This document discusses various types of funding available for advanced degrees, including research assistantships, teaching assistantships, and fellowships. Research assistantships provide funding through employment on a professor's research project, while teaching assistantships fund students through employment assisting with university courses. Fellowships are scholarship awards that can fund various student expenses. The document provides details on eligibility and how to find different funding opportunities to support graduate studies.

1. Funding Advanced Degrees

2. OVERVIEW
 Terminology
 Types of funding:
 Research Assistantship
 Teaching Assistantship
 Fellowships
 Who gets funded
 What funding can provide
 How to find funding

3. GRADUATE SCHOOL TERMS
 Graduate Staff Appointments (employment)
 Research Assistantships
 Teaching Assistantships
 Graduate Assistantship - Administrative/Professional *
 Fellowships (graduate scholarships)

4. RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIP
 Student employed by professor on a research project
 Terms/conditions set by professor within University regulations
 Contract for 9 months (academic year) or 12 months
 Annually renewed based on academic standing and progress
made toward degree
 Usually aligned with your research project
 Usually covers tuition, pays a salary, some fees, may include
medical insurance
 May be combined with TA or fellowship

5. TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIP
 Student employed by the school/department
 Terms/conditions set by department within University
regulations
 Contract by the semester for 4½ months or 9 months
 Renewal of contract based on course need and performance
 TA obligation will be in addition to research project
 Contract may be renewed as often as each session
 Usually covers tuition, pays a salary, some fees, may include
medical insurance
 May be combined with RA or fellowship

6. FELLOWSHIPS
 Stipend: Term for a fellowship award
 Come in all shapes and sizes - award amounts vary greatly
 Terms/conditions are set by the provider of the funds
 May or may not include employment requirement
 Most do not cover all expenses
 Some may be combined with RA or TA
 Funded by school, college, university, or independent source
 Usually cannot hold two full fellowships simultaneously
 Many can be deferred when other funding is available
 Some accept student applications; others rely on nominations
 Some are portable – can be used at the institution of choice
 Length of support varies
 Most require an application and/or essay

7. WHO GETS FUNDED?
 Fellowships
 GPA above average of other applicants
 High entrance exam scores
 Leadership experience a plus
 Contribution to organizations a plus
 Research Assistantship
 Solid GPA
 Research or experience working with a professor helpful
 Teaching Assistantship
 Have taken the assigned class resulting in a good grade
 Grader experience helpful

8. HOW TO FIND FUNDING
 Talk to professors about RA positions
(only after reading articles they have written and know details of their
research!!)
 Talk to the Graduate Chair about information on TA
positions
 Check out professional/honor organizations in your
major area
(Tau Beta Pi, ASEE, SHPE, ASME, ASABE, NSBE, etc.)
 Review the Fellowship Database on the Graduate
School Web site or the engineering list
 Apply for every fellowship for which you qualify – no
matter the amount

9. OFFER LETTER
 Letter offering you financial support for enrolling at an
institution – different from admission letter
 Pay attention to the details
 Type of support (RA, TA, Fellowship)
 Length of support (dates)
 Terms and Conditions (What do you have to do?)
 Coverage (tuition, fees, insurance, amount of support)
 Cost of Living in that area compared to the support
 Acceptance is a binding contract

10. OFFER LETTER (CON’T.)
 With a fellowship offer, ask about:
 Date of the first payment– be prepared to pay bills the first
month of the semester
 Is the fellowship paid in one lump sum or periodically?
 Is the fellowship paid to your or the institution?
 Are taxes deducted or do you need to save accordingly?
 If health insurance is provided, when is it deducted?
 Other things to consider in any offer:
 Are parking permits available for graduate students?
 What is the Cost of Living in that area?
 Is public transportation available?
 Can you afford to live close to campus?

11. SUMMARY
 Graduate School terminology is specific.
 Several types of support are available.
 Obtaining fellowships gives you freedom and looks
impressive on a résumé.
 Various resources are available to you.
 Consider more than funding in making a decision on
which offer to accept..
 Ask questions and get details before accepting.
 Good planning avoids additional expenses.