All graduate students entering the program are guaranteed five years of support, including summer funding, contingent upon satisfactory progress year by year. This support covers the individual’s annual full tuition costs, health insurance, and a stipend. Student stipends are guaranteed at the level stated in the letter of offer (for incoming students) and in the renewal letter (for continuing students) for the duration of the applicable period.

All ABD students (those who have completed all requirements but the dissertation) are strongly encouraged to apply for external grants and fellowships to support them once their university sponsored funding is expired. In certain cases, students may receive external grants prior to the expiration of their funding. In the cases where such fellowships cover full tuition and stipend costs, students may “bank” their university-sponsored funding to use at a later date, although no more than two semesters of university-sponsored funding may be banked. If students obtain funding that does not cover their tuition costs, this can be used to supplement their regular stipend but it cannot serve to bank university-sponsored funding. Any fellowship that involves significant responsibility other than dissertation research (e.g. teaching) must be approved by the Chair.

Students may supplement departmental funding with funding from internal and external sources for year-long, semester, summer, or intersession research and travel. A list can be found on the Graduate Student Handbook.

The department allocates a standard maximum amount of $750 to each graduate student to use for conference needs over the course of their career in the department. Additional information is also found in the Graduate Student Handbook.