Assistantships
Doctoral Student Support (I.R.H.R.). Doctoral students typically receive support from teaching assistantships or as research-based graduate assistants. The beginning salary for teaching and graduate assistantships is $14,300-$14,510 (2002-2003) plus tuition remission for an academic year.
Applications for assistantships are due on or before March 1 (or February 1 for the I.R.H.R. doctoral program), although awards occasionally are available at later dates. Prospective graduate students may apply for assistantships when they complete the appropriate section of the form when they apply for admission. Applicants are considered for all financial awards granted by the university for which they may be eligible.
The letters of recommendation required for admission usually serve also as letters of recommendation for assistantships. Should a separate application be required for a newly established program, notice of this will be included with the admissions packet. A graduate student already enrolled at the university who wishes to apply for an assistantship should inquire at the office of the director of the graduate program in which he or she is enrolled.
University Fellowships and Scholarships
Graduate and Professional Scholar Awards. Outstanding students in the graduate and professional schools are eligible for merit-based scholarships. The awards range from $2,000 to $3,000 per year for full-time study for as many as two academic years.
To apply, complete the appropriate section on the graduate and professional school application form. Along with the application, students should submit any statements that provide evidence of academic or artistic achievement and significant life, work, or extracurricular activities. The award is contingent upon acceptance into a graduate or professional school program. Only those applicants receiving awards are notified.
Generally, the application deadline for fall term awards is March 1. If a specific program has set an earlier deadline, the student must submit an application form to the appropriate admissions office by that date.
Other Nonuniversity Awards. Some graduate students at the university are supported by fellowships funded by sources outside the university. Students may wish to consult standard reference materials for sources of non-university fellowships.
Students should be aware that each department continually seeks funds from outside agencies to help defray student expenses. Grants and awards of this nature vary each year. Inquiries regarding the availability of such monies can be made through program advisers.
Students should contact clubs; fraternal, religious, and national professional organizations; and local interest groups for possible aid through stipends and tuition credits. A student who receives any of these awards is required to notify the Office of Financial Aid.
Ralph Johnson Bunche Distinguished Graduate Award. Established in 1979, this distinguished graduate award is named after Ralph Johnson Bunche, the black American statesman, Nobel Peace laureate, and recipient of an honorary Doctor of Laws from Rutgers in 1949.
Bunche fellowships provide $13,000 per academic year plus tuition remission for as many as two years to exceptional full-time students with backgrounds of substantial educational or cultural disadvantage.
Rutgers Excellence Fellowship Awards. This award is issued by departments of the university on the basis of exceptional academic merit, as evidenced by scholarly promise. The award is for as much as $14,000 plus tuition remission. It is renewable for three additional years.
