phd student financial support

Financial Support

Ways to help finance your graduate education

The University provides a variety of opportunities to help graduate students pay for their education. In fact, the majority of doctoral students at Rochester receive significant financial support—often enough to fully cover tuition and living expenses.

Learn more about financial aid, funding, and award opportunities below.

Financial aid overview

Financial aid is typically awarded to graduate students by individual departments, schools, and colleges. This is done on the basis of academic promise. We encourage you to consult the website for your academic department of interest to better understand your options.

In addition, some financial aid options are included as part of the admissions process. Applications for a variety of applicable scholarships, assistantships, and traineeships are made available to you as you apply.

For more information, reference the Financial Aid and Bursar websites below.

Enrollment website

Financial aid details for AS&E, Simon, Warner, and School of Nursing students

Financial aid office (URMC)

Details specifically for School of Medicine and Dentistry, EIOH, and MD students

Financial aid at Eastman

Information for Eastman School of Music students

Office of the Bursar

Billing and payment information for all students

additional resources

PhD student financial support

The University of Rochester has introduced two new programs designed to help support our full-time PhD student community:

• Health insurance coverage
• Childcare grants

Explore our PhD Students page for additional details and other PhD student-specific resources.

Other financial support options

Outside of a financial aid package, there are other ways to help finance your education. The Types of Aid section of this website has a helpful overview. Get more specific details in the drop-downs below.

These pay full room, partial board, and a stipend in exchange for working with residence hall staff and students. Learn more .

Learn more on the Student Employment website .

For award information, please reach out to the graduate school that hosts the academic program you’re interested in. Websites for more information are listed below.

• Arts, Sciences & Engineering
• Graduate awards
• Grants and fellowship opportunities
• Full-time MBA
• MS programs
• PhD programs
• School of Medicine and Dentistry
• Warner School of Education
• School of Nursing
• Fellowship information

Industry, government, and the University fund several loan programs for graduate students. Qualified students may obtain federally guaranteed student loans.

Contact the financial aid office of your school to learn more. Websites are listed below.

• AS&E, Simon, Warner, and School of Nursing: Visit this page
• School of Medicine and Dentistry, EIOH, and MD: Visit this page
• Eastman School of Music: Visit this page

Search this database to explore these specific opportunities. If awarded any funds from an outside agency-please contact your department and school for assistance with billing and receiving funds from the outside agency.

Learn more on the following school-specific websites as well:

• Eastman School of Music

The WSAP program offer various graduate employment opportunities, including:

• Teaching positions
• Tutoring positions
• Mentor positions
• Summer positions

Employment opportunities vary throughout the year, so please check this page for the latest updates.

Understand your financial package

Visit our Graduate Student Appointments page to better understand job codes, job categories, and tax details.

Learn about graduate student appointments

Fellowships

A large number of fellowship programs help support hundreds of graduate students throughout the University. Applicants are encouraged to apply for fellowships from private foundations, from New York State, and from the federal government.

You can search this database for a variety of fellowship opportunities. Information on a few specific fellowship opportunities is below. These fellowships require students to be nominated by their school or department.

The Robert L. and Mary L. Sproull University fellowship is the most prestigious fellowship awarded by the University of Rochester.

Robert L. Sproull (1918-2014) was a distinguished physicist and the University’s seventh president. While in office, he oversaw significant growth of degree programs, faculty size, laboratories, hospital facilities, and other campus structures. The fellowship program named in his honor reflects his commitment to intellectual excellence.

The careers of Sproull Fellows testify to the program’s success. Many have careers at highly ranked universities and notable organizations, including Yale, Duke, Cornell, Microsoft, and the NASA Ames Research Center.

Each year there is a University-wide competition for the ten to twelve Sproull Fellowships awarded to incoming students who pursue a doctoral degree at the University of Rochester. All PhD programs may select nominees for the Sproull Fellowship from among those who have applied for admission. A committee of faculty members evaluates those nominated, and the final selection is made by the University Dean of Graduate Studies.

The Provost’s Fellowship is intended to bring to Rochester talented individuals who will broaden the diversity of those pursuing PhD degrees at the University. First awarded in 1990, it has provided stipend support to students in 30 different doctoral programs.

After earning their PhD degrees, Provost’s Fellows have pursued a wide variety of careers. Many now have positions in educational institutions (from universities and colleges to public and private K-12 schools). However, a substantial number are working in government and private research settings.

Each year there is a University-wide competition for Provost’s Fellowships. All PhD programs may nominate students from among those who have applied for admission. Nominees for the Fellowship must be U.S. Citizens or permanent residents. Specific criteria for determining diversity can vary by discipline, but might include an applicant’s gender, cultural background or other life experiences. A committee of faculty members evaluates those nominated and the final decisions are made by the University Dean of Graduate Studies

A competitive one-year dissertation fellowship for students from various fields of science whose work is primarily and clearly concerned with chemistry.

See past winners .

A one-year dissertation fellowship in the humanities, economics or business administration. It was established in memory of Raymond N. Ball, a Rochester alumnus who also served as Treasurer, Vice President and Chairman of the Board of Trustees.

A competitive one-year fellowship for students in in the pre-clinical departments of the school of Medicine and Dentistry or Biology, Chemistry, Optics or Physics in the school of Arts, Sciences & Engineering.

Candidates are full-time students who have passed their qualifying exams and are engaged in full-time research toward the dissertation.

A competitive one-year fellowship for students in in the biological or physical sciences.

Help support University fellowships

The University of Rochester’s schools and departments invest scarce operating funds to support our PhD students—funds that are already stretched thin by faculty and staff salaries. Because resources are constrained, programs must limit the number of PhD students they can accept.

Your help can make a significant difference, as our ability to attract the best and brightest students depends significantly on the financial packages we can provide them.

Make a gift

To learn more about giving to University of Rochester fellowships , contact:

Jack Kreckel Senior Associate Vice President University Advancement (585) 273-5904

You can also download our PhD fellowships brochure for more information.

Ready to donate? Make a gift now

PhD Student Funding Overview

At Yale, you can earn your doctorate at our expense. 

Our funding packages for Yale PhD students are among the most generous in the world. Every PhD student receives a fellowship for the full cost of tuition, a stipend for living expenses, and paid health coverage, though the details of your funding package will differ depending on your academic program. On average, doctoral students receive more than $500,000 in tuition fellowships, stipends, and health premium benefits over the course of their enrollment. Full PhD funding normally extends for a minimum of five years, unless your doctoral program is of shorter duration, e.g., Investigative Medicine, Law, Nursing, and Public Health. 

The main categories of funding available to PhD students are detailed below. Our Programs & Policies handbook contains additional information about funding and fellowship opportunities available at the Graduate School, along with applicable policies. 

If you have questions about your funding, you can ask your program registrar or DGS, Graduate Financial Aid, or Associate Dean Robert Harper-Mangels.

Types of Funding for PhD Students

University Fellowships (UFs) are provided through the Graduate School and do not require teaching in Yale's Teaching Fellow Program. UFs are often used during the initial year(s) of your doctoral program to cover your stipend and tuition, when you are engaged in coursework and identifying an adviser.

For official policies governing University Fellowships, including information on deferring a UF, please see our Programs & Policies Bulletin .

In subsequent years and in most programs, your stipend will be funded by a teaching fellowship or a research assistantship.

Teaching Fellowships (TFs) are contingent on teaching Yale's Teaching Fellow Program (TFP). While you are on a TF, a portion of your stipend is compensation for teaching. The rest of your stipend will come from other sources, depending on your department or program. See the Teaching Fellow Funding page for more information.

The teaching portion of your stipend is subject to federal tax withholding, so you will notice a difference in your paycheck in teaching versus non-teaching semesters.

In lieu of teaching in the Teaching Fellow Program, PhD students in the humanities and social sciences may choose to undertake one of the available Professional Development Opportunities . These positions allow you to gain professional experience at a library, museum, or other office on campus relevant to your studies. 

If you are in the natural sciences, your funding will likely come from training grants and faculty research grants at some point during your enrollment. In most programs, you may only join a research group that has active grant funding. Please consult with your DGS, if you have questions about this aspect of your funding package.

We strongly encourage you to compete for external fellowships. Winning an external award in a national competition, whether sponsored by a public or private agency, is a significant honor. External fellowships may be subject to our Combined Award policy. Please be sure to review our External Fellowships & Awards page to understand how external awards interact with university funding.

An external fellowship may also offer you added flexibility in your program. 

• If you are a student in the natural sciences, an external fellowship may allow you to pursue a project or idea that is otherwise not eligible for financial support through your adviser’s research funding. 
• If you are a student in the humanities or social sciences, an external fellowship might allow you to defer a University Fellowship (UF) to a subsequent term or year. 

You can search for external fellowships through the Yale Student Grants Database , other university search engines (e.g., UCLA ), and commercial sites .

You must notify the Graduate School of any external awards you receive. 

• Send a copy of your award letter to the Financial Aid Office at [email protected] .
• If your award is subject to the Combined Award policy, then you will receive a combined award letter via email when your award has been processed, outlining your updated funding package. 

For any questions and concerns regarding your combined award letter, please contact the Graduate School Financial Aid Office via email at [email protected]. Associate Dean Robert Harper-Mangels can also advise regarding our Combined Award policy.

Additional GSAS Financial Support

Phd stipends.

An overview of information relevant to the PhD stipend.

Health Award

The Graduate School provides Yale Health Basic Coverage at no cost to all students (Master's and PhD) who are enrolled at least half-time in degree-seeking programs. In addition, all PhD students registered at least half-time receive a Health Fellowship Award that covers the cost of Yale Health Hospitalization/Specialty Care Coverage.

Featured Resource

Family Support Subsidy for Parenting PhD Students

PhD students who are registered full-time in any year of study are eligible for the family support subsidy to assist with child-related expenses.

