Financial Support
Unlock the key to your graduate education success with our comprehensive financial support options.
Application Fee Waiver
Application fee waivers are considered on a case-by-case basis for students with financial hardship when funds are available. If you would like to request a fee waiver, please send a short statement of need along with the concentration that you are applying for and an unofficial transcript to fos@vcu.edu.
Assistantships
All incoming graduate students are automatically considered for teaching assistantships in the Department of Forensic Science and/or the Department of Biology, which provides a stipend in exchange for assisting in laboratory preparation and assistance.
Employment
The department discourages more than 20 hours of employment per week due to the demands of the program, and provides assistance to incoming students in obtaining part-time scientific positions.
Of the past two incoming classes, 83% of graduate forensic science students have been employed part-time in an local scientific laboratory, or paid hourly/contract through teaching or research assistantships. These positions are often available in Department of Forensic Science faculty research laboratories. Forensic science students also regularly teach as adjunct faculty for undergraduate laboratory courses in biology and chemistry.
Scholarships
The scholarships listed below are offered to graduate students through the forensic science department. The majority of them are supported by, or endowed in honor of, former members of our faculty, in a tangible representation of their deep commitment to VCU and to forensic science as discipline.
The Graduate Student Professional Development Scholarship in Forensic Science will be awarded to an outstanding second year graduate student in the Department of Forensic Science in the College of Humanities and Sciences. The scholarship will fund expenses associated with attendance, including meals, travel and lodging as funds permit. The student must be eligible for student affiliate membership in the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and have an abstract accepted for presentation (oral or poster) at the AAFS meeting. Professional development opportunities other than the AAFS conference may be considered by the committee. The student must have a record of exceptional performance in research that has the potential to impact the field of forensic science.
Dr. Paul Benjamin Ferrara (1942-2011) served as the director of the Virginia Department of Forensic Science and dedicated 33 years to improving public safety, most notably by pioneering the use of DNA technology. In 1989, under his leadership, the Commonwealth of Virginia became the first state laboratory capable of performing DNA fingerprinting. In addition to his directorship of the Department of Forensic Science, Dr. Ferrara was a professor at VCU. Through his passion for teaching and research, as well as his commitment to developing a nationally-recognized Forensic Science Program at VCU, the program officially became a department in 2001. Established by his family and friends, this scholarship will be awarded on an annual basis to an outstanding second-year graduate student in the Department of Forensic Science in the College of Humanities and Sciences who has demonstrated forensic science research or service contributions which have impacted the field, a specific forensic science laboratory, or forensic science professionals.
Apply for the Dr. Paul B. Ferrara Scholarship in Forensic Science
The scholarship was established in memory of Ms. Emily Murphy, who lost her life in an automobile accident on Nov. 2, 2002. Ms. Murphy, a smart, dedicated student and an inspiration to faculty and students alike, had just begun her graduate studies in the forensic science program. The scholarship is awarded to a meritorious first-year graduate student in the Department of Forensic Science in the College of Humanities and Sciences, who shows evidence of substantive service to the community.
Apply for the Emily R. Murphy Scholarship in Forensic Science
The Dr. Teri Stockham Scholarship in Forensic Toxicology provides financial support to a graduate student pursuing a Master of Science in Forensic Science with a concentration in forensic chemistry/drugs and toxicology in the Department of Forensic Science. To qualify, students must have a GPA of 3.25 or higher. The scholarship is awarded to a student in their first year, and is renewable for the second year if they remain in the program in good standing.
Apply for the Dr. Teri Stockham Scholarship in Forensic Toxicology
Read Teri Stockham: Godmother to the CSI generation by VCU News
Other Scholarship Resources
From university-specific scholarships to national awards and grants, there are many options available for students to explore and apply for. We encourage all students to take advantage of these resources and apply for any scholarships for which they may be eligible.
- VCU Humanities and Sciences Scholarships: Deadline in March
- VCU Business Services Scholarships: Deadline in February
- VCU Student Financial Services: Scholarships
- American Academy of Forensic Sciences/Forensic Science Foundation Award, Grant and Scholarship Opportunities
- Association of Firearm and Toolmark Examiners Scholarship Program: Deadline in April
- American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors Scholarship Program: Deadline in April
- International Association for Identification Scholarships: Deadline in June
- International Association for Identification Johnson-Whyte Memorial Foundation Fund
- Mid-Atlantic Association of Forensic Scientists Student Scholarships: Deadline in March