There are several financing assistance options that you may apply for at Texas A&M University. Most of our graduate and professional school students are currently taking advantage of these sources and you may also be eligible to apply.

There are three types of graduate assistantships available through academic departments and colleges, along with agencies and administrative offices. These appointments are for teaching, research and non-teaching activities. Most of these positions require service of 20 hours per week. Students serving in these roles are eligible for insurance benefits and may pay tuition and fees at the in-state rate.

Many different fellowships are available through departments, colleges, and the Office of Graduate Studies. Ordinarily, graduate students holding fellowships are not required to perform any services. All fellowships of $1,000 or greater per academic year also allow students to pay tuition at the in-state rate. Fellowships packages vary from $1,000 to over $30,000 and some do include funds for insurance and tuition and fees.

A sample of some fellowships and grants are as follows:

Texas Aggie Graduate Grants: These grants are need-based awards (need is determined by Student Financial Aid) for graduate students who are Texas residents. Each student may receive up to $1,500 per semester, with a maximum of $3,000 per year.

Research and Presentation Grants: This program is to support graduate student research or travel by reimbursing students for certain expenses.

Graduate Merit Fellowships/The Association of Former Students Fellowships: This fellowship is by faculty nomination only. (Students do not apply for this fellowship.) These fellowships are awarded through a University-wide competition. The fellowships are designed to encourage high-quality applicants to enroll for the first time in graduate programs at Texas A&M University. The departments make nominations to the Office of Graduate Studies (OGS) and these awards are given for one year.

Graduate Diversity Fellowships: This fellowship is by faculty nomination only. (Students do not apply for this fellowship.) This fellowship was established to attract students to Texas A&M who have a proven record of success in a diverse environment. Academic departments nominate prospective graduate students, and students are selected based on overall merit and the nominating department's statement of support. The fellowship provides funding for two years for master's students and three years for PhD students, and includes for each year: $13,000 stipend, $5,000 for tuition and fees, and a departmental assistantship, which pays a minimum of $7,000 per year. With the graduate assistantship, the student has an option for heath insurance at a nominal cost.

National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowships: Individual students apply for these awards directly to NSF. Once awarded, NSF dedicates funds and the money is administered through OGS.

Welch Foundation Fellowships: These fellowships are for students working in the general field of chemical research.

Sigma Xi Grants-in-Aid Research Program: This grant program awards grants of up to $1,000 to students from all areas of the sciences and engineering. Designated funds from the National Academy of Sciences allow for grants of up to $5,000 for astronomy research and $2,500 for vision-related research. Students use the funding to pay for travel expenses to and from a research site, or for purchase of non-standard laboratory equipment necessary to complete a specific research project.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Graduate Fellowship: Eligible students must be studying in a homeland security related science, technology, engineering and mathematics (HS-STEM) field with an interest in one of the homeland security research areas listed on the DHS website.

Harriet G. Jenkins Pre-Doctoral Fellowship Program: The goal of the program is to increase diversity and employ the best practices for advancing the number of women, minorities and disabled persons who receive graduate degrees in the NASA-related science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines and workforce.

ThinkSwiss Research Scholarship: This scholarship program supports highly motivated and qualified U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to do research at a Swiss university for 2 to 3 months.

Sustainable Energy Fellowship Program: A collaborative learning experience for upper division undergraduate students and early in career graduate students  that explores sustainability, biocomplexity, conventional and renewable energy, demand side management, climate-energy systems, policy, national security, economics and the role of institutions. The program is sponsored by a partnership between representatives from industry, government, NGOs and multiple universities, including Arizona State University, Duke University, the University of Michigan and Cornell University. No more than 40 exceptional students will be accepted this year and expenses are covered by generous donations of the industry partners. The program rotates locations and this year will be at Duke University from May24-31. The application for funding is due by April 18. Students are required to obtain two faculty references, provide GPAs and complete a written statement of purpose.


Please click on any of the following links for more information regarding fellowship opportunities for graduate students:

Advanced Training for Leadership Skills (ATLAS) http://www.usaidtraining.net/site/atlas.htm

Africa-America Institute http://www.aaionline.org/

American Association of University Women Career Development Grants http://www.aauw.org/3000/felgrawa.html

American Sociological Association Fellowship Program http://www.asanet.org//page.ww?section=Funding&name=Funding+Opportunities

ASHE/Lumina Dissertation Fellowship Program http://www.ashe.ws/fellowship/aboutfellowship.htm

Council of Independent Colleges American Graduate Fellowships  (Humanities) http://www.cic.edu/projects_services/grants/americangrad.asp

Department of Defense Scholarships, Apprenticeships, and Fellowships http://www.acq.osd.mil/ddre/research/opportunities.html

US Dept. of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship https://www2.krellinst.org/csgf/application/

W.E.B. DuBois Fellowship Program: NIJ Research Opportunity http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/funding.htm

Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Graduate Fellowship Program http://www.jackkentcookefoundation.org/jkcf_web/content.aspx?page=Grad&_redir=625

Jacob K. Javits Fellowships http://www.ed.gov/programs/jacobjavits/index.html

Committee on Institutional Cooperation FreeApp Program http://www.cic.uiuc.edu/programs/FreeApp/

Knowles Science Teaching Foundation Fellowships http://www.kstf.org/

National Institute of Justice Graduate Research Fellowship Program http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/funding.htm

National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships http://www.nsfgradfellows.org/

Truman Fellowships http://www.truman.gov/

Graduate and Postdoctorate Extramural Support (GRAPES) database (provided by UCLA Graduate Division) http://www.gdnet.ucla.edu/grpinst.htm

American Political Science Association http://www.apsanet.org/section_191.cfm

American Psychological Association http://www.apa.org/students/funding.html

American Association for Clinical Chemistry http://www.aacc.org/aacc/members/

American Anthropological Association http://www.aaanet.org/ar/fs/fslist.htm

National Academy of Sciences Fellowship Programs Unit http://www7.nationalacademies.org/fellowships/

Financial Aid and Scholarship Listing http://www.collegiate.net/infoa4.html

Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/gradstudent.jsp

Kauffman Dissertation Fellowship Program http://www.kauffman.org/dissertationfellowship/

Individual graduate students often receive financial support from multiple sources. Application for either assistantships or fellowships are made via the academic departments and any inquiries should be directed toward the department of interest.