Dean's Emergency Fund

The Dean’s Emergency Fund enables terminal master’s and PhD students in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences to continue making academic progress despite unanticipated, extreme financial hardships that cannot be resolved through fellowships, loans, or personal resources. The maximum award for eligible requests is $2,000.

Conference Travel Fellowship (CTF)

https://gsa.yale.edu/ctf

By partnering with the MacMillan Center and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, graduate students with representatives in the Graduate Student Assembly are eligible for annual conference travel funding of up to $800.

PhD Student Travel Health Fellowship

If you are a PhD student traveling for dissertation research, the Graduate School provides a Travel Health Fellowship to cover the cost of required immunizations and prescription drugs at Yale Health.

Graduate Financial Aid Office

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•       Financial Aid       PhD Scholarships and Financial Aid

PAYING FOR YOUR PHD Expert Tips, Scholarships Opportunities and Resources for Financing an Advanced Degree

The average yearly tuition for a PhD program is slightly above $16,000, which means students will invest about $80,000 in tuition fees alone for a five-year program. Add in fees, cost-of-living, travel expenses and the figure can easily surpass six figures. Yet, it is possible to fund a PhD program without breaking the bank and going into debt.

Featured Online Schools

• PhD Cost Breakdown
• PhD Financial Aid Options
• Expert Spotlight: Lawrence Burns, PhD
• Earning Outlook for Phd Students
• Most Lucrative PhD Careers
• Expert Spotlight: Darren Pierre, PhD
• PhD: By The Numbers
• Additional Financial Aid Resources

PHD COST BREAKDOWN

The value of a college education should not be understated, but neither should its actual cost. Earning a doctoral degree can be an expensive proposition. According to the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics, the average tuition and fees for a graduate program of study was $16,435 in 2012-2013. The table below outlines the 2012-2013 graduate tuition and fees by academic institution.

• All Institutions $16,435
• Public $10,408
• Private Non-Profit $23,698
• Private For-Profit $14,418

Source: National Center for Education Statistics

A rough calculation of the number of years it takes to complete a doctoral program, multiplied by the average 2012-2013 tuition and fees from the NCES, reveals the following total cost figures by academic field of study.

A five- to six-figure education is something to take seriously as there are debt implications after leaving finishing a PhD program. Graduating doctoral students in 2013 left school with an average debt of just over $15,000, according to the National Science Foundation. By field, students in the Social Sciences, Education and Humanities graduate with the highest levels of student debt:

• Education: $26,566
• Social Sciences: $26,222
• Humanities: $21,485

Conversely, the science and technology fields graduate students with the lowest debt figures:

• Physical Sciences: $6,342
• Engineering: $7,031
• Life Sciences: $11,905
• Physical Sciences 78.2%
• Engineering 75.1%
• Life Sciences 67.2%
• Humanities 48.4%
• Social Sciences 46.5%
• Education 44.1%

Source: National Science Foundation, Survey of Earned Doctorates, 2013

While these figures may seem alarming, a deeper dive into survey data from the National Science Foundation actually paints a more positive picture. Overall, more than 62 percent of all doctoral recipients graduate from school without a single dollar of debt.

Prospective students can use the table below to get a better sense of the percentage of students who take on debt at incremental levels in each field of academic study. A majority of students graduate with $10,000 or less in debt after finishing their doctoral degree.

PhD Cost Factors

The total cost of earning a doctoral degree is variable because of the sheer number of different factors involved. Tuition is not the only cost to consider when thinking about applying to a PhD program.

Typically, students pay full tuition rates during their first three years of doctoral study and receive reduced tuition rates for the remainder of the program. However, the actual cost of tuition does vary and may be dependent on the student’s actual degree program.

Graduate students pay a range of fees, with the most common including:

• Health Services (access to health facilities on campus)
• Health Insurance (personal health insurance)
• Student Activity (subsidizes athletics and other clubs)
• Student Recreation (access to recreational facilities on campus)

Some programs estimate students should be prepared to pay between $3,000 and $4,500 per academic year in student fees and health insurance costs.

Students with a master’s degree or coursework in a similar graduate program may be able to transfer credits into their doctoral program. That can lower the total number of credits required to graduate, which can lower the total cost of the degree. However, some institutions do limit the amount of tuition credits that can be applied for graduate work done in a related field at other institutions.

Whether or not the student has an assistantship does not affect the cost of textbooks and other academic materials. Books are a revolving charge, one a student should plan upon each semester or quarter.

Housing, utilities and food are considered indirect expenses students incur during their education. PhD students should plan on anywhere from $12,000 to $25,000 and up for living expenses each year. Again, this figure is highly variable based on the location of the university and the cost-of-living in that area.

Owning a car means additional budgeting for insurance, car payments and gas. Additionally, students may need to travel for conferences and research. Without funding from a graduate student association or grant program, the student will have to cover these costs individually.

PhD students with children may have to account for childcare costs. Purchasing a new computer and other supplies may also be required. This type of budgeting will vary from individual to individual, program to program.

Most PhD programs allow students to progress at their own pace, requiring them to complete and defend their dissertation within a certain time period (e.g. six years). However, the time it takes to complete a dissertation depends on the student, area of study, research, etc. This can impact cost of attending a doctoral program.

Example Cost of Attendance

A student’s budget should include the total cost of attendance—that is both direct (tuition and fees) and indirect costs (e.g. housing). This budget is the starting point for determining the student’s financial need, how much financial aid they require, and if they can afford to attend a doctoral program. Below is a sample five-year total cost of attendance chart based on an in-state tuition program, with a budget that assumes fixed costs for fees and indirect costs, such as housing. It also does not take into account assistantships and tuition waivers for assistants.

Based on a figure that’s slightly below the 2012-2013 average graduate tuition cost, the total cost of attendance can still produce sticker shock. An average student in a program that charges $12,000 per year in tuition could have to pay between $30,000 and $45,000 year in total costs.

PhD FINANCIAL AID OPTIONS

Prospective PhD candidates have an abundance of financial aid options to help fund their graduate studies. Typically, students are fully funded by a combination of sources, including scholarships, fellowships, research assistantships, teaching assistantships, or student loans.

It is important for students to note that most sources of aid are awarded by individual academic programs, so they should follow-up with their department for up-to-date information.

Below is a high-level overview of the common types of graduate financial aid.

Prospective PhD candidates can turn to a variety of funding sources, including scholarships, grants, and fellowships to support their education financially. As discussed, most students use a combination of one or more of these funding sources to finance their degree program and research.

PhD students can apply for a variety of scholarships that award students with funds that can be used to help cover the cost of tuition, books and other fees.

Grants are similar to scholarships and are academic-based awards that can be used to augment other sources of financial aid.

Fellowships are a different type of funding that may encompass a scholarship or grant and can be used to fund research, study and teaching in the US and internationally. Many fellowships provide full tuition and a yearly stipend to students.

A PhD should never be an end in itself but rather a means to an end. The path to a PhD is an arduous one and should never be undertaken without serious thought to what it will bring the student. That said, there is money available for graduate study in most fields, and a student in the humanities should be very careful to apply to appropriate programs which fund their grad students.

• Engineering
• Physical Sciences

The SMART program is designed to support graduate students studying in STEM disciplines and offers a range of other benefits, including supplies and health insurance allowances and employment placement services with the DoD after graduation.

The National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship is a three-year graduate fellowship that is designed to support doctoral students across fifteen engineering disciplines.

This three-year fellowship program supports the research efforts of doctoral students in STEM-related fields of study and allows them to pursue their work at any accredited graduate program in the country.

Renewable award for graduate students enrolled in a full-time APA-accredited doctoral program of study in psychology. Underrepresented, minority students are encouraged to apply.

This fellowship is open to female scholars and is designed to help offset the doctoral student’s living expenses during her final year of working on a dissertation.

This fellowship is a single-year of funding that is designed to support the doctoral research of a student working in child psychology.

The Javits Fellowship is provided on a needs- and competitive-basis to graduate students pursing graduate degrees in the humanities, social sciences, and the arts.

Two fellowships are awarded to support doctoral students who plan to study at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens, Greece for a year.

The Richard M. Weaver Scholarship is open to graduate student members of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute and supports the academic work of scholars pursuing teaching careers at the college level.

The AICPA fellowship is designed for minority students pursuing or planning to pursue a doctorate in accounting.

Five scholarships are available to provide financial assistance to graduate students pursuing studies in accounting and plan on earning CPA licensure.

This fellowship provides financial support to female scholars conducting research and economic analysis into natural resource, food, or agricultural issues.

This renewable, four-year fellowship is designed to support a scholar’s work in the field of stewardship science: nuclear science, high density physics, and materials under extreme conditions and hydrodynamics.

This multi-year fellowship supports doctoral research in several fields, ranging from chemistry to geology, materials science to physics and connects fellows with NPSC employer partners.

The NWRI fellowship program is open to full-time doctoral students conducting water-based research in areas such as water quality, water treatment and technologies, water supplies and water resources.

Really think about your reasons for getting a PhD. Critically exam the support systems you have in place to get you through the journey: 50 percent of doctoral students suffer from depression. Utilize services like the counseling center on your college/university campuses to help you respond to the stressors that may occur with the transition.

ASSISTANTSHIPS, FELLOWSHIPS AND LOANS

Graduate assistantships.

Graduate assistantships are a form of academic appointment and are provided by individual departments. Competitive in nature, they are typically awarded on the basis of the student’s academic accomplishments and potential in the graduate program of study. Most programs provide appointments for one year at time and students receive a tuition credit or waiver and monthly stipend. There are three types of assistantships: Teaching Assistantships, Assistant Lecturers, and Research Assistants.

Teaching assistants perform a range of support duties for faculty members at a university, including grading papers and teaching classes.

Lecturers may serve as instructors in the academic department where they are studying.

Research assistants conduct and assist faculty members with research projects in the student’s area of interest.

