Aid is awarded by the individual departments on the basis of the candidate's academic record and background, the availability of awards, and, in some cases, financial need.
Aid generally is awarded for the full academic year.
Most departmental assistance is allocated during March and April for the following academic year. Loan determinations are made by the Financial Aid Office during July. The progress of continuing graduate students is reviewed by academic departments each term. Continuation of or changes in aid are determined by this review and depend on satisfactory academic and research or teaching performance. A graduate student may be supported on a Rensselaer fellowship or assistantship for a maximum of five years given continued availability of funds.