The School of Statistics guarantees five years of fully-funded financial support for all students who are admitted to the PhD program. Financial support is contingent upon satisfactory progress toward a degree in statistics, as judged by the graduate faculty of the School of Statistics. MS students are not guaranteed any financial support.

Teaching Assistantships

Teaching assistants (TAs) are employees of the university who receive pay (stipend) and benefits (tuition and subsidized health insurance). A half-time teaching assistantship provides a full tuition benefit, subsidized health insurance (for the academic year and the following summer), as well as a stipend. A half-time assistantship obligates you to, at most, 20 hours of duties per week.

Teaching assistants have various duties including paper grading, supervising recitation or lab sections for elementary courses, and teaching elementary courses. Please follow this link for more information reguarding statistics teaching assistantships.

Research Assistantships

Research assistantships (RAs) carry the same stipend and benefits as a TA and are funded by granting agencies such as the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and the University of Minnesota Extension Service. Research assistants are expected to conduct and assist in the research or consulting associated with the funding project. Most research assistantships are awarded to advanced students.

Fellowships

Fellowships provide a stipend and benefits without the requirement of specific duties. There are 3 types of fellowships, all of which are highly competitive.

• The Graduate School has a limited number of endowed fellowships for narrow classes of recipients, as well as some special purpose fellowships, such as those for disadvantaged students.
• The Alumni Fellowship carries the same stipend as a half-time TA and is funded by donations from school of statistics alumni. The Alumni Fellowship is given each year to an outstanding second- or third-year student.
• Dissertation fellowships are funded by the Graduate School for PhD students in their last year of study. This is a very competitive fellowship.
• There are several fellowships funded by national agencies or professional societies. PhD students who meet the eligibility criteria are expected to apply to these fellowships. Faculty support is provided to aid in the preparation of these applications.

None of the assistantships or fellowships cover the various fees charged by the University of Minnesota.

Additional Support

There are two additional types of support available to PhD students. The First-Year Scholarship is a one-time stipend that may be awarded to incoming PhD students. The Summer Research Fellowship is a stipend that we award to support student research in the summers after their first three years in the PhD program. More advanced students often work as RAs, TAs, or at internships over the summer.

Lindgren Award

The Bernard W. Lindgren Award was set up by his daughters and friends to honor his memory and in recognition of his commitment both to teaching and to development of graduate students. This annual award will recognize a graduate student who has demonstrated excellence in teaching undergraduate students.

Course Load

Statistics graduate students who receive financial aid from the school are required to carry a course load of nine credits each semester at the 5xxx- or 8xxx-level (unless the requirement is waived by the director of graduate studies) until the course requirements for the student's degree program are fulfilled.

Policies and Guidelines

Graduate assistantships are contingent upon satisfactory job performance, current registration as a graduate student, and satisfactory progress in your degree program. You are responsible for knowing the policies and guidelines applicable to your appointment as a graduate assistant. Terms and conditions for appointments are described in detail on the graduate assistant employment website, or contact Graduate Student Employment at 612-624-7070.