Fellowships

Fellowships are short-term funding opportunities (typically 9- to 12 months) provided to students in the form of tuition credits and/or stipends. They support a student’s graduate study in their field of choice, may assist them in their research, or gain professional training in an area of interest. Fellowships are competitive and are available in two types: University-based and External.

Individual schools, colleges, and departments at a university (e.g. College of Science, Department of English) may have endowed fellowships. Students are either nominated for an award by their department or may be open to an application process.

External fellowships are funded by foundations, government agencies and other groups and provide opportunities to study both in the US and abroad. For example, the Department of Defense offers the National Defense Science & Engineering Graduate Fellowship to engineering students studying in one of sixteen engineering specialties.

Corporations

Many companies and businesses have created scholarship, fellowship, and tuition reimbursement programs for their employees. Depending on the company, there may be a possibility it supports the graduate school efforts of its employees. Speak to the Human Resources department to learn more about the potential funding avenues available.

Graduate students may borrow funds from the federal government under two loan programs: William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program and the Federal Perkins Loan Program.

Private financial institutions, including banks and credit unions, offer unsecured educational loans to graduate students. These loans must be repaid with interest. The interest rates, loan amount, and repayment terms are based on the credit worthiness of the borrower.

Federal work study provides students with demonstrated financial need part-time job opportunities that allow them to earn income while they are in graduate school. The program focuses on placing students in community service situations related to the student’s academic course of study. A majority of jobs are on-campus, but some schools may have some off-campus jobs with nonprofit agencies and other groups. It is important to note that some universities may not allow students to use their federal work study for tuition, but other related expenses (e.g. books, fees).

EXPERT SPOTLIGHT: Lawrence Burns, PhD

What should a future phd student consider when selecting a program of   study .

Speaking in the humanities, a student is best advised, I think, to select the faculty member with whom he or she wishes to study rather than simply a program. This faculty member becomes the student’s mentor, a relationship that lasts well beyond graduate school years. Because the mentor becomes the student’s primary reference, his or her standing in the field can and does have an impact on pre- and post-doctoral grants a student might win as well as on the student’s success on the academic job market.

It is a delicate balance though, because one must also look at programs that have standing in a particular field and at institutions that can afford to fund their PhD students throughout their graduate years.

Much is made about the saturation of PhD graduates and not enough   positions — both in academic and the private sector. Should that dissuade   a student from pursuing a PhD?

Yes, of course. Again, a PhD is not something that comes easily, and it should not be pursued without a reason for it. On the other hand, for students who are committed to their fields, and for whom that field is a career choice, the PhD is still the only way into the university job market. 

There is a catch-22 in the world of post-graduate education. Research universities need to turn out research, and researchers often depend on their grad students to assist them–in all fields–and departments on their PhD candidates to teach many undergraduate courses. PhD students are thus recruited regardless of the job market for the PhD holders.

The challenges in funding the PhD for me were less about how am I going to pay for this degree, but making the adjustment from being a full-time salaried employee to now, taking a significant pay cut to serve as a graduate assistant.

EARNING OUTLOOK FOR PHD STUDENTS

Potential career earnings should be a significant part of the discussion when considering whether or not to pursue a doctoral degree. Completing an advanced program of study could increase an individual’s earning potential with their current or future employers.

Research from the Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals a direct correlation between educational attainment and career success—both in employment opportunities and annual salaries. Doctoral degree holders are some of the highest paid professionals in the country. The table below outlines the difference in earnings by degree level in 2014.

source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Earnings and Unemployment by Educational Attainment

• Industry or Business $97,700
• Government $82,000
• Nonprofit Organizations $72,500
• Other $70,000
• Academia $60,000

Source: National Science Foundation, Survey of Earned Doctorates

In turn, prospective students should consider how their sacrifice of time and money will pay off when they embark in their careers. Some professional fields have a higher return on investment than others. A majority of PhD candidates endeavor to become tenured-track faculty members, but they should realize that academia is one of the lowest paying sectors for individuals with a doctoral degree.

A review of National Science Foundation survey information shows that the best paying professional areas for PhD graduates include Industry and Business—with an average salary of $97,700. At the bottom of the list? Academia.

MOST LUCRATIVE PHD CAREERS

So, which PhD degrees pay the best?

According to the NSF, business, economics, and engineering are consistently among the best earning academic fields regardless of industry. The following tables outline the highest paying academic fields by professional area of work after graduation.

• Business Management and Administration $110,000
• Economics $82,000
• Engineering $79,000
• Health Sciences $70,000
• Education $60,000
• Business Management and Administration $135,000
• Economics $115,000
• Mathematics and Computer Information Sciences $115,000
• Geosciences $110,000
• Engineering $98,000
• Economics $112,500
• Business Management and Administration $96,590
• Engineering $96,500
• Mathematics and Computer Information Sciences $95,300
• Health Sciences $94,000
• Business Management and Administration $105,000
• Economics $100,000
• Mathematics and Computer Information Sciences $100,000
• Health Sciences $98,000

At the occupational level, 2012 employment research from the Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed the best paying doctoral career was Physicist ($109,600), followed by Astronomers ($105,410), and Engineering Professors ($94,130).

Overall, the top 10 most lucrative PhD careers include the following:

• 1 Physicists $109,600
• 2 Astronomers $105,410
• 3 Engineering Professors $94,130
• 4 Economics Professors $90,870
• 5 Health Specialties Professors: $90,210
• 6 Agricultural Sciences Professors $86,260
• 7 Biochemists and Biophysicists $84,940
• 8 Forestry and Conservation Science Professors $84,090
• 9 Physics Professors $80,720
• 10 Medical Scientists $79,930

EXPERT SPOTLIGHT: Darren Pierre, PhD

How has earning a phd impacted you personally and professionally.

Personally, the PhD was an incredibly introspective process. I believe for many, they go into the PhD thinking one thing, and come out transformed by the experience. I learned and grew personally in how I harness my self-worth, I grew professionally in my ability to humble myself and authentically listen to the feedback given about my work.

Professionally, I move with a greater level of confidence, I have more insight into my own potential in ways I could have never imagined, and all of that propelled me to write my book, The Invitation to Love.

Through your own experience, what are the biggest mistakes   prospective PhD students make when choosing and/or funding their PhD?

The biggest mistake that perspective students make is doing the degree for the wrong reason. If you are doing the degree for any other reason that self-motivated factors, you will falter. Doing the PhD to cover areas of insecurity, or low self-worth; doing the PhD for the prestige or title sake, those reasons will have you floundering and faltering when the psychological stressors being to weigh heavy.

Did you create a roadmap--financially or academically--to stay on track to   completing your PhD?

Absolutely, you have to have a plan and work that plan. Each Sunday, I would develop the week's action plan, I would carve out everything from when I was doing assignments/research to when I would work out, everything was on a schedule so that even when the fog of the process set in, I had headlights (my schedule) that allowed me to drive consistently when the road ahead was hard to see.

PHD: BY THE NUMBERS

Doctoral education in the U.S. is a varied and broad system, one that has been growing in popularity. In the 2013-2014 academic year, more than 178,000 doctoral degrees were conferred to students nationally, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics.

• Doctoral Education Continues to Grow
• Engineering and Physical Sciences Dominate
• STEM Fields are the Most Popular
• Only Half of Students Earn a PhD in the Same Academic Field as their Master’s Degree
• Doctoral Degrees are an Investment in Time
• Primary Source of Funding Varies by Program

In its survey of earned doctorates, the National Science Foundation learned the number of doctoral recipients increased by nearly 30 percent between 2003 and 2013.

The most popular academic areas of study were Engineering and the Physical Sciences.

• Engineering 69.80%
• Physical Sciences 59.30%
• Health Sciences 53.60%
• Life Sciences 44.60%
• Other 38.90%
• Social Sciences 19.90%
• Humanities 9.10%
• Education -25.70%

Within the engineering and physical sciences disciplines, multiple sub-fields have been experiencing explosive interest and enrollments, with some programs (e.g. physics, materials science engineering) growing by more than 70 percent between 2003 and 2013.

• Other engineering 127.5%
• Materials science engineering 86.5%
• Aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering 74.5%
• Mechanical engineering 70.5%
• Electrical, electronics, and communication engineering 53.6%
• Chemical engineering 46.0%
• Computer and information sciences 119.1%
• Mathematics 83.0%
• Physics and astronomy 76.7%
• Geosciences 28.8%
• Chemistry 22.0%

According to NSF, the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields are the most popular doctoral areas of study.

• Life Sciences 23.3%
• Physical Sciences 17.6%
• Engineering 17.0%
• Social Sciences 15.9%
• Humanities 10.7%
• Education 9.4%

Interestingly, slightly more than 56 percent of graduate students continue into a doctoral program in the same field as their master’s degree. Rates are highest in the humanities, engineering, and social sciences fields.

• Humanities 67.6%
• Engineering 65.7%
• Social Sciences 65.6%
• Education 61.5%
• All Fields 56.1%
• Physical Sciences 53.4%
• Life Sciences 35.5%

It requires approximately 7.5 years of study for the average graduate student to complete a doctoral degree after enrolling in graduate school. Education takes the longest — more than 11 years, while the physical sciences and engineering fields only require 6.5 to 6.6 years of study to complete.

• Education 11.7
• Humanities 9.2
• Social Sciences 7.7
• All Fields 7.5
• Life Sciences 6.9
• Engineering 6.6
• Physical Sciences 6.5

According to the NSF, the most common source of funding for doctoral students are teaching and research assistantships. The table below details the primary source of funding for students by academic area of study.

• Life Sciences Fellowships/ Grants
• Physical Sciences Research Assistantships
• Social Sciences Teaching Assistantships
• Engineering Research Assistantships
• Education Own Resources
• Humanities Teaching Assistantships
• All Fields Research Assistantships

The following table includes a breakout of the primary funding source by major field of study, according the National Science Foundation.

