Iowa State University Graduate Financial Assistance Graduate teaching and research assistantships are available to help offset the cost of graduate education. The number of assistantships varies from year to year depending on funding. Most decisions regarding appointments for the following academic year are made by April 15.
Exceptions occur, particularly when a newly initiated research project requires assistantships.
The normal research assistantship is a half-time appointment with a work requirement of approximately 20 hours per week. Students with graduate teaching assistantships are generally one-quarter time. Students with assistantships of one-quarter time or more pay only Iowa resident fees.