Funding

Graduate Assistantships

Graduate Assistantships (GAs) support the teaching and research activities of the Department. Many of the Department's GAs are involved in instructional activities, including tutoring students and assisting faculty with grading and record keeping. Others assist faculty with their research projects or perform other services for the Department.

The Department typically awards several new graduate assistantships for full-time students each year. Full-time GAs are expected to work 20 hours per week and are paid a monthly stipend plus tuition during the regular academic year. Subject to funding availability, good academic standing, and student performance in their GA assignment, assistantships are renewable for a second year. Financial support during the summer months is generally not available.

To be eligible for an assistantship an applicant must have earned a minimum GPA of 3.0 for the last 60 hours of undergraduate work. Interested students should fill out a Graduate Assistantship application at https://grad.illinoisstate.edu/funding/assistantships/ (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader). The student should also arrange to have three letters of recommendation sent to the Department. Students interested in applying for a Fall semester assistantship should arrange to have these documents at the University by March 1, and for the Spring semester, by October 15. Other documents for admission to the program should also be at the University by these dates. Newly admitted international students are eligible for these assistantships.

Tuition Waivers

The Department receives some funding to provide tuition waivers. Those interested in waiver-only awards should contact the Director of Graduate Programs for an application form and eligibility criteria. Tuition waivers are awarded on a rolling basis to individuals who meet the eligibility criteria. No work responsibility is attached to the receipt of these waivers, and they are available to both full-time and part-time students.

Other University Support

Graduate assistantships and other types of support are also available from other offices in the University, including the Office of Residential Life and the Graduate School. See the Financial Aid Office for more information on these opportunities. Grants and scholarship information available here.