HDFS Funding Priorities

Our goal as a department is to fund all graduate students enrolled in the program. It is a top priority to support all MS/PhD and PhD track students who are making satisfactory progress in the program. To be eligible for any funding from the department, you must participate in the Annual Review of Graduate Students (ARGS) process, and meet certain requirements: you must be making “satisfactory progress towards your degree” and you must be enrolled “full-time” (defined as a minimum of 8 credits, see “SoHE Full-Time Enrollment Policy for Funding Eligibility”) during the semester you receive an assistantship.

In order to promote the timely completion of degree requirements, ensure fairness, and reward students who are making satisfactory progress in completing benchmarks, the following criteria are used to prioritize the funding of graduate students:

1. Because the department’s first priority is to provide tuition remission for all graduate students in good standing, priority for HDFS assistantships will be given to students who are in good standing and who DO NOT have another campus TA/PA/RA or fellowship that includes tuition remission. This includes assistantships outside of the department and on other campuses. Students who accept a departmental assistantship of 33% or more are confirming that they do not have another appointment or fellowship that provides tuition remission. If a student has another assistantship or their situation changes, they need to contact the HDFS Graduate Program Chair.
2. Students who are meeting benchmarks and making satisfactory progress toward their degrees as defined by the Graduate School and the HDFS Graduate Program (reference Handbook Section “HDFS Timeline to Degree Completion”) will receive higher priority.
3. MS/PhD students who have received 5 or fewer years of funding will receive higher priority than those who have received funding for more than 5 years. Similarly, PhD students (i.e., those who entered the program with a master’s degree) who have received 4 or fewer years of funding will have higher priority than those who have received funding for more than 4 years. Note: The term “funding” refers to ANY source of funding that covers tuition (e.g., fellowships, graduate lectureships and projects, research and teaching assistantships) from within or outside of our department.

For students who do not meet the above criteria, efforts will be made to provide funding, however, departmental needs, student progress, and years of prior funding will be taken into account in allotting additional funding. Students who do not meet the above criteria but have exceptional circumstances (e.g., instances wherein the student has been successful in garnering their own support) and the support of their advisor may petition the GPC for consideration of higher funding priority.

Specific funding for research, conference travel, or professional development

There are numerous opportunities for students to receive funding for their scholarly activities, including scholarships, teaching fellowships, and dissertation fellowships. Please review the SoHE funding pages for information about how and when to apply for these opportunities.