Source: http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/sed/2013/data-tables.cfm

ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL AID RESOURCES

The ultimate financial goal of any PhD student should be to complete their program successfully and move into a professional career with as little debt as possible. The resources below are available to help students locate scholarships and other funding sources that can help make that goal a reality.

Unigo offers a selection of financial assistance resources for graduate students, including a scholarship directory, a scholarship match tool, educational information on student loans and funding options, and more.

Scholarships.com is a website that provides a selection of financial aid information, including a searchable scholarship directory, insights into funding trends, financial aid calculators, and information about grants and fellowships.

Peterson’s is an educational resource site that includes a searchable scholarship database, articles and advice columns, and a catalog of graduate school profiles.

FinAid.org is an educational resource site that focuses on financial aid and offers information about student loans, federal financial aid, financing a doctoral education, and includes a scholarship search option.

An office of the U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid is the country’s largest provider of financial aid. Graduate students can learn about and pally for loans, grants, and work-study funds to pay for their doctoral education.

FastWeb is a financial aid-focused website that offers a searchable scholarship directory that allows students to focus their search to their major area of study, work experience, and personal and professional activities.

Chegg is an online educational portal that not only offers used textbooks, but a scholarship database as well.

Financial Support

Find funding.

See The Graduate School's funding opportunities for Ph.D. and master's students, such as fellowships, internships, and conference travel support.

Ph.D. Support

The Graduate School provides a competitive package that provides Ph.D. students with a stipend, tuition coverage, fees coverage, and coverage of health insurance premiums.

Master's Support

Support for master's students varies by program. Financial aid from The Graduate School for master's students is limited to federal aid via the Federal Direct Loan Program.

Financial Information

Cost of attendance, tuition, fees, and stipends, financial faqs, medical and dental insurance, award payment and tax information, financial policies and forms, fafsa simplification announcement, funding support, funding opportunities, childcare subsidies, medical expense and hardship assistance, covid-19 ph.d. funding extensions, professional judgment (review of financial aid eligibility), guide to 12-month ph.d. funding.

Starting in the 2022-2023 academic year, all Ph.D. students in their five-year guaranteed funding period will receive 12-month stipends. Because programs have different funding sources, their mechanisms for providing 12-month stipends will vary. The Graduate School has put together a guide listing how this will be handled in each program.

The Work We Support

Summer research snapshots.

Check out some of the student endeavors supported by our 2022 Summer Research Fellowships.

Academic-Year Fellowships

The Graduate School awarded more than $4.3 million to Ph.D. students for 2022-2023.

Master's Research Awards

More than 60 students received the Dean's Research Awards for Master's Students for 2022-2023.

Financial Support News

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Funding & Scholarship: Graduate Programs

Financial support for ph.d. students, all students admitted into our ph.d. program receive full financial support., this support includes tuition, fees, $1,000 in transportation and dental subsidies (as of ay24-25), and a cost-of-living stipend ($3655 per month in ay23-24 and $4083 per month before taxes in ay24-25)..

Support is independent of need provided a student remains in good academic standing and is making satisfactory progress towards his/her Ph.D. degree. Students are expected to complete their Ph.D. requirements in four to six years. Financial support takes several forms: fellowships, teaching fellowships, and research assistantships. Ordinarily, first-year Ph.D. students are supported with full fellowships so that they can devote their time to coursework.

For the class entering in Fall 2024 : SEAS PhD students are expected to complete two sections of teaching in SEAS in their second year or spread across their second and third years. Both sections may be completed concurrently in a single course. Their research assistantship will be adjusted accordingly during the semester(s) in which they are teaching fellow (TF). The academic requirement for the PhD degree is one section of teaching in SEAS. The student and their research advisor may arrange to replace the second section of teaching with a research assistantship. Beyond the first year, when students are in a better position to teach and assist in research, support is ordinarily provided through research assistantships, or a combination of a teaching fellowship and a research assistantship. For more detailed information, please visit the following pages: GSAS Tuition and Fees  G SAS Financial Support for PhD Students

External financial support for Ph.D. students

Applicants and current students are encouraged and expected to apply for all non-Harvard scholarships for which they are eligible, especially those offered by the  National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program  and  National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship (NDSEG) . 

Each year, many SEAS students secure fellowships from external agencies.  Should an incoming student be awarded and accept any fellowship external to Harvard, it is the expectation that the student will utilize these funds in the first year of study in place of Harvard funding.   In advanced (G2+) years in the graduate program, students with external fellowships are advised to have a discussion with their financial aid officers from Harvard Griffin GSAS and SEAS about how to best utilize the remaining years of funding based on their activities and academic requirements.

To ensure equitable treatment of all students, the coordination of external award benefits with a student’s existing funding package is determined by the Harvard Griffin GSAS financial aid officer in consultation with SEAS.

PhD students with external support are eligible for a SEAS-sponsored academic incentive.  PhD students who bring in open, competitive external fellowships that are equal to 50% or more of total their support (tuition/fees + stipend) will receive a supplemental award of $3,000 in the first year of the external fellowship.  PhD students who bring in open external competitive external fellowships that are not 50% or more of their total support and are at least $10,000 (tuition/fees + stipend or salary) will receive a supplemental award of $1,000.  The full $3,000 bonus may also be awarded in certain cases of multi-year fellowships depending on the total amount of support provided.

Financial support for terminal masters students (M.E. & S.M.)

While financial aid is not available for master’s students in our M.E. and S.M. programs, there are a variety of funding opportunities available. Prospective students are encouraged to apply for independent grants and fellowships to fund their studies.  Information about tuition and fees can be found here . Students in our Computational Science & Engineering or Data Science programs-should visit this page and also may contact the  GSAS Financial Aid Office  to learn more.

Students in the  MS/MBA:Engineering Sciences program  are eligible to apply for need-based  HBS Fellowships  and student loans in both years of the program.

Financial Support

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Our aim is to attract the most qualified candidates and make Harvard financially accessible to all degree candidates.

Whether you are a PhD student or studying for a master’s degree, the dedicated staff of the Office of Financial Aid can help you develop a plan that enables you to secure the resources you need to pursue your graduate education.

The Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences does not discriminate against applicants or students on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry or any other protected classification.

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PhD Financial Support

While funding packages vary by student, all admitted Ph.D. students receive up to five years of financial support through a combination of fellowships, Graduate Student Instructor (GSI) appointments, also known as teaching assistantships, and Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) appointments, also known as research assistantships. Funding consist of full payment of tuition and fees which include Student Health Insurance Program (SHIP) fees, Student Services fee, Campus fees, Class Pass fee, and Non-Resident Supplemental Tuition (NRST), and a living stipend. All funding packages are contingent on making satisfactory progress throughout the tenure of support.

As part of the funding package, U.S. citizens and Permanent Residents are expected to establish California residency at the end of their first year in California and to maintain residency throughout their studies. The NRST will not be paid for students beyond the first year (except for international students who are not eligible for California residency).

We encourage applicants to apply for fellowships from sources other than U.C. Berkeley. U.S. citizens and permanent residents are particularly encouraged to apply fellowships such as the National Science Foundation (NSF), Graduate Fellowships for STEM Diversity (GFSD), and the National Defense Science Engineering (NDSEG) fellowships.

Tuition/Fees/Cost of Attendance

Tuition and fees.

Current tuition and fees for Ph.D. students can be found on the Office of the Registrar's website (under "Graduate Academic" fee schedule). All tuition & fees are subject to change.

As a condition of enrollment all registered students at the University of California are required to meet the university’s health insurance mandate. Registered UC Berkeley graduate students are automatically enrolled in the Berkeley Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) as a way to meet this mandate but you may be eligible to waive enrollment in SHIP if you already have comparable insurance coverage that satisfies the University's requirement. Visit the Student Health Insurance Plan for more information.

Living Expenses

The UC Berkeley Financial Aid and Scholarships Office provides an annual estimate of the Cost of Attendance also known as the Graduate Student Budget which include living expenses for graduate students. This includes housing, utilities, food, books, supplies, personal, and transportation costs. Your expenses may be lower or higher depending on your lifestyle. The Graduate Student Budget is used to help determine the amount of financial aid you may be eligible to receive.

Residency for Tuition Purposes

Admitted PhD students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents are expected to establish California residency by the end of their first year in California and maintain residency throughout their studies. Nonresident Supplemental Tuition (NRST) for out-of-state students will only be covered for the first year. International students with F-1 or J-1 visas/nonimmigrant status are not eligible to establish residency.

You must start the process of fulfilling the residency requirements as soon as you arrive. In order to meet the University of California residency requirements, graduate students must be in an eligible immigration status and satisfy the "Physical Presence" and "Intent to Remain in California" requirements by the residence determination date, which is the first day of instruction.

The residency classification process is not automatic. Visit the Registrar's Office to learn more about Applying for Residency (for Tuition Purposes) .

Financial Aid

Federal Student Loan Programs provide the major source of need-based financial aid funding for graduate students. Berkeley participates in the Federal Direct Student Loan and Work-Study Programs, which are administered by the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office .

Financial Aid for International Students

All F-1 and J-1 international students are required to show proof of funding for a minimum of one year with the expectation that they will continue to have access to that funding throughout their education. In some cases, there are unexpected changes in a student's financial situation that require them to seek external support to continue their studies. Visit the Financial Aid for International Students page.

Department Funding

Statistics ph.d. graduate student funding policy, ph.d. funding policy .

The PhD Graduate Student Funding Policy can only be viewed by current Statistics PhD students and faculty by clicking the following link (you must be logged in to your @berkeley.edu account): Current Ph.D. Funding Policy

Fellowships and Awards

Entering (newly admitted) students.

All admitted students are automatically considered fellowships and awards during the admissions review process. Fellowship offers are generally made to applicants in their department admissions offer.

Continuing Students

Continuing students are automatically considered for departmental awards which are distributed throughout the year.

Graduate Student Academic Employment

Most financial support will be a combination of Academic Student Employment (ASE) positions such as a Graduate Student Instructor (GSI) and Graduate Student Researcher (GSR).

