Getting Financial Aid
Financial aid for graduate school comes in one of several flavors, assistantships, fellowships, scholarships, and loans. Graduate study in physics is often fully covered by a combination of these financial aid sources such that a student will have tuition cover, room and board covered, a stipend (salary) in which you can have a reasonable lifestyle, as well as in many cases some important fringe benefits. Most physics graduate students are on some kind of assistantship, either teaching or research. Highly competitive students will be eligible for some kind of fellowship. Scholarships, in the context of graduate school are less common.
Assistantships
There are two types of assistantships, (1) teaching assistant (TA), where you help with teaching in the undergraduate curriculum; or (2) research assistantship (RA), where you assist in a funded research project. In this regard being a graduate student is like being a compensated employee, and today on many campuses there are graduate student unions to reinforce the idea of graduate students as employees. More and more graduate students are getting employee benefits like health insurance, maternity/paternity leave, and retirement benefits. As a condition of this employment you register appropriate courses and in many cases agree not to take on any additional employment.
Especially for Ph.D. students, a research assistantship is probably the best form of financial aid. Completion of a research project is the part and parcel of requirements for a Ph.D. As an RA you are central to a funded research enterprise. The research faculty will be interested in your progress and will move you along with all deliberate speed because he/she is under the gun to produce research results; results that you as a RA are being paid to produce and will be in your dissertation.
TAs are important in the life of an academic program. In a large department with large service courses there just simply are not enough faculty hours to give all the needed attention to student homework help and grading. These are the principle duties of TAs. TAs can be lab instructors, and senior TAs can even give lectures. Some graduate programs consider teaching to be part of the graduate training experience, thus make it part of the formal graduate requirements.
Most programs will have additional forms to apply for assistantships, and the submission deadlines may be different from the admission deadlines. You should be sure to get the best advice on the requirements for each type of assistantship and which one to take.
Fellowships
Fellowships are sources of tuition and stipend (salary) that are not connected to rendering a service to the university (teaching or research). They can come from the university itself, from the federal or state governments, or any number of private sources. Fellowship students are attractive to research faculty because they get the labor of the student without having to expend research grant dollars for their tuition and stipend. Fellowships are attractive to students because (1) they are often prestigious, and (2) afford greater flexibility in choosing a research specialty, lab, and professor.
While having a fellowship is most certainly always a positive, it is important to recognize that not being a TA or an RA can take you out of the central foci of departmental activities. Fellowship students would be wise to be just as much a part of the core group and department activities as assistantship students are. Also fellowships often do not pay the full required tuition or maximum allowable stipend amount. Make sure your faculty advisor knows exactly the dollar value of your fellowship and that any necessary corrective actions are taken.
Fellowship applications are often decoupled from admission applications, and have various application deadlines. It is impossible to list all the different fellowships available to physics students, but here are a few common ones,
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)
The National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) helps ensure the vitality of the human resource base of science and engineering in the United States and reinforces its diversity. The program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited US institutions. The NSF welcomes applications from all qualified students and strongly encourages under-represented populations, including women, under-represented racial and ethnic minorities, and persons with disabilities, to apply for this fellowship.
U.S. Department of Energy Computational Sciences Graduate Fellowships
The U.S. Department of Energy provides funding for students in their first or second year of graduate study in the fields of physical, engineering, computers, mathematics and life sciences. The fellowships are renewable up to four years. Students receive about $31,000 a year, as well as a $1,000 annual academic allowance for travel, research activities and attending conferences. Some students may also get matched funds for computer support up to $2,475.
U.S. Department of Defense National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship
U.S. citizens or nationals pursuing a doctorate in a field that benefits national security are eligible for this three-year fellowship from the Department of Defense. Fields of study include: aeronautics/astronomy; bioscience; chemical engineering; chemistry; civil engineering; computational, neural and behavioral sciences; electrical engineering; physics; geosciences; mathematical science and engineering; mechanical engineering; naval architecture; ocean engineering; and oceanography. Stipends are given for 12-month periods. Students can receive $30,500 in the first year, $31,000 in the second year and $31,500 in the third year. The fellowship also pays for minimum health insurance coversge through the students institution, up to $1,000 a year.
NASA Harriett G. Jenkins Predoctoral Graduate Fellowships
The Harriett G. Jenkins Predoctoral Fellowship Program increases the number of graduate degrees awarded to underrepresented persons (women, minorities and/or persons with disabilities) participating in the STEM workforce, thereby eliminating the shortage of skilled workers. Approximately 20 students are selected annually to receive financial support for their graduate education. Fellowship tenure is a maximum of 36 months for individuals pursuing a doctorate and/or masters degree in NASA-related fields, for example; aeronautics/aerospace, biology, physics, chemistry, etc. The fellowship provides up to three years of support that includes a stipend and tuition offset. Annual stipends for students pursuing master’s degrees start at $16,000. Annual stipends for students pursuing doctoral degrees start at $22,000. Regardless of the degree pursued, annual tuition offsets start at $8,500.
NIH Predoctoral Graduate Fellowship Awards for Minority Students
Physics graduate students may be able to use this fellowship for training in biophysics. This program encourages students from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, individuals with disabilities and individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds to seek graduate degrees in the biomedical and behavioral sciences to help increase the number of well-trained scientists from underrepresented groups. The fellowship provides up to five years of support for research training leading to the PhD or equivalent research degree, the combined MD/PhD degree or other combined degrees in the biomedical or behavioral sciences.
American Association of University Women
Dissertation Fellowships: To qualify, applicants must have completed all course work, passed all required preliminary examinations and received approval for their research proposals or plan by a certain date. Open to applicants in all fields of study, except engineering. Selected Professions Fellowships: Awarded to women who intend to pursue a full-time course of study at accredited institutions during the fellowship year in one of the designated degree programs where women’s participation traditionally has been low.
