Financial Aid

Most students admitted to the department receive financial aid in the form of either a teaching or a research assistantship, and normally continue to receive financial aid throughout their studies. A limited number of fellowships are also available; they are competitive within the University, and the department has averaged one per year. Research assistants receive stipends competitive with those offered by other major research universities. Teaching assistants are given nine-month appointments at a rate similar to that for research assistants. In many cases, teaching assistants can receive additional remuneration for teaching or research duties carried out in the summer.

Teaching assistants work about eighteen hours per week and their duties include grading of papers, classroom teaching, and laboratory instruction. Students who receive either teaching or research assistantships or fellowships are granted a waiver of all tuition and most fees, and a 95% reduction in the cost of their medical plan. All graduate students, regardless of their means of financial support, are expected to take advantage of numerous opportunities to gain a minimum of one year of teaching experience.

In addition to departmental assistantships and fellowships, financial aid is available on a competitive basis to members of minority groups through The Office of Graduate Student Recruitment and Retention (OGSRR). In most cases, the financial assistance carries the same benefits as departmental assistantships. This is not a special admissions program; the recruitment effort seeks those students who can matriculate at the University on the strength of their academic credentials and who can competently fulfill individual degree program requirements. Minority students interested in applying to the University and receiving financial aid through this program should write: Director, Office of Minority Graduate Student Recruitment, 528 Goodell Building, University of Massachusetts, Box 33290, Amherst, MA 01003-3290.