Assistantships, Fellowships and Grants

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. Many competitive 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.

The Office of Proposal Development has additional funding resources listed on its website:

The Fellowships and Dissertation Grants page lists methods and locations for resources.

Graduate Funding Opportunities includes some direct resources from Texas A&M, but primarily sources from federal agencies, foundations, and associations.

Diversity Funding lists funding opportunities supporting diversity in graduate and undergraduate education.

You can search research funding opportunities by category on the OPD website. You can also search by new weekly funding opportunities, specific date and sign up for email alerts via the OPD website.

List of Large National Graduate Fellowship Programs

List of Liberal Arts, Humanities and Social Science Fellowships

A sample of some fellowships, grants and awards are as follows:

Pathways to the Doctorate Fellowships: (First semester, fall start only fellowship.) Through the Pathways to the Doctorate program, several institutions in the Texas A&M University System are making assistantships or scholarships available to students from within the Texas A&M University System wishing to pursue graduate study at Texas A&M University in College Station. To qualify, students must be from a different institution within the Texas A&M University System.

Texas Aggie Graduate Grant:  (DO NOT SEND THIS APPLICATION TO THE OFFICE OF GRADUATE STUDIES) The 2009-2010 Application for next Fall, Spring, and Summer is now located on the Scholarships and Financial Aid website.  Do NOT turn turn the form in the Office of Graduate Studies.  Turn the completed form in to the Scholarships and Financial Aid office (located in the Pavilion, 2nd floor).

This is a need-based grant (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.) First semester, fall start only 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.) First semester, fall start only 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, $8,000 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: (Deadlines are typically early November--check site for details) Individual students apply for these awards directly to NSF. Once awarded, NSF dedicates funds and the money is administered through OGS.

Hertz Foundation Fellowships: (Deadline: October 30, 2009) Option 1: Five-Year Hertz is $31,000/9 month personal stipend, full tuition equivalent, and renewable for up to five years; Option 2: Five-Year Coordinated is $36,000/9 month personal stipend, full tuition equivalent, and $3,500/year supplemental stipend from Hertz, if receive 3-year fellowship from another source; Eligible applicants for Hertz Fellowships must be students of the applied physical, biological and engineering sciences who are citizens or permanent residents of the United States of America, and who are willing to morally commit to make their skills available to the United States in time of national emergency. College seniors wishing to pursue the Ph.D. degree in any of the fields of particular interest to the Foundation, as well as graduate students already in the process of doing so, may apply.

Heart of Texas WTS International Scholarships: (Deadline: November 9, 2009) Helene M. Overly Memorial Scholarship Application for $2,000; Elaine Dezenski – President’s Legacy Scholarship Application for $2,000. The local chapter winners will be eligible for forwarding on the application to the national WTS Scholarship competition.

Sigma Xi Grants-in-Aid Research Program: (Deadlines typically March 15 and October 15--check site for details) 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.

Norman Hackerman Advanced Research Program: (Deadlines for registration and pre-proposal is September 15--check site for details) The Norman Hackerman Advanced Research Program is a competitive peer-reviewed grant program created in 1987 by the 70th Texas Legislature. The purpose of the program is to encourage and provide support to faculty members and students in Texas institutions of higher education, both public and independent, to conduct basic research. Find additional information on the website and the PDF document.

Sandia National Laboratories President Harry S. Truman Fellowship in National Security Science & Engineering: (Deadline is typically December 5--check site for details) Sandia National Laboratories is seeking outstanding Ph.D. candidates to apply for the Harry S. Truman Research Fellowship in National Security Science and Engineering. This initial one-year appointment may be extended, at management’s discretion, for two additional one-year appointments. The salary is $106,600 per year. This position requires a United States Department of Energy Security Clearance, which requires United States Citizenship. The Truman Fellowship provides the opportunity for recipients to pursue independent research of their choosing that supports Sandia’s national security mission. Candidates are expected to have solved a major scientific or engineering problem in their thesis work or will have provided a new approach or insight to a major problem, as evidenced by a recognized impact in their field. Candidates must have a Ph.D. within the past 3 years or, will complete all Ph.D. requirements by commencement of appointment, with a broad-based background and extensive knowledge of research in one or more of the following areas: advanced computing, information systems and mathematics; bioscience and technology; combustion, chemical and earth sciences; engineering sciences; geosciences; intelligent systems and robotics; materials science and technology; microelectronics and microsystems; nano sciences and technology; pulsed power and directed energy; and remote sensing and satellite systems.

Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship (DOE CSGF): Online application for the fellowship for the 2010-2011 academic year will be available in late October 2009. Click here to ask to be notified by email when this happens. The Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship (DOE CSGF) program provides outstanding benefits and opportunities to students pursuing a PhD in scientific or engineering disciplines with an emphasis in high-performance computing.

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

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

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

National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Graduate Research Fellowship http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/funding/graduate-research-fellowship/

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

Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Graduate Fellowship Program http://www.jkcf.org/scholarships/graduate-scholarships/

Jack Kent Cooke Foundation -- Other Funding Resources http://www.jkcf.org/news-knowledge/external-resources/sources-of-graduate-funding/

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

Committee on Institutional Cooperation FreeApp Program (application fee waiver at certain universities) http://www.cic.net/Home/Students/FreeApp/Introduction.aspx

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

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

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

Kauffman Dissertation Fellowship Program http://www.kauffman.org/research-and-policy/kauffman-dissertation-fellowship-program.aspx

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

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.