These awards will be made to individuals committed to a career in teaching and research at the college or university level, who show promise of future achievement as scholars and teachers, and who are well prepared to use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students.
Predoctoral Fellowships: The program has previously awarded approximately 60 predoctoral fellowships each year. The predoctoral fellowships provide three years of support for individuals engaged in graduate study leading to a doctor of philosophy (PhD) or doctor of science (ScD) degree. Predoctoral fellowships will be awarded in a national competition administered by the National Research Council (NRC) on behalf of the Ford Foundation. The annual stipend of $20,000 and $2,000 institution award can be renewed annually for up to three years.
Dissertation Fellowships: The program has previously awarded approximately 35 dissertation fellowships a year. The dissertation fellowships provide one year of support for individuals working to complete a dissertation leading to a doctor of philosophy (PhD) or doctor of science (ScD)degree. Dissertation fellowships will be awarded in a national competition administered by the National Research Council (NRC) on behalf of the Ford Foundation. The one-year stipend of $21,000 is offered in addition to conference expenses.
Hertz Foundation Graduate Fellowship
This merit-based fellowship covers the cost-of-attendance and includes a personal-support stipend for U.S. citizens pursuing a PhD in fields related to applied physical and engineering sciences. The fellowship is renewable annually for up to five years. Fellows with dependent children receive an additional stipend.
Knowles Science Teaching Foundation
The 2010 Teaching Fellowships support exceptional individuals who are committed to becoming outstanding mathematics and science teachers in U.S. high schools. Applicants should have at least a bachelor’s degree in biology, a physical science, mathematics or a related field, and have received their most recent content degree within the past five years. Individuals who are currently enrolled in a secondary math or science teaching credential program are eligible if they are within five years of their most recent content degree and will not have completed their credential before December 2009.
Fellowships will be awarded in each of three disciplinary strands: biology, physical science, and mathematics. Benefits include: Financial and professional support for up to five years, including tuition assistance for up to two years and a monthly stipend while fellows are enrolled in a recognized teacher credential program. Room, board, travel expenses and fees for summer professional development activities as well as a monthly stipend during the summer. Opportunities to apply for instructional materials, academic year professional development, school-site mentor support, support for National Board Certification and financial support for leadership activities. Membership in a professional organization. Room, board and travel expenses for three meetings per year with other KSTF Fellows.
National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science
MS Engineering Fellowship Program: The objective of this program is to promote the benefits of a masters degree within industry. GEM Fellows are provided practical engineering summer work experiences through an employer sponsor and a portable academic year fellowship of tuition, fees and a stipend which may be used at any participating GEM Member University where the GEM Fellow is admitted.
PhD Engineering Fellowship Program: The objective of this program is to offer doctoral fellowships to underrepresented minority students who have either completed or are currently enrolled in a masters engineering program. Fellowships may be used at any participating GEM Member University where the GEM Fellow is admitted.
PhD Science Fellowship Program: The goal of this program is to increase the number of minority students who pursue doctoral degrees in the natural science disciplines—chemistry, physics, earth sciences, mathematics, biological sciences and computer science. Applicants to this program are accepted as early as their junior undergraduate year, as well as candidates currently enrolled in a masters of engineering program and working professionals. Fellowships offered through this program are portable and may be used at any participating GEM Member University where the GEM Fellow is admitted.
National Physical Science Consortium Graduate Fellowships in the Physical Sciences
NPSC offers a unique graduate fellowship in the physical sciences and related engineering fields. It is open to all U.S. citizens, but with emphasis on recruitment of applications from historically underrepresented minorities and women. An NPSC Fellowship covers the first two or three years of graduate school, depending on the employer who sponsors the fellowship, with the possibility of continuation for several more years providing all the conditions of the fellowship continue to be met. The maximum duration is six years, in which case the overall value (stipend, tuition, fees, summer salary for two summers) of an NPSC fellowship typically well exceeds $200,000.
This graduate fellowship program is available for African American students preparing for a dissertation in biomedical sciences. The fields of study covered by the fellowships include the environmental and life sciences, medicine, physical sciences and engineering. Students must be enrolled in a full-time PhD or equivalent doctoral program, and must be within one to three years of completing their dissertation research. The fellowship awards grants up to $10,000 and stipends up to $42,000.
The HBCU STEM Fellowship Program is offered to students who have graduated from a HBCU. Applicants accepted into the program will receive up to $77,000 for tuition, fees, and living expenses for a two-year STEM master’s program. Applicants must gain admission into Masters’ level programs in STEM areas of study at colleges and universities in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware or Washington, DC. However, it does not include majors linked to direct patient care. In addition to financial support we monitor the progress of the students, to nurture the next generation of scientists, researchers and engineers. Applicants must be a citizen or permanent resident of the U.S. The Fellowship Program is administered by the Educational Advancement Alliance (EAA) and sponsored by the National Nuclear Security Administration, a U.S. Department of Energy agency.
Scholarships
Scholarships are rarely a major feature of graduate student funding. Scholarships are generally just for a few thousand dollars, and are for distinct purposes, e.g., book or equipment purchases, travel to scientific meetings. The Alfred P Sloan Foundation’s Ph.D. Scholarship Program is a notable scholarship program for Ph.D. students in the sciences. Some universities use the word scholarship to describe the tuition remission for TAs and RAs. In this case the scholarship will not be money that the student sees. Rather it will be the tuition cost that the student will avoid.
Loans
Though generally available, physics graduate students hardly ever have to take out loans to complete graduate school. Especially if a student has a fellowship or assistantship, those sources will make the student ineligible for federally subsidized loans.
