The Department of Community & Behavioral Health (CBH) at The University of Iowa has limited funding available for students in its programs and work closely with students to explore financial needs and refer to appropriate resources. Funding is often dependent on faculty grants and teaching opportunities, which vary each year. Students with funding needs are encouraged to reach out to the department’s graduate student success administrator.

Funding for Doctoral Students

CBH strives to secure funding for incoming and current doctoral students through Graduate Research and Teaching Assistantships based on funding availability, research interest, experience, and student merit. More information on assistantship benefits can be found here. Doctoral students are encouraged to actively pursue all forms of funding available for graduate students at the University of Iowa, including graduate student loans, external scholarships, hourly campus positions, their own resources, or other employment options.

Funding for MPH Students

Incoming master’s students should also expect to pursue all forms of funding available for graduate students at the University of Iowa, including graduate student loans, external scholarships, hourly campus positions, their own resources, or other employment options.

Handshake and Jobs@UIOWA are the best sources for incoming students and current master’s students to find funding opportunities along with intermittent announcements from the department. However, students looking to obtain Graduate Research and Teaching Assistantships, specifically should prioritize cultivating strong relationships with the College of Public Health faculty, growing and expanding their network, and being active members of the department and collegiate community. Doing so will help students become more aware of the opportunities that might be available. There are a limited number of scholarship opportunities for current students in the Graduate College and in the College of Public Health (for MPH students) that may be available to students as well.

For master’s students, it’s important to know that a lot of the skills acquired in the first-year coursework of both the MPH program are often highly desirable for many Graduate Research and Teaching Assistantships. With this in mind, many students are more successful with obtaining assistantships in their second semester or second year of their graduate program. However, first-year students can find opportunities through Handshake or other resources. First-year master’s students should strongly consider and actively seek out hourly positions if they are unable to find assistantships. An hourly position can give students “a foot in the door” for an opportunity that may lead to an assistantship. Students should take advantage of the hourly and even unpaid research positions to grow their network and make themselves more visible.

For information about student loans, grants, scholarships, or part-time student employment, visit The Office of Student Financial Aid website—or contact the Director of Student Financial Aid, The University of Iowa, 208 Calvin Hall, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1315; telephone (319) 335-1450.

Funding for International Students

International students need to be aware that, upon admission to the program, they must provide verification of sufficient resources to sustain themselves for one academic year. The Office of International Students and Scholars manages the process for international student verification of funds. The following sources may have funding information specifically for international student admits:

• Fulbright Program
• General Scholarships:
  • InternationalScholarships.com
  • MIUSA
  • IIE – Funding for U.S. Study
  • UNIGO
  • College Board
• Public Health Scholarships (Association of Schools & Programs of Public Health)
  • ASPPH – Financing Your Degree

Additional Financial Aid Resources

• The Office of Financial Student Aid offers several kinds of aid to graduate students, including loans and employment.

• The Graduate College provides information on graduate assistantships, grants, fellowships, and student loans.

• The ASPPH has gathered useful information on financing your public health degree, including a list of scholarship search engines.

• College-wide scholarships
  • Advancing Graduate Student Success Award
  • Recruitment scholarships

Tuition and Fees

• Domestic Graduate Student Estimated Expenses
• International Graduate Student Estimated Expenses

CBH Professional Development Reimbursement Fund

In order to encourage our students’ professional development, each academic year, CBH graduate students are qualified for a reimbursement of professional development expenses up to $400 as an attendee or up to $500 as a presenter. For more information, contact the department’s graduate student success administrator.

Eligible expenses include:

• Professional conference registration fees
• Associated membership fees
• Travel and food expenses associated with professional conference attendance
• Approved webinars, training, and courses that extend course material 
• Copying or printing expenses related to presenting work at a professional conference or a competitive event like the CPH Research Week. Printing expenses must use University Printing Rules to be eligible for reimbursement.
• Business cards through the University Printing

Social Justice Sprince Zwerling Scholarship Fund

The Social Justice Sprince Zwerling Scholarship is given to a distinguished, well-deserving current graduate student in the Department of Community and Behavioral Health, who is pursuing an interest in addressing health disparities and alleviating social injustice. Announcements for applications will occur annually early spring.