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Financial Aid
Normally all students admitted to the PhD program receive financial aid. Aid can take several forms, as noted below. No matter how you are supported, the department will provide all required tuition and fees, basic health insurance, and a stipend that comfortably covers living expenses for the Charlottesville area.

Fellowships

A number of well-qualified qualified entering students are awarded departmental or University-wide fellowships. Fellowships do not require any teaching service. This allows students to quickly finish their coursework and get an early start on their thesis research.

Teaching Assistantships

Most entering students are supported by teaching assistantships, which require teaching services such as leading a discussion section or supervising a lab class. Duties required of teaching assistants do not exceed 20 hours per week. Some students are awarded teaching fellowships, in which the student has fellowship support for one semester and a teaching assistantship in the other.

Research Assistantships

Students working on a faculty member’s research project are usually supported by a Research Assistantship through an external grant. Most upper-year students are supported in this way. Students do not usually receive a research assistantship until they have completed most of their coursework.

Stipend Amount

For the 2007-08 academic year, the standard stipend is $17,300 over nine months.

Most students work on research projects over the summer. The 2007 Summer Research Assistantship Stipend is $4,700 for students who have not yet passed the PhD qualifier exam, or $5,200 for students who have passed the qualifier.

The level of stipend support is reviewed annually by the faculty, and has historically increased by about 2% per year.

Master’s Degrees

The department does not offer financial support to students pursuing a terminal Master´s degree. Usually such students receive funding from an external source such as their employer or government.

Admission without Financial Aid

Occasionally students do not require financial aid from the department, either because they have sufficient financial resources of their own or because they have already obtained support from an external organization. If you do not wish to apply for financial aid, be sure to state this and explain your situation in your application.
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