A number of financial aid opportunities are available on a competitive basis. Some of these positions are teaching assistantships or fellowships requiring approximately 20 hours of work per week in conjunction with the department’s curriculum. A foreign student needs a score of at least 100 Internet-based test on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) in order to be considered for a teaching assistantship or fellowship. Other opportunities, occurring with varying frequency, include graduate research assistantships and special fellowships.
Candidates should indicate financial need on the application form. The department is eager to provide assistance whenever warranted and possible; however, the applicant must be eligible for full graduate status in order to be considered for an assistantship or fellowship.
Graduate students who have completed the MS degree or equivalent are eligible for teaching fellowships, which carry a stipend and a scholarship covering full tuition.
The University also pays the annual premium for Blue Cross and Blue Shield medical insurance for a teaching assistant or teaching fellow who holds an appointment during the fall and winter terms.
Graduate research assistantships, which carry a scholarship covering tuition, are awarded for one, two, and three terms. Graduate research assistants conduct research toward the completion of advanced-degree requirements under the direct supervision of members of the graduate faculty. Normally, research assistantships are not awarded to entering graduate students. A limited number of graduate tuition fellowships are also available from the University. These are awarded on the basis of departmental recommendation and usually cover the tuition costs for one or two terms.