What is the difference between a grant and a fellowship?
William Smith
Updated on April 03, 2026
The major difference between a fellowship and a grant is the reason behind why a student is being awarded the money he or she is receiving. A fellowship is typically given to a student who has completed his or her undergraduate work and is continuing his or her education.
What is a fellowship payment?
In academic settings, when people say “fellowship,” they are generally referring to a monetary award given to a scholar to pay for his or her academic pursuits. A fellowship is typically a merit-based scholarship for advanced study of an academic subject.
Is a fellowship a grant or an award?
The terms “scholarship” and “fellowship” are often used interchangeably to describe a grant or another type of funding for academic achievement. More often than scholarship awards, fellowship grants will include an internship or other service commitment, often for a period of one or more years.
What exactly is a fellowship?
Fellowships are an opportunity to “do something exceptional.” Fellowships often provide you the resources, support and professional networks to pursue goals that you might not otherwise be able to achieve in a typical job or internship.
Does a fellowship count as a grant?
Fellowships are a specific type of grant that allows you to receive funding while pursuing specific academic interests. While many fellowships are geared toward post-graduate study, there are also a significant number of undergraduate fellowships.
Do you have to pay back a fellowship?
Fellowships Defined Like a scholarship, a fellowship is also a type of grant that can be applied to educational costs such as tuition, books, fees, etc. It does not need to be paid back like a student loan. Unlike scholarships, fellowships are not usually need-based.
What is the purpose of fellowship?
Fellowship programs can be designed to support a range of activities including graduate study in a specific field, research to advance work on a particular issue, developing a new community-based organization or initiative, training and reflection to support the fellow’s growth, and opportunities to further explore a …
How does a fellowship work?
Fellowships refer to short-term professional or work opportunities at your school or college. They can last from a few months to several years, and may be offered to students by certain organizations to help them: Complete their graduate program. Conduct research about a particular topic.
Do fellowships count as financial aid?
A fellowship that is given to a student to assist with academic or living costs is considered financial aid.
Do fellowships pay for tuition?
Fellowships Offer a Path to Graduate Programs, Study Abroad. ] The fellowship includes a stipend, money toward tuition and fees, and an institutional allowance that can be used to help pay for expenses such as health insurance, research supplies, equipment, books and travel to scientific meetings.