Pregraduate Advising Office Pregraduate Advising Office Arts & Sciences and Trinity College Duek University

Graduate Student Stipends

In research intensive universities, Ph.D. students typically receive fellowships for at least part of their graduate career.  The fellowships cover tuition and most fees, and contribute to living expenses through a nine- or twelve-month living stipend.  Awards may be made by the Graduate School division, some reserved for entering students and others reserved for more advanced students.  Awards may also be made by the specific department or program of admission.  For competitive awards decided during the admission process, your application will be judged on the basis of the quality of your undergraduate academic record, on the evidence of your ability to do research and on your promise of becoming a productive scholar.

Some fellowships are endowed awards unique to the institution, and these may have no obligation for teaching or research service.  Other awards are made with consideration for the educational benefit to the student of teaching or research assistance within the institution.  A graduate program strives to award funds equitably so that students receiving national fellowships do not receive institutional fellowships at the same time. 

Fellowship stipends vary widely, but institutions usually attempt to meet the cost of living in the area.  National fellowship stipends may be higher.  Some examples of stipend levels for certain 2005-06 graduate fellowships: 

  • Stanford - $27,500 (12 months);
  • Yale - minmum of $18,000 annually with funding guaranteed for four years and including comprehensive health care;
  • U.C. Berkeley - $16,000-20,000 which may be supplemented by the graduate department with a teaching or research fellowship;
  • U. Michigan (Rackham School of Graduate Studies) - $25,000 (12 months) ;
  • National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship - $30,000 (12 months). 

The tuition component of a fellowship for a degree candidate is not taxable income for U.S. citizens and permanent residents; the stipend component of a fellowship is taxable whether or not the institution withholds federal and state tax from monthly checks. Loans are not taxable income.