NYU Wagner Graduate Fellowship
NYU Wagner's Graduate Fellowships are merit-based tuition awards for incoming Master's students across the school's flagship programmes: MPA in Public & Nonprofit Management and Policy, MPA in Health Policy & Management, MUP (Master of Urban Planning), and MS in Public Policy. Awards range from partial scholarships (USD 10,000-20,000/year) to full-tuition fellowships for the most outstanding admits. Sri Lankan applicants with public-sector, NGO, or development backgrounds (UN, Asian Development Bank, World Bank country offices, Sri Lankan ministries) are competitive — Wagner explicitly prioritises demonstrated public-service commitment.
NYU Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
University-funded
emoji_events Award Overview
Value
USD 10,000 to Full Tuition
Duration
2 Years (renewable)
Application
Automatic with Admissions
fact_check Eligibility Criteria
Admission to an Eligible Wagner Master's
Hold an offer of admission to NYU Wagner's MPA (Public & Nonprofit or Health Policy), MUP, or MS in Public Policy. Executive MPA and certificate programmes are not eligible for the standard Graduate Fellowship.
Public-Service Track Record
Wagner prioritises applicants with concrete public-service experience — government, multilateral organisations (UN, ADB, World Bank), NGOs, advocacy, or social-impact roles. Two years of professional experience is the typical norm.
Strong Academic Record + Essays
A strong undergraduate degree (typically 3.3+ GPA or first-class honours) plus two well-crafted essays — a Statement of Purpose explaining policy interests, and a Statement of Professional Aspirations on public-service goals.
English Proficiency
TOEFL iBT 100+ or IELTS 7.0+ for international applicants. Waivers are available for graduates of universities where instruction is in English — most Sri Lankan applicants from Colombo / Peradeniya can request a waiver with supporting documentation.
account_tree Application Process
Submit the Wagner application
Apply through NYU Wagner's online application by the priority deadline (early January for Fall start with maximum fellowship consideration). Late applications are reviewed for admission but face limited remaining fellowship pool.
Automatic fellowship review
Every admitted applicant is automatically considered for the Graduate Fellowship. No separate scholarship form is required — admissions and fellowship review run together.
Admission + fellowship offer in March
Admissions decisions are released in mid-March; the fellowship offer (where awarded) is included in the admission letter. Awards range from USD 10,000/year to full-tuition fellowships for the strongest admits.
Decision deadline 15 April
Successful applicants must accept the offer and confirm enrolment by 15 April. The fellowship is applied directly to your tuition account in fall and spring semesters.
Why NYU Wagner?
Wagner is consistently a top-10 US public policy school (U.S. News). Its Greenwich Village location plugs students directly into UN headquarters, major NGOs, and the policy ecosystem of New York. Sri Lankan Wagner alumni typically work in the UN system, World Bank, or return to senior roles at Sri Lankan ministries and think tanks.
Top 10
US Policy Schools (US News)
2 yrs
Full-Time MPA
Auto
Fellowship Consideration
Similar Scholarships
Other curated opportunities for Sri Lankan students.
CMU Tepper Fellowship
Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business
Columbia World Project Fellowship
Columbia University
Knight-Hennessy Scholars
Stanford University