Students must meet certain academic requirements and other eligibility criteria to qualify for graduate student academic employment. Graduate students are also subject to Graduate Council and Graduate Division policies regarding appointments including minimum enrollment requirements and limitations on percentage of appointment.

See our Student Positions hiring page for more information.

Travel Grants

The kag graduate student travel fund.

In 2002 Dr. Kamil A. Grajski (Berkeley Ph.D. ’87), acting upon the suggestion of his mentor and friend Dr. Leo Breiman, established this fund to support travel for graduate students in the Department of Statistics.

Eligibility and Criteria

• Must be a PhD student in Statistics
• Normally a student would receive a travel grant once during the course of their studies.
• Grant amounts will depend on the location of the proposed travel, but will generally be no more than $750 for travel within California, up to $1,000 for travel elsewhere in North America, and up to $1,500 for international travel.
• There are a limited number of awards given each year
• Priority will be given to students conducting or presenting research

Application

To apply, please complete the  KAG Graduate Student Travel Grant Application  which will be reviewed by the PhD Program Coordinator

• purpose of the trip and approximate budget
• written endorsement of a faculty advisor (via email)

The request can be made to cover travel, lodging and conference/registration fees.

Reimbursement and Report

A short report on the experience and how the trip benefited your studies must be submitted to the PhD Program Coordinator . All original receipts for which reimbursement is being requested or for which direct payment was made by the University must be turned in within 45 days after completion of travel.

Past Recipients & Reports:

• 2019 Lihua Lei
• 2018 Geno Guerra, Kellie Ottoboni
• 2015 Arturo Fernandez-Zuniga, Soeren Kuenzel, Miklos Racz
• 2014 Yuting Wei
• 2013 Hye Soo Choi, Wenpin Tang
• 2012 Yuval Benjamini
• 2009 Garvesh Raskutti, Chinghway Lim, Yueqing Wang, Ying Xu
• 2008 Choongsoon Bae, Jing Lei, Shankar Bhamidi, Vince Vu
• 2007 Ron Peled
• 2006 Na Xu, Peng Zhao, Donghui Yan
• 2005 Bo Li, Guilherme Rocha
• 2003 Chao Chen, Apratim Guha
• 2002 Alan Hammond, Serban Nacu, Gabor Pete, Lea Popovic

Industry Fellowships

There are industry fellowships PhD students are eligible to apply for directly through the department thanks to the generous support of our industry partners. You can find more information on our Industrial Relations page.

Additional Financial Resources

Graduate division.

An extensive list of campus and extramural fellowships and awards along with their corresponding deadlines and application materials can be found on Graduate Division's Graduate Fellowships and Awards page.

Campus Travel Grants

Graduate assembly travel award.

The Graduate Assembly (GA) offers up to $300 in travel reimbursement for registered graduate students presenting at a conference outside of the San Francisco Bay Area. Visit the GA Funding Information and Application for more information.

Graduate Division Conference Travel Grant

PhD students may apply for Graduate Division funding to attend professional conferences if they are presenting a poster or paper. Grant amounts depend on location of conference (up to $600 within California; $900 elsewhere in North America, including Canada or Mexico; $1,500 outside of North America). Doctoral students are eligible for two grants per academic career. Students must be in good academic standing, and must be registered for the term in which they are planning to attend the conference, which also includes payment of fees/tuitions. Students on filing fee are not eligible. Applications are due at least three weeks before date of travel. Visit the Doctoral Conference Travel Grant Application (CalNet login required) for more information.

Extramural Fellowships

Extramural fellowships are those awarded by governmental agencies, private foundations, and corporations. Many extramural fellowships are open to international students. Others, such as the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship and some government-sponsored fellowships, are awarded only to U.S. citizens.

The following are a few fellowships that might of interests to Statistics PhD students:

DOE Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) program The SCGSR program supports supplemental awards to outstanding U.S. graduate students to conduct part of their graduate thesis research at a DOE national laboratory in collaboration with a DOE laboratory scientist for a period of 3 to 12 consecutive months—with the goal of preparing graduate students for scientific and technical careers critically important to the DOE Office of Science mission.

Fannie and John Hertz Foundation Graduate Fellowships Open to U.S. citizens in the applied and physical sciences who have a record of high scholastic performance. Provides a stipend, tuition, and fees.

Ford Foundation Predoctoral Diversity Fellowships Three year fellowships for U.S. citizens or nationals who have demonstrated superior academic achievement, are committed to a career in teaching and research at the college or university level, show promise of future achievement as scholars and teachers, and are well prepared to use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students.

Ford Foundation Dissertation Diversity Fellowships One year dissertation fellowships for U.S. citizens or nationals who have demonstrated superior academic achievement, are committed to a career in teaching and research at the college or university level, show promise of future achievement as scholars and teachers, and are well prepared to use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students. Provides a $28,000 stipend.

NSF Graduate Research Fellowships Awarded for study in mathematical, physical, biological, and social sciences; engineering; science education; and in the history and philosophy of science. For U.S. citizens, nationals, and permanent residents at or near the beginning of graduate study. Three years of support.

National Physical Science Consortium Fellowship The NPSC offers Ph.D.-track fellowships in the physical sciences and related engineering fields. It is open to all qualified U.S. citizens, with an emphasis on recruiting applications from historically underrepresented minorities. NPSC Fellows will receive one or two paid summer internships, as well as tuition, fees, and stipends for up to six years.

Financial Support

Financial support of graduate students is provided in the form of research assistantships, teaching assistantships, and fellowships. Historically, all graduate students in good standing have received full financial support (tuition and stipend) for the duration of their graduate studies at Stanford.

First-year students (except those with fellowships) usually receive teaching assistantships for three quarters, which provide a stipend plus full payment of tuition. Support in summer months and in succeeding years is typically provided through research assistantships or fellowships. First-year students for the '23-24 AY (academic year) will receive no less than $52,092 for the first year plus tuition support. Post first-year students earn no less than $51,600 over four quarters plus tuition support for '23-24 AY.

Teaching opportunities for first-year students include classroom or laboratory instruction. These require about 15-20 hours per week for three quarters, and are specifically arranged so as not to interfere with normal academic progress. Sources of funding for research assistantships include grants from the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Health, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Defense in addition to industrial contracts, corporate gifts, and Departmental fellowships.

In addition to the students on national fellowships, the Chemistry Department will nominate its top 10 applicants for the prestigious Stanford Graduate Fellowship. This institutional fellowship will provide the recipients with full tuition support as well as stipend at a level competitive with the national fellowships. As Stanford Graduate Fellows, the recipients will also enjoy exclusive events and lectures organized by Stanford and the School of Humanities and Sciences. For more information about the SGF, please visit the  Stanford Graduate Fellowships  website.

Additionally, Stanford's  Knight-Hennessy Scholars program  awards up to 100 high-achieving students every year with full funding to pursue a graduate education at Stanford, including the PhD in Chemistry. To be considered, you must apply to Knight-Hennessy Scholars by October 11, 2023. 

Details of student financial support are provided in a separate letter following admission. Stipends are set such that the students' net income is equivalent to the net income received at other major universities, and is consistent with the cost of living in the Stanford area. Additionally, first-year students arriving from distant locations may receive a travel allowance to partially defray the cost of necessary travel.

The Chemistry Department is committed to providing salary/stipend and tuition for Chemistry Ph.D. students who are in good academic standing, working for chemistry professors. Chemistry students receive support from three different sources: Teaching Assistantships (TA), Research Assistantships (RA), and fellowships. Salaries and tuition benefits depend on the sources of funding received. Students with a 50% assistantship cannot work more than eight additional hours a week at a part-time job. During breaks (e.g. between quarters and summer) students can work more than eight hours a week at a part-time job.

Support Sources for Doctoral Students

The University sets the fixed TA salary rate for each teaching category (e.g., teaching assistant or affiliate) and percent appointment. TAs are paid semi-monthly and the appointment includes tuition benefits. Chemistry’s total TA budget is set by the Dean of H&S and is related to course enrollments.

The University sets the minimum RA salary, and departments have the option of paying above this minimum. In Chemistry, it is Department policy that all RAs be paid the same departmentally approved salary. RAs are paid semi-monthly, and normally the research advisor pays them from his/her research grants.

Including salary, tuition benefits, and indirects, but excluding laboratory supplies, it cost more than $100,000/year to support each student on a grant. Including supplies and equipment, a typical grant in Chemistry supports one or two graduate students a year. Research grant budgets are set at the time of award, leaving almost no room for subsequent RA salary adjustments outside of University-projected annual rate increases. Most grants run for three years. Continuing RA support depends on continued success at winning new and renewed grants.

External - Stipends vary, amounts are set by the funding institution (e.g., NSF, Hughes, Hertz, Dept of Defense, etc.). Typically students are paid quarterly at the beginning of each quarter in a lump sum, and usually fellowships cover three years of support.

Internal - Students without TA, RA, or other support are paid from the Department’s endowed fellowship funds. For convenience, these students are often referred to as “RAs”. They receive a quarterly stipend equivalent to the Department RA salary. Including stipend and tuition, it cost approximately $60,000/year to support a (non-TGR) student on fellowship. Use of the Department’s endowed fellowship funds is restricted by the terms of the individual endowments (e.g., to field of specialization). The major use of these funds has always been to support students of junior faculty who are still developing a research grant support base.

A 50%-time appointment is the maximum TA, RA, or TA/RA-combined appointment for a graduate student in chemistry. Fellows do not have percent appointments. A 50% TA or RA appointment carries with it eight, nine, or ten units of tuition credit which covers normal registration for a graduate student. Lesser TA and RA appointments are possible at adjusted salaries and tuition credits.

Normal practice in Chemistry is to support students as TAs during their first three quarters, and as RAs thereafter, but this model is subject to change. The TA obligation to the Department is three 50% TA quarters and one Head TA (30%) or Advanced TA (20%). These numbers are reduced for those with fellowships. TA assignments are based on the needs of the Department and are at the discretion of the Department.

