OAKLAND, Calif.
Growing up in Puerto Rico, Roberto Delgado knew that he wanted to attend graduate school. His father, a philosophy professor, encouraged, but didn’t pressure his son to go into academia. After moving to California, Delgado worked odd jobs to put himself through college. He is encouraged to hear that his goal is not only attainable, but also affordable.
The 22-year-old communications major will graduate with a bachelor’s from San Jose State University this spring. He says he is looking forward to continuing his education at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication. But he says what really excites him is the amount of money available for minority students at the graduate level.
“USC has full funding,” Delgado says. “Most of the schools I am applying to have full funding. My parents can’t afford to send me there otherwise.”
Finding a way to finance graduate school is a major concern for minorities, many of whom struggle to pay for college. But funding is out there, according to Ayodele Thomas, assistant dean for multicultural affairs at Stanford University.
“Funding is critical,” she says. “Most minority students can attend graduate school free of charge.”
Thomas, who presented a workshop titled “Financing Your Graduate Education” at the 2006 Northern California Forum for Diversity in Graduate Education on Saturday, says there is more funding available at the doctoral level than the master’s level. She says university funding comes with expectations that the student must publish or teach at the institution. For more flexibility, she recommends finding external funding sources such as ethnicity-based organizations.
