that Korbel is the right choice for graduate studies.
Financial aid is a term to describe any funding that helps a student pay for educational expenses but there are different types of financial aid administered by different offices. Financial aid includes scholarships, awards, grants, and loans. Korbel aid, also called a Korbel scholarship, is awarded at admission by the Korbel School and doesn’t need to be repaid.
External funding comes from organizations outside of Korbel or the University of Denver. Federal loans must be repaid and are managed by the lender and DU’s Office of Financial Aid.
Korbel offers a diverse range of scholarships. For fairness, equity and resource availability, we ensure that students eligible for multiple Korbel scholarships receive the single highest-value award for which they qualify. While stacking Korbel awards isn’t permitted, this approach maximizes the financial benefit for each student, allowing us to support as many members of our community as possible and maintain equity in distributing available funding.
Receiving a Korbel scholarship does not impact a student’s ability to secure other external funding, including scholarships offered by external organizations. To better understand the difference between Korbel awards and external awards, please attend a Korbel admission event to learn more and connect directly with expert staff.Â
While Korbel does offer a small number of highly competitive full-tuition scholarships, these awards are rare and limited. There is no separate application process for these scholarships; all applicants are automatically considered during the admissions review process.
Korbel does not offer scholarships that cover living expenses or provide living stipends. However, the school remains committed to helping students manage costs through a variety of other merit and need-based scholarship opportunities that significantly reduce tuition. Additionally, students have access to flexible, paid research and administrative jobs that allow them to gain career-relevant experience while earning income to offset living expenses.
Korbel aid and scholarships are unlikely to be impacted by external awards, though keep in mind that U.S. federal aid may be decreased if the total amount of scholarship exceeds the total cost of attendance. We recommend consulting with the Korbel staff to help determine any impact.Â
Yes! Korbel offers a variety of research assistantships and administrative roles that allow students to work alongside faculty and staff, gaining career-relevant skills and knowledge while earning a competitive wage. Students can apply for those roles in the summer prior to arrival. Korbel will send information about this process to all deposited students. For those arriving in winter terms, Korbel will provide information during winter orientation.
Beyond Korbel, there is also plenty of opportunity to work in paid roles within the greater DU community by using the internal student job board, called PCO. Information about PCO will be shared with enrolled students.Â
Korbel is committed to supporting students through flexible aid policies while maintaining a focus on funding during the core academic year to ensure maximum impact. If you have further questions, the Korbel admission team is here to help clarify how your specific circumstances may affect your award.
No. Any aid specifically designated for undergraduate study must be applied to undergraduate coursework. After a student’s undergraduate degree is conferred, students are eligible for graduate aid. However, if an undergraduate student simultaneously enrolls in both undergraduate and graduate coursework and 51% of the credits are undergraduate credits, students will be assessed undergraduate tuition. Students are barred from taking more than 12 graduate credits in total before their undergraduate degree is conferred. Please contact the Korbel admission team for more information on JumpStart aid and graduate tuition.
There is no appeal process for Korbel merit aid or scholarship.
The U.S. Government extends federal student aid to U.S. Permanent Residents and those that have official political refugee status.
For information about loan opportunities, please contact the University of Denver Office of Financial Aid.Â
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