Support in Chemistry

Entering students normally are supported as TAs for three quarters (50%-time) and then an RA (50%-time) for one quarter, providing a minimum annual income based on the University TA and RA salary rates. First-year students on external fellowships are typically TAs for only one quarter. The TA salary supplements the fellowship stipend, but caps on allowable supplementation limit TA opportunities for Fellows.

After the first academic year, graduate students in Chemistry are normally supported as RAs for four quarters each year, providing a minimum annual income based on the University RA salary rates.

After the first year, graduate students must serve, one time, as advanced TAs, head TAs, or instrument TAs. There are over 50 part-time TA positions, accommodating some 27% of advanced students. The advanced TA supplement makes the total income of advanced graduates about equal to or greater than that of first-year graduate students. Head TAs receive no less than $2,974 extra income and advanced TAs earn no less than $1,534 extra.

Financial Aid

The Lowy Fund is designated as loans for chemistry and medical school graduate students. Because of the high cost of living in the Bay Area, the University may continue an interest-free, short-term loan program designed to help graduate students with cash flow problems associated with moving off campus (e.g. security deposit, first and last month rent). Contact the Financial Aid Office (Montag Hall) for information on loans.

A program was developed in 1983 to help meet the problems of doctoral students with unusual financial hardships. Students admitted to study for a doctoral level degree (PhD, DMA, EDD) in the Schools of Earth Sciences, Education, Engineering, Humanities & Sciences, and Medicine (PhD programs) are eligible to apply. Applications are encouraged from students experiencing an unexpected financial hardship, associated particularly with new family or medical circumstances, who cannot reasonably be expected to alleviate the financial difficulty through fellowship or loan sources.

The grant is not intended to be used as complete support for students where other sources of aid have ceased, nor can grants be made for dissertation costs under this program. All students applying for these funds must have their basic support covered from another source. Preference in awarding will be given to students who have made satisfactory progress and are well advanced in their program, with an established expected degree date. Applications may be obtained in the Financial Aid Office.

For additional information, see also:

• Payments and Tuition Credits
• Tax Statements from the University

/images/cornell/logo35pt_cornell_white.svg" alt="phd student financial support"> Cornell University --> Graduate School

Financial support.

At Cornell, tuition costs and financial support vary with field and degree program.

Ninety-nine percent of Cornell’s Ph.D. students are fully funded to pursue their degrees through a combination of competitive internal and external fellowships and research and teaching assistantships. Funding packages include tuition, fees, health insurance, and a living allowance or stipend. Our base stipend rates for fellowships and assistantships are equivalent, consistent across graduate fields, and competitive with top other U.S. universities.

Research master’s and professional degree programs at Cornell provide limited financial assistance. The terms of the awards may vary according to the program. For more information, please contact the individual professional program.

Tuitions and Costs

Tuition varies with field and degree program. Research degrees (M.S., M.A., and Ph.D.) are assessed different tuition rates than professional degrees.

• Tuition Rates
• Tuition Rates by Field
• Health Insurance Rates
• Cost of Attendance
• Stipend Rates

Assistantships and Fellowships

Assistantships are an arrangement in which financial support is given to a graduate student who engages in teaching and/or research in furtherance of the university’s academic mission, as well as his or her graduate education. A fellowship provides financial support to graduate students to pursue graduate studies without associated teaching or research responsibilities. 

• Assistantships
• Fellowships
• Employment Limits

Additional Sources of Financial Support

The Graduate School strongly encourages students to apply for external fellowships and grants. These may be offered by government agencies, private foundations, or corporations, and may provide one year or multiple years of support. The Graduate School at the University of California, Los Angeles maintains one of the most extensive and up to date university databases on graduate school funding ( GRAPES ). Federal loans are also available to assist with tuition costs.

• Travel Funding Opportunities

At the graduate level, all fellowship and assistantship stipends are considered taxable income by the Internal Revenue Service and by New York State.

• Tax Information
• Understanding the 1098-T Form

PhD Financial Support

Phd students.

PhD students admitted to the department are offered five years of full funding (subject to satisfactory degree progress.) This includes  tuition  plus fellowship or salary, and five summers of support. (Outside support sources such as Mellon, Fulbright or NSF fellowships are included in this funding, and do not increase the years of funding.) Five quarters of the funding are fulfilling teaching assistantships, typically during the second and third years, and one in the fourth or fifth years. In addition, each student is covered for their full individual premium for  Cardinal Care  health insurance during funded quarters, and summer if they were enrolled during the prior quarter.

The Philosophy department provides additional funds for each student which can be used for books, computer equipment, conferences, travel expenses or other incidental expenses and  fees . This fund is currently  $1,000 per student annually, for the first five years. Our students also successfully apply to outside fellowships such as the  Newcombe Doctoral Dissertaton Fellowship ,  dissertation fellowships through the Stanford Humanities Center  or the  VPGE , Humanities and Science graduate fellowships and awards,  ACLS  Mellon fellowships, and Bechtel's database of   international scholarships . 

The university also offers support programs for graduate students, such as grants and loans, to help with unexpected expenses:

https://financialaid.stanford.edu/grad/funding/

Stanford is on the quarter system. The normal combination of fellowship and assistantship is as follows.

First years are on fellowship for three quarters (Autumn, Winter, Spring.) There is no teaching requirement in the first year, allowing students to focus on class work.

Second Year and Third Year

Second years and third years typically receive one quarter of fellowship, and two quarters of teaching assistantship in each of these years.  A Teaching Assistant usually leads two discussion sections of one course per quarter. 

Fourth Year and Fifth Year

In the fourth year, students are usually on a research assistantship all year. In the fifth year, students usually receive a fellowship all year. There is often a quarter of teaching assistantship left to fulfill during those two years. This frees up time during the fourth and fifth year for working on the dissertation.

We do offer some funding for the sixth year in most years, but cannot guarantee funding at this point.

There are four guaranteed summers of fellowship support.

Masters Students

There is no funding available for Masters students from the department.

Students considering the Masters may want to check Stanford's  financial aid website  for information about loans and grants that are available to them through other sources.

Knight Hennessy

Stanford's  Knight Hennessy  Fellows program funds students to study in a Stanford graduate program. The Knight Hennessy application deadline is usually in late summer, and applicants would need to apply both to the Knight Hennessy program and a graduate program at Stanford.

From the Knight Hennessy program, here is their 2023-24 application info:

Join dozens of  Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences students  who gain valuable leadership skills in a multidisciplinary, multicultural community as  Knight-Hennessy Scholars  (KHS). KHS admits up to 100 select applicants each year from across Stanford’s seven graduate schools, and delivers engaging experiences that prepare them to be visionary, courageous, and collaborative leaders ready to address complex global challenges. As a scholar, you join a distinguished cohort, participate in up to three years of leadership programming, and receive full funding for up to three years of your studies at Stanford. Candidates of any country may apply. KHS applicants must have earned their first undergraduate degree within the last seven years, and must apply to both a Stanford graduate program and to KHS. Stanford PhD students may also apply to KHS during their first year of PhD enrollment. If you aspire to be a leader in your field, we invite you to apply. The KHS application deadline is October 11, 2023. Learn more about  KHS admission .

Financial Support for PhD Students

Northeastern University and Khoury College of Computer Sciences offer a number of financial aid and scholarship opportunities to help finance your PhD education. Funding opportunities vary based on program and research funding availability. Click on your program below to see the funding opportunities.

• Computer science and cybersecurity
• Network science
• Personal health informatics
• Explore the PhD experience

All students admitted to the Computer Science and Cybersecurity PhD programs receive a 5-year scholarship. This takes two forms: a 5-year graduate assistantship, or a 1-year graduate fellowship with a 4-year graduate assistantship. Graduate assistants are expected to work 20 hours per week teaching or conducting research. Graduate fellows are expected to engage in research, with no teaching responsibilities. Students are taxed on the income they receive from the stipend, but not on the tuition remission.

These scholarships provide tuition remission of up to 12 credit hours each fall and spring term, which accommodates a full-time course load. The cost of individual graduate student health insurance is also covered 100 percent.

Graduate assistants and fellows who maintain full-time enrollment and satisfactory academic progress receive a stipend, available for up to five years.

Cyber Scholarship Program

In addition to internal funding, there are several scholarship opportunities specific to cybersecurity students. The Department of Defense runs the Cyber Scholarship Program, where selected Cyber Scholars receive full scholarships in return for one year of service to the Department of Defense upon graduation for each year or partial year the scholarship was received. During the scholarship program, you’ll receive hands-on cybersecurity training in addition to your PhD studies through internships and other learning opportunities

Interested? Contact Guevara Noubir and include your resume. All application materials and letters of recommendation will also be sent to him.

Federal Cyber Service Grant

Northeastern University has received a Federal Cyber Service grant from the National Science Foundation to educate graduate and undergraduate students in information assurance and cybersecurity. PhD students are eligible for three years before their graduation.

You may receive:

• Annual academic stipend of $34,000.
• Full tuition scholarship while in school.
• Coverage of health fee and all required activity fees.
• Multiple years of employment with a federal agency.
• Travel funds to attend information assurance conferences and activities.
• Opportunities to mentor undergraduates participating in the program.
• View Cyber Scholarship application form
• Read Cyber Scholarship requirements
• View Federal Cyber Service Grant application form
• Read Federal Cyber Service Grant scholarship requirements

All students in the Network Science program are eligible for full financial support, through either research or teaching assistantships, although funding is not guaranteed. This includes tuition remission, health insurance, and a stipend for living expenses. You are expected to work 20 hours per week teaching or conducting research as part of the assistantship. If you require additional support, federal aid or loans are available based on citizenship and eligibility. Students are taxed on the income they receive from the stipend, but not on the tuition remission.

