Financial Aid Information

We offer 5 years of support to all incoming graduate students, beginning their first fall semester, and continuing for at least 7 additional semesters, provided the student makes satisfactory academic progress and carries out duties acceptably as graduate assistants. The support you receive may vary from year to year between assistantships and lectureships. For students' first four semesters here, the department supplements their support with an additional $1,000.

Fellowships

Every applicant to our graduate program for fall semester will be considered for admission with a fellowship. On average, about 4 fellowships are offered to new students each fall. Fellowships are highly competitive. They are awarded only to students with excellent academic backgrounds, outstanding letters of reference and a writing sample of the highest quality.

Currently, the amount of a fellowship is $14,688 for the academic year. Most fellowships last for only one year. They always include exemption from paying tuition, and health insurance. After the term of their fellowship, students are employed as teaching or project assistants.

Assistantships

Novice teaching or project assistants can expect to earn approximately $4,700 their first semester, for 15-20 hours of work per week. As TAs gain experience, their pay per semester increases. These positions include exemption from paying tuition and health insurance.

Note to International Students

Please be advised that all students who are not U.S. citizens must prove that they have the financial means to live and study in the United States for 5 years, before they are granted a visa. The total amount you must currently prove, to begin in fall 2005, is approximately $150,000. If you subtract the amount of our 5 year promise of support, which includes tuition remission and free health insurance, there is still a balance of roughly $15,000 to $20,000 for food, transportation, clothing, etc., that you need, and must prove that you have in your own funds, before securing a visa. For this reason, many fine international students are not able to study at our university, due to lack of personal funds.

For an explanation of this policy, see: http://info.gradsch.wisc.edu/admin/admissions/financialinfo.html

Additional Financial Aid

Citizens of the United States and permanent residents should contact Student Financial Services for more information on eligibility, how and when to apply, and types of aid. Their phone number is 608-262-3060, and their website is: http://www.finaid.wisc.edu/