Discover the Best Online MEd Programs with Financial Aid

Arizona State University

ASU’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College offers several fully online, CAEP-accredited MEd programs — including curriculum and instruction, educational leadership, and applied behavior analysis. Tuition for online graduate students runs approximately $700–$800 per credit hour, with most MEd programs requiring 30–36 credits.

• ASU awards merit-based scholarships to admitted graduate students, and the university’s scholarship portal consolidates both internal and external award opportunities into one searchable database.
• Graduate teaching and research assistantships are available through the Teachers College, offering tuition waivers and stipends to eligible students, though availability for fully online students varies by department.
• For military-connected students, ASU participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program and maintains a dedicated Pat Tillman Veterans Center with staff trained to help navigate GI Bill and military tuition benefits.

Types of Aid Offered/Accepted:

• Merit-based scholarships
• Graduate assistantships
• Military benefits
• Federal financial aid

Harvard Graduate School of Education

Harvard’s online Ed.M. program is a two-year, part-time degree designed for working educators. It carries a total tuition of approximately $62,000, which puts it well above most online MEd programs. But HGSE’s financial aid infrastructure is more robust than what you’ll find at many lower-cost programs.

• Online Ed.M. students are eligible for HGSE need-based grants of up to $12,500 per year (a maximum of $25,000 over two years). Eligibility is determined through a financial aid application submitted alongside admissions materials.
• HGSE also awards merit-based fellowships and named scholarships—including Leadership in Education Fellowships worth close to half of tuition—with preference given to candidates who demonstrate strong leadership potential and financial need.
• A $40 million endowed gift in 2022 specifically funds scholarships for students in the Teaching and Teacher Leadership program, supporting 40 candidates per year in perpetuity.

Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans and Grad PLUS Loans are available through FAFSA. HGSE graduates working in public schools, government, or qualifying nonprofits may also be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness after 10 years of qualifying payments.

Types of Aid Offered/Accepted:

• Need-based grants
• Merit-based fellowships and named scholarships
• Federal financial aid

Western Governors University

WGU’s approach to affordability is fundamentally different from ASU’s or Harvard’s: rather than offsetting a high tuition with institutional scholarships, the CAEP-accredited Teachers College charges a flat rate of approximately $4,125 per six-month term. 

• In a self-paced, competency-based model, students who move quickly through material they’ve already mastered can finish the entire degree for roughly $8,000–$12,000 total. This is less than what many programs charge for a single semester.

WGU does offer a limited number of institutional scholarships, and the university maintains a searchable scholarship directory that aggregates both WGU-funded awards and external opportunities. Federal financial aid is available through FAFSA, and the low per-term tuition makes WGU especially compatible with the IRS Section 127 employer education benefit that allows school districts to offer tuition reimbursement of up to $5,250 per year.

Types of Aid Offered/Accepted:

• Limited institutional scholarships
• Federal financial aid
• District/employer tuition reimbursement

Institutional Merit Scholarships

Merit scholarships are awarded by the school of education based on your academic record, professional experience, or both. At most programs, you’re considered automatically when you apply, with no separate scholarship application required. 

Award amounts range from a few hundred dollars to significant tuition coverage, though full-tuition merit scholarships are less common in education than in other master’s programs. 

• ASU’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, for example, awards merit-based scholarships to qualified admitted students through its centralized scholarship portal.

Need-Based Grants

Awarded based on financial need rather than academic profile, need-based grants are less common at the graduate level. But MEd programs do offer them, particularly private institutions with larger endowments. 

• Harvard’s HGSE, for instance, provides need-based grants of up to $12,500 per year for online Ed.M. students.

Eligibility is typically determined through FAFSA or a school-specific financial aid application.

TEACH Grants

This is a federal program that’s unique to education students. The TEACH Grantprovides up to $4,000 per year for students who commit to teaching in a high-need subject area at a low-income school for at least four years after graduation. 

• The catch: if you don’t fulfill the service obligation, the entire amount converts to a federal loan with retroactive interest.

Participating programs must be approved by the U.S. Department of Education, so confirm eligibility with your school before relying on this.

Graduate Assistantships

Graduate assistantships are part-time positions (typically 10–20 hours per week) working for the school in exchange for a tuition waiver, hourly pay, or a stipend. In education, assistantships often involve: 

• Supporting faculty research
• Assisting with undergraduate courses
• Working in a campus writing center or tutoring lab

Availability for online-only students is limited at most schools, though some programs offer virtual research or administrative assistantship positions. If you live near campus, your options expand significantly.

District Tuition Reimbursement

Many school districts offer tuition reimbursement for teachers pursuing a master’s degree. Amounts vary widely: 

• Some districts reimburse a flat annual cap (often $2,000–$5,250)
• Others cover a per-credit amount or pay full tuition for degrees in shortage areas

Reimbursement typically requires pre-approval and may come with a service commitment of 2-3 years after graduation. At programs like WGU, where tuition runs approximately $4,125 per six-month term, district reimbursement alone can cover most of the cost.

External Scholarships for Educators

A number of national organizations offer scholarships specifically for teachers pursuing graduate degrees. Unlike institutional aid, these require separate applications with their own deadlines.

• The PDK International Prospective Educator Scholarships support graduate students committed to careers in education
• State-level education associations (NEA affiliates, for example) often offer small scholarships for members pursuing advanced degrees
• The AERA Minority Dissertation Fellowship supports doctoral candidates, but several AERA divisions also offer master’s-level research grants

Build a funding calendar early and apply to a range of opportunities. Even smaller awards of $500–$2,000 add up when you’re stacking multiple sources.

Federal Loan Forgiveness Programs

This isn’t financial aid in the traditional sense, but it’s one of the most powerful tools available to educators. 

• Teachers who work in qualifying public schools or nonprofits may be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) after 120 qualifying payments (roughly 10 years).
• There is also a separate Teacher Loan Forgiveness program that forgives up to $17,500 in federal student loans for teachers who work in low-income schools for five consecutive years.

Both programs can significantly reduce the long-term cost of borrowing for an MEd, but they require careful documentation and planning from the start — not after you’ve already finished repaying.

Federal Student Loans

Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans and Grad PLUS Loans are available to graduate students at FAFSA-eligible institutions. These are loans that must be repaid with interest. 

Use them to fill gaps after exhausting the options above, and borrow only what you need. 

For more on funding your graduate education, see our financial aid resources.