Financial Support & Funding

Full Support for All Graduate Students

Our PhD students receive five academic years of full support. This assumes satisfactory performance and degree progress. Full support involves a 50% appointment as a graduate instructor or teaching assistant for a normal academic year. The current base salary is about $20,007. Tuition benefits are included as a part of the appointment, as is subsidized health care. However, students are required to pay the relevant fees required of all graduate and professional students and to pay for their own incidentals (room and board, transportation, health care premiums, etc.).

Summer funding, typically provided through fellowship, instructorship, or research assistantship, is guaranteed for one summer to each doctoral student during their time in their department. In recent years, we have been able to offer more than one summer of funding thanks to our endowment funds and block grant. 

Commitment to diversity and inclusion: We value a diverse academic environment. In keeping with our commitment to recruiting the brightest graduate students of all backgrounds and experiences, we offer financial resources and funding opportunities specifically for students of underrepresented groups.

Teaching (Graduate Instructor)

Most students teach one class per semester to fulfill their 50% appointment. The first class taught for all entering students is most often public speaking. Students then typically gain the opportunity to teach other courses in the curriculum. 

Teaching Assistantships

There are opportunities to have an additional teaching assistantship on top of the 50% appointment. A teaching assistantship appointment requires the graduate student to help an instructor in two classes, normally, a large lecture and/or writing-intensive class. 

Research Assistantships

Whether any research assistantships are available varies from year to year, depending on grant money secured by individual faculty.

Conference Travel Awards

All PhD students within their regular program window and/or employed by the department in a graduate assistantship will receive a Professional Development & Travel Fellowship award. This award currently totals $1,000 per academic year. 

Potential Fellowships

Each year, several students receive additional support, including from the University-wide fellowships listed by the Graduate School.

Other Sources of Financial Aid

Because we provide full funding, students do not typically require additional financial aid support; however, graduate students are eligible for loan assistance. All inquiries should be directed to OneStop.