O'Neill Online combines the top-tier education, affordability, and flexibility you need to advance your career. As part of the O'Neill School at Indiana University, our online programs offer the same prestigious diploma as our on-campus students. These programs are designed to develop competencies for public work— whether that be in the public, nonprofit, or private sector— while offering ultimate flexibility for you to complete you degree from wherever you are in the world, at your own pace. Explore financial assistance options below, and feel free to contact us to create a personalized plan that works for you. We want to make our program possible for you!
Prior experience and financial aid options
Prior experience tuition savings
Online MPA and Online MES students can receive credit for prior professional experience or service in the military, Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, or Teach for America. Credit reductions can range from 3-9 credits for Online MPA students and 3-6 credits for Online MES students. This can equate to several thousand dollars in cost savings!
Request a prior professional experience estimate
Forward your resume to oneillgd@iu.edu
Online MPA
Prior Professional Experience credit reductions will not exceed 9 hours. Suggested application guidelines based on years of professional experience (which should include only experience gained after graduating from undergrad and before beginning your master’s program):
- Waiver of experiential requirement: work experience should roughly equal or surpass that of a summer internship.
- 3‐credit hour reduction: 2‐4 years of full-time technical, administrative, or policy‐level work experience with a government, nonprofit, or private agency.
- 6‐credit hour reduction: 4‐6 years of relevant full‐time managerial and/or policymaking experience in any sector, such as program leadership, budgetary oversight, organizational or staff development, fundraising, analysis, planning, or human resources supervision.
- 9‐credit hour reduction: over 6 years of relevant full‐time managerial and/or policymaking experience. At this point, at least one higher‐level, multi‐year assignment is expected, including responsibility for supervision of staff, budget preparation, or organizational control of public or nonprofit agencies.
Approval for a credit reduction does not guarantee that the full credit reduction can be used. You should carefully plan the balance of your program with an advisor in order to utilize the full benefit you qualify for.
Students qualify for a reduction of 3 credit hours per year of service up to a maximum of 6 credits. Your service also satisfies the experiential component if that is required for your degree.
At O’Neill, we value the unique skills and experiences that our military students and student veterans bring to the classroom. As a benefit for your service, O’Neill will waive the experiential component of your degree and award a credit reduction based on years of service attained prior to the start of the Online MPA:
- 3-credit hour reduction:
- 1 year active duty or full-time guard/reserve
- 2 years part-time guard/reserve
- 6-credit hour reduction:
- 2 years active duty or full-time guard/reserve
- 4 years part-time guard/reserve
- 9-credit hour reduction:
- 4 years active duty or full-time guard/reserve
- 8 years part-time guard/reserve
Online MES
Suggested application guidelines based on years of professional experience (which should include only experience gained after graduating from undergrad and before beginning your master’s program):
- 3-credit-hour reduction: 2-4 years of technical, administrative, scientific, or policy-level work experience with a government, nonprofit, or private agency.
- 6 credit-hour reduction: 4-6 years of relevant full-time analytic, technical, managerial, scientific, and/or science-based policymaking experience in environmental science, environmental management, or science-based, environmental policy, with significant responsibilities, for example, in research design, program leadership, budgetary oversight, organizational or staff development, analysis, or planning.
Students qualify for a reduction of 3 credit hours per year of service up to a maximum of 6 credits.
At O’Neill, we value the unique skills and experiences that our military students and student veterans bring to the classroom. As a benefit for your service, O’Neill will award a credit reduction based on years of service attained prior to the start of the Online MES:
- 3-credit hour reduction:
- 1 year active duty or full-time guard/reserve
- 2 years part-time guard/reserve
- 6-credit hour reduction:
- 2 years active duty or full-time guard/reserve
- 4 years part-time guard/reserve
O’Neill Online Fellowships
O’Neill offers generous fellowships through a competitive award process each admission cycle to newly admitted students. Fellowship awards recognize the significant academic achievement, professional experiences, and need of newly admitted students.
All applicants who apply by the application deadline will automatically be considered for O'Neill Online Fellowships. Academic and professional achievements, recommendation letters, personal statement responses, and applicant need are among the factors considered when selecting fellowship recipients. Decisions are made based on how your overall credentials compare to those of other applicants in that current term.
Other financial aid options
IU offers a variety of financial aid options for graduate students. More information is available from:
U.S. students in the MPA program who are interested in federal need-based aid should fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) online or on paper. Send in your form as soon after January 1 as possible. If you meet the requirements, you will be notified of your aid in late May or early June. Students in the certificate program aren’t eligible for federal aid.
- IU Bloomington’s school code (needed for the FAFSA): 001809
If you are an international student, you are ineligible for federal student loans but still have opportunities to receive financial assistance. Such sources of support may include aid from your home country, U.S. federal aid (other than federal student loans), nongovernmental sources, and departmental aid.