Funding Graduate Studies

Most doctoral students receive financial support for the length of their doctoral program, including tuition and living expenses, while financial support for master’s students is often limited. Funding packages vary by department, depending on teaching and research requirements. Some resources and information are provided below.

1. FELLOWSHIPS

• Usually cover tuition and provide a stipend for your living expenses
• External fellowships can be used at most accredited programs
• Start looking early at opportunities such as the McNair Scholars Program and at websites that collect external fellowship opportunities such as these sites from Stanford, UCLA, and Columbia.
• Many are restricted to U.S. citizens/permanent residents
• Federal agencies, private foundations, corporations, and professional organizations offer awards for graduate study.
• Internal, university-sponsored fellowships, based on faculty/department nominations

2. RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIPS (RA)

• Usually provide a salary and cover tuition
• Perform research as directed by faculty
• Your work might not be directly related to your own thesis research

3. TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIPS (TA)

• Usually provide a salary and cover tuition
• Might include grading papers, teaching (lectures or TA sections), holding office hours
• Required by some departments for degree
• English proficiency may be required, or you might need to obtain additional language training