We have also been successful in supporting a high proportion of our 1st year students, but we can make no guarantees about financial aid during the 1st year of study. Departmental awards of financial aid are made in one of two ways. A few awards are made in advance to outstanding students at the time of their acceptance. The majority of the awards are made at the beginning of each semester when faculty have a clear idea as to what their needs will be for research assistants in the coming semester. The process typically involves matching of student interests, skills and abilities with the needs of the projects.
Awards are typically for ten hours of work per week per semester.
In addition to the stipend, students taking at least nine graduate course credits receive a full tuition waiver and a waiver of the curriculum fee. Students working as a research or teaching assistant also receive a health fee waiver. Information on additional financial aid available from the University can be found on the University of Massachusetts Financial Aid Home Page . Information on University policies and procedures for assistantships can be found on the Graduate School Graduate Appointments Policies and Procedures site. Copyright 2000 University of Massachusetts, Amherst.