FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

The Department funds twenty-nine Teaching Assistantships, each carrying a stipend of $11,150 a year, a tuition waiver, and a subsidy for health insurance. Students are still responsible for paying fees. For some especially well qualified entering students, the Department supplements the ordinary stipend with another from the Graduate School, for either $3,000 or $5,000 a year (and therefore a total of $14,150 or $16,150). These supplements may then be held for a total of four years.

Students awarded an assistantship and entering the program with a BA work first toward a MA and may hold their assistantship for a total of two years; if they complete their MA and go on to work on their PhD, they may renew their assistantship for another four years (for a total of six years). Students awarded an assistantship and entering the program with an MA may hold their assistantship for a total of five years.

In addition, opportunities exist for fellowships to support work on the dissertation. Each year the Department awards the T. Harry Williams Fellowship to one student, who has completed his or her general exams. It carries an $11,150 stipend and provides a year free to work on the dissertation. The Graduate School awards several Dissertation Year Fellowships, each worth $18,000 for the year, to students in their final year of work on their dissertations. These fellowships are awarded competitively, with students in history competing against those in other departments.

Finally, the Department has some funds (primarily Luke V. Guarisco Grants) to support graduate students when they travel for dissertation research or to deliver papers at conferences. The Graduate School also makes awards for travel to conferences to deliver papers.