Financial Support

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In most cases, acceptance into the program comes with an offer of financial support, either through the department or an outside contract/grant. Each year, about 10 departmental assistantships are available. These assistantships require 20 hours of work per week in the department as a research or instructional assistant.

In addition to departmental positions, the program maintains several community assistantships which include placements in local schools and agencies. These may involve up to 20 hours per week and often are 12-month placements. These assignments are made by the program director, based on student interests and experience level.

Additional opportunities also exist for advanced students to teach undergraduate psychology courses. To qualify, students must have taken Psychology 790 (Teaching of Psychology) and the University's Instructional Development Project's workshop in teaching.

Students are encouraged to pursue any grants, fellowships, and research support for which they might qualify. These are generally available through various funding sources, including the Graduate School, the Department, and professional organizations.

Laura Griffin Student Development Fund. The Department has a student development fund established in honor of a prior student. The purpose of this fund is to help support the following: research conducted by the students; student's travel when presenting the student's own research at conferences; special educational opportunities; and publication costs for the student's published articles. An application form is now available on-line.

Ralph H. Tindall Fellowship. The department has an endowed award used to support students over the summer while working to complete the dissertation. An announcement calling for applications for the award is made by e-mail each spring via the department's graduate student listserve.

Graduate School Summer Dissertation Fellowships. The Graduate School awards a limited number of Summer Dissertation Fellowships to students in the final phases of completion of the dissertation, but the student must have no other support for that period of time to be eligible.

Student Loans from Emergency Fund. The Department currently is receiving regular anonymous donations earmarked specifically for emergency loans to graduate student. Two loan categories have been established. "Short-term" loans will be made to students for a period not to exceed 60 days. These loans will be of $50 or less. "Long-term" loans will be made for periods exceeding 60 days. These loans will be of $150 or less and will be made at a yearly interest rate of 4%.

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