• Explore financing options

View application form Read scholarship requirements

All students in the Personal Health Informatics program are eligible for full financial support including tuition remission and a monthly stipend for eight months of the year. During the summer, students are eligible to work on research projects and receive a monthly stipend for the four summer months. The stipend is designed to cover cost of living, housing, and university health insurance. Students are taxed on the income they receive from the stipend, but not on the tuition remission.

Funding is based on available grants and faculty with funded research projects. If you have your own source of funding, such as an individual scholarship or an NSF fellowship, it should be indicated on your application.

If you remain in good academic standing overall and with your primary advisor, your funding will likely remain throughout your program.

Prospective students should base their applications on what they most want to do for a PhD in personal health informatics. You should use our website’s resources to learn more about projects and faculty members whose work fits their strengths and interests, regardless of which projects are most likely to have funding.

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Financial Support

Putting the pieces together.

On these pages, you’ll find information to help you navigate the options for financial support available during your graduate study at UC Berkeley. Financial support varies widely, from academic student employment or large competitive fellowships that include payment of tuition, to targeted grants that assist with foreign language study, dissertation research, and conference travel, to emergency grants and awards designed to help students manage student loan debt. 

Whether you’re looking to learn more about becoming a graduate student researcher or an academic student employee (Graduate Student Instructor, Reader or Tutor), locate fellowships or grants, or identify resources as a grad student parent, we hope this information can help put the graduate funding puzzle together. 

If you have any questions:

• Be sure to contact your department for help.
• Visit our frequently asked questions page or contact [email protected] .

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• Financial Support

Our Ph.D. students are awarded financial support with the understanding that the support will continue— subject to satisfactory progress and satisfactory performance of assistantship duties—for at least 5 years or until completion of the Ph.D. program, whichever comes first. Students continuing in studies beyond five years are usually also supported, assuming satisfactory progress is being made toward the Ph.D. dissertation.

Ph.D. student financial support consists of:

• a scholarship that pays for all tuition and fees,
• an assistantship with either teaching or research duties that provides a stipend adequate for living in Durham, and possibly
• a fellowship that provides additional money for the student.
• Financial support is guaranteed for 12 months per year

For more details on funding, please see the Graduate School's information on Financial Support .

External Funding

Students who are eligible for external financial support such as fellowships from the NSF or from their home countries are expected to apply for external support. (See the Graduate School financial support for details.)

Teaching and Research Assistantships

Students on assistantships collaborate with faculty on either teaching or research during the academic year. Assignments change from semester to semester. Assistantship support is available over the summer. In addition to Duke-based research summers, many students gain summer internships. Some recent research interns have spent summers in groups and labs at, for example, AT&T Research, Barclays Financial, BEST Inc (see the BEST Award page), Google Research, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, SAS, and Yahoo, among others.

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Doctoral Student Financial Support

All Social Welfare doctoral students are considered for funding packages and department financial support at the time of application for admission. Separate funding applications are not required.

Newly admitted doctoral students receive funding details from the department at the same time they receive their official admission offer. Continuing students will typically receive annual funding update notices whenever significant changes to the original funding package occur.

For more information on financial support policies, please see the Graduate Division  Guide to Graduate Policy > Financial Assistance Policy.

Multi-Year Funding Packages

The Social Welfare PhD Program strives to provide financial support consistent with UC Berkeley Graduate Division’s Multi-Year Funding strategy. While individual funding packages and sources will vary, in most cases Social Welfare doctoral student funding packages will commonly include:

• Coverage of in-state tuition and fees (including health, vision, and dental care benefits) for five years of study.
• One year (two semesters) of funding support (no work obligation required).
• Three years (four or six semesters) of salary support from academic student employment as a Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) or Graduate Student Instructor (GSI).
• One year (two semesters) of support from the Doctoral Completion Fellowship.

Nonresident Supplemental Tuition

Nonresident Supplemental Tuition (NRST) for out-of-state Social Welfare doctoral students will only be covered by the department for the first year. Social Welfare doctoral students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents are expected to establish California residency at the end of their first year in California and to maintain residency throughout their studies. For further information about residency classification and instructions on how to establish residency, please visit the Registrar's information page on California Residency for Tuition Purposes.

International students in F-1 or J-1 status are not eligible to establish California residency and are assessed NRST each semester they are enrolled. The department will pay NRST on behalf of international students for the first three years of study only. Upon advancement to candidacy, nonresident doctoral students may be granted a Reduction in Nonresident Tuition by the Berkeley Graduate Division. After the three-year NRST waiver period the student will be charged the full nonresident tuition rate that is in effect at the time.

Addtional Financial Support Opportunities

• Graduate Division Fellowships
• Graduate Division Travel Grants
• Graduate Student Caregiver Grants
• Graduate Student Parent Grants
• Social Welfare Departmental Conference Travel Grants

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Communication

PhD Financial Support

All admitted students, including international students, are offered a competitive financial support package that includes tuition , health insurance , and a stipend for five years, including summers..

Continuing support by the program is conditional on satisfactory progress toward completing the degree. The Field typically supports students in the following three ways:

Fellowships

Some students receive research fellowships , funded by Cornell University or external sources, that permit the student to engage in research activities entirely of their choosing, with the support of their Special Committee.

Research Assistantships

Many students are assigned to work with specific faculty members as research assistants on an externally sponsored project. The specific responsibilities of these positions vary, but these often provide an excellent opportunity to work closely with faculty on cutting-edge research and gather data that can be used in published research.

Teaching Assistantships

Many students are assigned to work with faculty on a teaching assistantship . Specific responsibilities vary but often include leading class discussions, assisting with grading and curriculum development, and providing assistance to students. These positions are a great opportunity for building one's teaching portfolio and for getting experience working with students.

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Good Standing :  The Field of Computer Science will provide guaranteed financial support as long as you are in good standing within the field.

An example of not being in good standing is failure to meeting a Graduate School Milestone without an approved general petition (Special Committee Formation; A exam Schedule; Time to Degree) You will receive a letter from the DGS/Assistant Director if you are not in good standing.  If you are not in good standing, you will have at least one semester to get in good standing. Support will be provided in the form of a teaching assistantship (TA), graduate research assistantship (GRA), or fellowship.

Appointment Periods :

              Fall:                     Aug 21 - Jan 5

              Spring:               Jan 6 - May 20

              Summer*:         May 21 - Aug 20

*If you choose to not take a summer internship, GRA or TA opportunities are available.  TA positions are limited in the summer.  Please reach out to Becky early with interest.  Please note that summer TA positions do not provide a full summer’s worth of support.  More information on summer courses can be found here .  

University Policy 1.3, Graduate Student Assistantships

Support Letters**

GRA Support letters are sent two times in the fall and spring semesters:

Aug 15 Fall/Dec 15 Spring:  Generic GRA Letter (Available in Workday).

GRA support letters are sent one time in the summer:

May 8: Generic GRA Letter (Available in workday)

TA Support Letters are sent at the start of each fall and spring semester.

              Aug 10               Fall

              Dec 10               Spring

**Starting in Fall 2020, GRA support letters will be automatically generated in Workday when your appointment is entered into the system.

Vacation Policy:  Cornell Policy 1.3

How do I find my appointment letter(s) in workday?

• Login to Workday
• Choose Personal and then Documents
• If you are still having trouble locating your letter(s), please reach out to Melody Padgett

UC Davis Graduate Studies

Financial Support

Funding and financial support for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars.

UC Davis provides a variety of sources of financial assistance to help students meet educational and living expenses. Whether you are a prospective student, a current graduate student, or a postdoctoral scholar, we want to make sure you know about the forms of funding available to you.

The nature of funding varies widely, ranging from large competitive fellowships that pay tuition and stipends, to targeted grants that assist with foreign language study, dissertation research, and conference travel, to emergency grants and awards designed to help students manage student loan debt.

Faculty and Staff Resources

Types of Funding

Academic appointments.

The most common form of graduate support,  teaching and research assistantships , include a salary and tuition & fee remission (including student health insurance). Recipients are assigned to a faculty adviser who supervises the experience. Graduate assistants support undergraduate instruction or undertake research projects. Appointments are available only to graduate students who are registered for courses and enrolled in degree programs. Students whose first language is not English will be required to demonstrate  a sufficient level of English language proficiency  in order to receive a teaching assistantship.

Fellowships

Fellowships are highly prestigious financial support packages that typically include a stipend and cover tuition & fees (including student health insurance). They derive from University or outside awards. Unlike academic employment, they do not have a required instruction or research responsibilities. Recipients must be enrolled in a degree program and be registered full-time. Find out more information about Graduate Studies' fellowship competitions for incoming and continuing graduate students .

Loans and Financial Aid

A variety of aid is available for all income levels, including various types of student educational loans ( Graduate and Professional Student Loans ,  Short-Term and Emergency Loans ), grants, and  Work-Study  funding. Contact your graduate program regarding the availability of work-study funding. Financial Aid is awarded on the basis of demonstrated financial need, and is administered by the office of  Financial Aid and Scholarships . Check the  Financial Aid and Scholarships  website for important dates and deadlines related to financial aid.

Each year, the UC Davis Graduate Studies honors our graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, faculty, and alumni through a variety of awards programs . The awards celebrate outstanding graduate student, faculty, and alumni achievement in areas such as academic performance, research, student leadership, community service and citizenship, and contributions to undergraduate education.

Need Help? Contact Us!

Contact the student financial support team.

Financial Support for PhD Students

Financial support is available to sociology graduate students. The major source of department support is in the form of teaching or research assistantships , which are granted every year on a competitive basis. Teaching/Research assistants receive tuition remission and a substantial stipend. The department also awards the Chancellor’s Award each year to promising incoming students.

Students may also apply for Graduate School fellowships. UWM offers Advanced Opportunity Program fellowships to disadvantaged minority students on a competitive basis, Graduate School Fellowships and Dissertation Fellowships. More information about the fellowships and links to other UWM resources is available at Graduate School Types of Funding .

