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What kind of funding is available to help support doctoral students?In general, there are Graduate Assistant and Research Assistant positions. These usually cover tuition and offer a modest stipend. The department offers several GA positions each year with applications available from Department staff. While the application process begins in February, it is important to submit an application promptly as positions are in high demand and fill up quickly. Some professors, particularly those with outside grants or who are new to the department, also offer RA positions. Some of those RA positions are funded by outside agencies, and often have application deadlines that are much later than the GA positions. Reaching out directly to those professors is your best way to move things forward. Make sure you tell them about your interests and skills, so that they know how you will be able to support their work.
What about other costs?The department offers many scholarships, which you can apply for in January of each academic year. These scholarships are then applied to your account for the following year, and can be used to pay for fees or tuition, as appropriate. Leftover scholarship money is paid directly to the student in the form of a check after the first semester, which you can then use to pay for books or additional costs.
Are there travel or research funds available?Yes, but both require some effort. The department has some funds to defray the costs of attending conferences; usually this is in the amount of $200 and is on a first come, first served basis (ask the Department staff for an application). To our knowledge, the department does not offer research funds (but please correct me if I’m wrong about this). The Graduate Student Association also offers travel and research funds, although, in our experience, they don’t usually cover all the costs. We suggest starting with the Department first, and then going to the GSA, since the latter takes a very long time in making its decision, and if you wait until you hear back from them, you may very well have lost out on getting Department funds. Regardless, you will need to keep ALL of your receipts in order to have your costs reimbursed. Reimbursement chances are higher if you are scheduled to present your work at a conference.
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