Financial Aid

Pursuing a graduate education involves a significant financial investment in your academic, personal, and professional goals. Applicants considering SSP should familiarize themselves both with the cost of the program and with the avenues available to help cover these costs. SSP offers a number of funding opportunities but encourages all applicants to seek additional sources of funding beyond indicating a desire to be considered for SSP merit aid.

Tuition and Fees

The cost of SSP is comparable to that of other graduate programs in Washington, D.C. The cost breakdown below is based on 2023-24 Tuition Rates, which are subject to change in future academic years.

Total Cost of Degree: $91,800
Tuition Cost Per Credit: $2,550
Student Fees: $50

Health insurance is mandatory for all full-time students, though students may be eligible to waive the health insurance fee if they already have health coverage. For more information on waiving the health insurance fee, please contact Student Health Services.

Graduate students at Georgetown pay tuition per credit hour; SSP is a 36-credit program. Students may enroll part-time (6 credits/semester) or full-time (9 credits per semester). Tuition per semester is as follows:

Full-time (9 credits): $22,950
Part-time (6 credits): $15,300

Additional details, including general information on billing policies and procedures, are available on the Office of Billing and Payment Services website.

SSP Financial Aid

Merit Aid

SSP awards a limited number of merit aid tuition scholarships to admitted students with exceptionally strong academic and professional qualifications. Awards are made to both U.S. citizens and international students enrolling in both the fall and spring terms. Most awards range from 12.5 to 50 percent of tuition. Please note that SSP merit aid does not include stipends or funds to cover travel or living expenses, books, or health insurance.

Historically, about 30 percent of the incoming class has received merit aid scholarships. To apply for SSP merit aid, simply check the appropriate box on the Graduate School application form. No other materials are required.

Other Programs

Georgetown and SSP are able to offer funding to certain students in association with several outside programs.

CyberCorps™ Scholarship for Service Program

Georgetown University has a grant from the National Science Foundation through the CyberCorps™ Scholarship for Service Program to provide scholarships to students to earn degrees critical for cybersecurity in exchange for service in the form of employment in a governmental cybersecurity position. Applications for this scholarship are handled separately from admissions to SSP. See the Georgetown CyberCorps™ website for more details about program requirements, obligations, and application.

US State Fellowship Programs

The Security Studies Program has an ongoing partnership with the Charles B. Rangel Program, the Thomas R. Pickering Program, Donald M. Payne International Development Fellowship Program, and The Clarke DS Fellowship.

Additional Funding

SSP also offers a limited amount of funding for students once they have already entered the program. Current students can learn more about these options here.

  • Language Study Scholarships: The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) provides Language Scholarships for classes below the 350 level, allowing all SSP students to study a language if they so desire.
  • SSP Merit Awards: SSP awards up to five merit scholarships for the students with the highest cumulative GPAs. These awards are highly competitive and provide up to a 50% scholarship for the following semester.
  • Summer Grants and Internship Stipends: SSP offers funding to current students to assist with international research, language immersion, and domestic or international internships. These grants are competitive and award amounts vary depending on the research proposal.
  • Employment opportunities: A limited number of research assistant (RA), teaching assistant (TA), and fellowship positions are available to SSP students, including international students. These opportunities pay a competitive wage, and students may work a maximum of 20 hours per week. Openings are provided to students as they become available and allow students the opportunity to engage more deeply with the program and the university.

Outside Funding

Regardless of your intention to apply for SSP funding, we strongly encourage you to consider outside sources of funding. Applicants with financial need are encouraged to make timely applications for external financial support, even if they have not yet been notified about SSP financial aid decisions. Deadlines for many independently sponsored fellowships are often as early as October or November of the year before a student intends to matriculate. Learn more about outside financial aid here.