Graduate Teaching Assistant Program for PhD Students

Teaching Assistantships provide funding for up to 4 years for PhD students. This funding includes a cash stipend, full tuition remission and eligibility for low-cost health insurance for students and their families. Teaching assistantships are for full-time study. The Graduate School Guidelines for the appointment of teaching assistants are available for review. Application for a position is done via the submission of the Teaching Assistantship Interest Form (pdf). PhD students are usually appointed at 50% of full-time work.

Purpose of Graduate Teaching Assistant Program

The graduate teaching assistantship program provides instructional assistance to the department as well as financial support and professional training to students. Teaching assistant are University employees with the responsibility to discharge the duties prescribed by the University and the Department of Sociology. In return, the Department will ensure that the teaching assistant has the opportunity to increase and utilize the knowledge of the discipline. Student’s interests and preferences may be taken into consideration in assistantship assignment. Nevertheless, the needs and financial resources of the Department will be the most important criteria in the determination and allocation of specific assistantship assignments.

PhD Students Requirement

PhD students with teaching assistant positions are required to enroll in and complete Sociol 794, The Teaching of Undergraduate Sociology, in the spring semester of the first year of employment.

Duties and Hours

Year 1 doctoral students with teaching assistantships are employed as graders for in-person or on-line undergraduate courses or as the primary instructor for discussion or lab sections. Year 1 TAs with a 50% appointment work approximately 760 hours over the course of the academic year. On average they are expected to devote a minimum of 20 hours per week to their instructional duties under the supervision of a sociology faculty member. In subsequent years, doctoral TAs may be assigned as the primary instructor of a lower-level undergraduate course(s).

Often the academic workload varies so that an equivalent number of hours of work each week may not be feasible. Because of this, graduate assistant and the supervising faculty member should discuss the workload, including assignments and schedules, at the beginning of each semester so that students may plan in advance for their study time. Teaching assistants are required to register for and complete a minimum of six degree graduate credits per semester.

Renewal of Teaching Assistantships

Assistantship awards are made for one academic year only. PhD students are guaranteed years for of funding as long as the following criteria are met:

• availability of funds;
• maintenance of a cumulative grade point aver of 3.0 or above;
• satisfactory progress toward the degree;
• recommendation from the supervising faculty members; and
• approval by the Department’s Graduate Committee and the Sociology Department Chair.

Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics

• Degree Programs

7.0. Financial Assistance

A limited number of graduate assistantships are awarded on a competitive basis each year. Only students in the M.S. thesis option and the Ph.D. program are eligible for these assistantships. Teaching assistantships require the student to serve as instructor for undergraduate courses or laboratories under faculty supervision. Research assistantships require the student to assist on one or more research projects under faculty supervision.

Half-time graduate assistantship require that the student work 20 hours per week. Assistantships are considered half-time employment and the student is responsible for the hours of work and for the work output. A graduate assistant does not accrue annual leave. Each M.S.-thesis option student who is on a half-time graduate assistantship is required to register for 12 credit hours each regular semester and 6 credit hours for each summer session (with 2 summer sessions per summer). Ph.D. students who are on half-time graduate assistantships are required to register for 12 hours in each regular semester and 3 hours in each summer session. A graduate assistant is expected to remain free from other employment.

The assistantship stipends follow University guidelines and are subject to change each year. Students must maintain a B average or better and perform assigned duties in a satisfactory manner to retain a graduate assistantship. Performance is reviewed each semester.

A limited number of scholarships are available on the basis of need and academic achievement. Contact the department Graduate Advisor for more information.

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• Application Process

We invite you to apply online .

For a comprehensive description of the program, please consult the  Graduate Program Handbook .

The application requirements are:

• Online application
• Payment of the application fee
• Personal statement
• Writing sample of no more than 25 pages
• Three letters of recommendation
• One official transcript from each school previously attended (sent directly to the Graduate School)
• Undergraduate GPA of at least 2.7 on a 4.0 scale or an equivalent to this score
• English language proficiency scores for non-native English speakers
• Optional : GRE scores

Apply through the Graduate School Admissions Office

The UMass Amherst Graduate School Admissions Office has a standardized application form. For more application information and forms, including an online application, please visit the Admissions section of the UMass Amherst Graduate School website and the specific program page for Communication . The application deadline for fall admission is January 2. Spring admissions are not considered.

Application Materials

Here we elaborate on Admissions Committee expectations for the application materials in the Department of Communication.

The personal statement may be 1.5–3 pages, single-spaced. The admission committee uses this statement to get to know the candidate, learn why they want to pursue a PhD in Communication, and why they think our department is the right place to do it. The committee wants to find out what interests the candidate wants to pursue in their graduate study and what past educational, research, or lived experiences and accomplishments the candidate will bring to their studies and their research program.

In the resume or CV , the committee hopes to see a concise summary of the candidate's educational history, employment history, publications (if any; there is no expectation that an applicant has published), creative or community projects (if any), or other experiences and accomplishments the candidate deems relevant.

The committee will typically only read one writing sample of no more than 25 pages. From this sample, we hope to see how candidates write and think, and learn about candidates' substantive research experience and/or scholarly interests.

The letters of recommendation should speak to the candidate's potential for success in graduate school and scholarship. These letters typically (but not always) are from former professors who students have worked with closely. If letters are from former employers or collaborators, ideally they will speak to the candidate's skills and interests that are relevant to graduate study.

GRE scores are optional. If a candidate feels that GRE scores will enhance their application or represent academic skills not already represented elsewhere in the application materials, they are welcome to include them.

About the Admission Decision

Although the graduate school retains applicants’ official records, decisions to accept applicants to the Communication program (and to recommend admittance to the university) are made by the department's own Graduate Admissions Committee. The committee is highly selective. Admission decisions are based on all available information, not on any single criterion. Primary considerations include a statement of interest in areas in which the department has expertise, letters of recommendation, grade point averages, and the writing sample.

Most students admitted to the PhD program in Communication have or are in the process of completing a master’s degree in Communication or a related field in the social sciences or humanities. The department may admit exceptional students with a BA directly into the PhD program. However, these applicants will be required to demonstrate master’s level work and, if accepted, will be required to take additional coursework. If you are a student with a BA interested in applying for the PhD, please contact the Graduate Program Director or the Graduate Admissions Director prior to applying.

Financial Assistance

Accepted students are typically offered a tuition waiver and an assistantship which comes with a stipend. For more information, see our page about Funding .

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TCC student graduates, goes on to university despite personal, financial obstacles

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Deysi Rosas didn’t let finances and a lack of time get in the way of her graduating from Tarrant County College’s South Campus with an associate of arts in business. She attended school full time and worked more than 40 hours a week at three different jobs. Her goal?

“I’ll have a name for myself. I’ll have a title under my name, I’m able to say, ‘Hey, I got this. I got this all by myself,’” said Rosas, who is the first in her family to graduate from college.

This week, Rosas will join more than 9,000 TCC graduates in receiving their diplomas or certificates. Getting that degree is part of a plan that’s been in the making for a long time. Since middle school, Rosas knew that she wanted to go to college. And TRIO programs, federally funded programs at TCC and other campuses throughout the country, helped Rosas through her academic journey. 

Tarrant County College graduation ceremonies will take place on May 15 and May 16. Listed below are the dates and times for each campus:

6 p.m. Wednesday, May 15, Dickies Arena

Ceremony for the South, Northeast and Northwest campuses

6 p.m. Thursday, May 16, Dickies Arena

Ceremony for the Southeast, Trinity River and Connect campuses

As a student at South Hills High School on McCart Avenue, she participated in a TRIO’s Upward Bound program, which prepares high school students to graduate and go on to attend college. Once at TCC, Rosas, the daughter of undocumented immigrants who worked in restaurant kitchens, got the support and guidance she needed to navigate academics and graduate college. At TCC South, there are 31 TRIO graduates, and 13 of them will transfer to four-year colleges in the fall.

“The students have built a relationship here with the staff. It’s just like a community. They know that this is a place they can come to get the support or that extra boost that they need,” said Trichele Davenport, director of TRIO programs at TCC South. Davenport says the program provides students with a human connection. Advisers develop individual connections with the students, and those connections allow students to “let their guard down” and ask for help. Ninety percent of the program’s participants graduate within four years.

Rosas turned to TRIO advisers to determine a career path, choose classes and develop a focus for a summer semester. She’s also gone there to use a computer lab and settle into a spot where she can find community with other students. Early on, Rosas, who was working three jobs, learned how to maximize her time management. At the beginning of the week, she would look at her weekly plan and see what assignments were due. Then each day she would get to campus at 8 a.m. At her work-study job, she would study during breaks. 

“When teachers will say, ‘Hey, we have an assignment due in two weeks.’ I start preparing right then and there, because, if you hold it off for a little longer, it breaks down completely,” said Rosas.

This May is not the end of Rosas’s college journey. In the fall she plans on studying criminal justice at Tarleton State University-Fort Worth. She says she wants to dig deeper into things, and getting a degree in criminal justice will let her investigate more.

Shomial Ahmad is a higher education reporter for the Fort Worth Report, in partnership with  Open Campus . Contact her at [email protected].

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by Shomial Ahmad, Fort Worth Report May 14, 2024

This <a target="_blank" href="https://fortworthreport.org/2024/05/14/tcc-student-graduates-goes-on-to-university-despite-personal-financial-obstacles/">article</a> first appeared on <a target="_blank" href="https://fortworthreport.org">Fort Worth Report</a> and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.<img src="https://i0.wp.com/fortworthreport.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/cropped-favicon.png?fit=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1" style="width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;"><img id="republication-tracker-tool-source" src="https://fortworthreport.org/?republication-pixel=true&post=127921" style="width:1px;height:1px;">

Shomial Ahmad

Shomial Ahmad is the higher education reporter at the Fort Worth Report and works in partnership with Open Campus. She’s reported on higher education issues at the City University of New York, where... More by Shomial Ahmad

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