If you are not interested in paying for graduate school solely through loans and have not earned a complete fellowship to cover your tuition and expenses, you will need to find ways to pay for your higher degree. Universities across the country have used assistantships as a way to gain inexpensive labor, while offering significant financial assistance to students earning their master’s or doctoral degrees. They are the most common forms of aid offered by institutions to attract students to their graduate programs. The amount of the stipend awarded with an assistantship varies from universities, but usually it covers tuition and provides a solid means of earning income.
You’ll need to inquire about the availability and method of applying for an assistantship early in your graduate school search. Three common types of assistantships are research assistantships, teaching assistantships, and graduate assistantships.
Research Assistantships
The hard sciences such as chemistry, biology, and physics are the fields that are most likely to award research assistantships. In a research assistantship, you will spend your time performing research in a specific field of study or assisting a professor with his or her research goals. Research assistantships provide great opportunities for networking with professors and preparing for future research goals.
Teaching Assistantships
In a teaching assistantship, you will find yourself teaching undergraduate courses in your major. You may be teaching with a full-time professor, or you may teach your own course. These assistantships are perfect for graduate students seeking a career as a college instructor or professor.
Graduate Assistantships
As a graduate assistant, you may be asked to be an assistant to a professor, or to another college professional, or to a campus organization. Tasks can vary from grading papers to editing publications to managing an office. Graduate assistantships are different from research and teaching assistantships in that you may find yourself working outside of your department and major.
These assistantships are great for those who don’t mind getting work experience outside of their major or for those who are looking for professional experience in certain areas. If you are not awarded a graduate assistantship within your department, you may still be able to seek one out in other university offices or departments. Inquire about these additional opportunities with the main graduate school office after consulting with your potential department.
While these opportunities may not be available to students of all disciplines (i.e. medical and law students), the stipends they bring can be a great source of financial aid for those who apply. The stipends that come with assistantships may not always pay for every cost you have; however, they do help alleviate some of the headache of student life.
For more information
How to Choose a Graduate School
Writing Graduate School Application Essays
