FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Financial assistance for support of graduate study is available to qualified students in the form of fellowships, teaching and research assistantships, tuition and fee waivers, and loans. These are described further in the graduate study brochure.

University of Illinois fellowships are highly competitive. Normally, a grade point average for the final two years of undergraduate study of at least 3.75 (based on a 4-point scale) is required for consideration. The fellowship support package is usually at least $11,690 for the academic year.

The most common type of support is the research assistantship. This is normally a half-time (50%) academic year appointment which currently carries a monthly stipend of $1,290 for a new post-B.S. student ($1,330 for a new post-M.S. student) plus waiver of tuition and fees. Additional support for two months in the summer is usually available. Awards are made on the basis of academic record and research experience. A strong attempt is made to match the student's interest with current research projects.

Occasionally teaching assistantships are awarded as needed. However, the department does not, as a matter of policy, make regular use of teaching assistants. These appointments carry the same stipends as research assistantships.