Master Up NY

You are eligible to apply for the Master Up NY scholarship if you are admitted to a qualifying on-campus master’s degree at RIT and you are a:

• A resident of New York with a bachelor’s degree, or
• Anyone who graduates from a college or university in New York state. (Please note: If you graduate from a college or university in New York state you do not need to be a resident of New York state.)

RIT’s Master Up NY scholarship is available for students who begin their master’s degrees by August 2025.

Accelerated Scholars in a Combined Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program do not qualify for the RIT Master Plan scholarship as they are already receiving the Combined Accelerated Scholarship toward their graduate tuition rate. This award and the RIT Master Plan award cannot be stacked.

The Master UP NY scholarship does not apply to RIT online degree programs, with the exception of the MS in computer science online program. The majority of our online degree programs are offered at an already reduced tuition rate. For more information, check out our online graduate programs and/or contact the Graduate Admissions Office at 585-475-2229 or gradinfo@rit.edu.

Complete and submit the online RIT Graduate Application.

For most Master Up NY applicants, GRE and GMAT scores will be waived. Contact Graduate Admissions for more information.

Requirements vary by program, and admission decisions are made by the faculty committee in the academic departments. In general, faculty are looking for a cumulative 3.0 or higher GPA, with a strong background in related course work. In the programs that require a portfolio, the work submitted in the portfolio plays a significant role in the decision process.

Students with a GPA below 3.0 may apply and will be considered. The admissions committee will review your application and may request additional supporting documents in order to make an admission decision. Contact Graduate Admissions for more information.

Required prerequisite courses are outlined under the Admission Requirements section on each graduate program page. Students who do not meet all prerequisites may be considered for admission on a contingent basis upon completing additional bridge courses. Contact Graduate Admissions for more information.

You should receive an admission decision within three weeks of completing your application. You will receive an email directing you to the application portal to view the admission decision. Your graduate admissions counselor will communicate with you directly if there are unforeseen delays in the admission review process.

Yes, with the approval of the academic department for the deferral.

Yes, you may enroll as a full- or part-time student.

Eligible individuals who apply for the Master Up NY scholarship, and are admitted to a qualifying on-campus graduate program, will automatically be awarded a scholarship covering a minimum of 30% of their tuition. The scholarship will be pre-credited to your account, and will pay to the account shortly after the Add/Drop period of each semester, based on scholarship percentage of the number of credits you are registered for at that time.

Yes, as long as you are admitted to a qualifying graduate degree program and remain in good academic standing, you will continue to receive the scholarship. You must be enrolled in courses/credits that are applicable to your degree.

These requests will be considered on an individual basis.

Students awarded the Master UP NY scholarship will receive 30% off the standard RIT tuition rate. The scholarship will apply only to courses required to complete your graduate degree, and will continue for up to 36 months, provided you make satisfactory academic progress toward your degree.

Students who meet the program criteria and are admitted to qualifying master’s degree programs will receive the scholarship. The scholarship is not available for RIT online programs including Architecture Online, Ph.D. programs, accelerated dual degree programs (commonly referred to as BS/MS programs), advanced certificates, edX or RITx courses or MicroMasters, or executive education programs (Executive MBA, Online Executive MBA, Product Development MS, or Manufacturing Leadership MS).

Some ways that graduate students cover the remaining cost of tuition, as well as living expenses, are as follows:

• RIT Graduate Assistantships - RIT Graduate Assistantships are offered by academic departments to full-time, on-campus, matriculated graduate students to serve as teaching, research, or administrative assistants. Graduate Assistants receive wages (determined by the department making the appointment) in exchange for work performed. Positions that qualify to receive any tuition support in addition to wages CANNOT be combined with RIT’s Master Up NY scholarship. Students seeking more information about a possible appointment should contact their graduate department coordinator.
• Federal Loans
  • Federal Direct Unsubsidized Student Loan for Graduate Students is a federal loan program with an annual maximum amount of $20,500. To qualify for the unsubsidized loan, a student must file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.studentaid.gov. You must be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen in order to file the FAFSA. As a graduate student, you are not required to include your parents’ financial information on the FAFSA.
  • Federal Direct PLUS Loan for Graduate Students is a federal loan program provided to assist with remaining educational costs after the maximum federal Unsubsidized loans have been applied. Applicants must first file a FAFSA and must not have an adverse credit history. Otherwise, you must obtain a co-signer who does not have an adverse credit history.
  • Alternative Educational Loans – Alternative educational loans are private loans (non-federal) offered through banks to supplement financial aid awards.  You may borrow through any lender of your choice as RIT does not maintain a preferred lender list.  Please review our Alternative Educational Loans section for more details to assist you with the process of selecting a lender.

Please contact the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships with questions regarding financial aid. They can guide you through the process of filing a FAFSA as well as address your student loan questions.

RIT’s Master Up NY scholarship cannot be combined with any other RIT discounts, scholarships, or programs that provide tuition support. Students who receive the scholarship can apply for on-campus jobs through student employment, and earn hourly wages for work performed.

If you borrowed federal student loans as an undergraduate student, you can request an In-School Deferment through your federal loan servicer as long as you are enrolled at least half-time while attending graduate school. A deferment is a temporary postponement of payment of your federal student loans due to a qualifying reason such as enrollment in graduate school. Your servicer will need to verify that you are enrolled at least half-time through the National Student Clearinghouse. If you are unaware of how to contact your federal student loan servicer to request for a deferment, you can locate information about your servicer through the National Student Loan Data System by logging in to the Federal Student Aid website using your Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID.

The National Student Loan Data System will have the contact information for your federal student loan servicer.
If you borrowed alternative educational loans as an undergraduate student, you will need to contact the lender(s) directly to inquire if these loans can be deferred of payment while you pursue a graduate degree. Lenders may have policies that differ from the federal loan programs.

Once you provide the required financial documentation, your graduate admissions counselor will work with you to process your updated I-20 after admission. It’s a very easy process, and you do not need to leave the country or arrange a new visa appointment. Your Sevis ID will remain the same. Contact Graduate Admissions for more information.