How are most students funded? What kind of financial aid am I eligible for?

Graduate teaching assistantships and research assistantships are the most common forms of financial assistance provided. Beginning doctoral students are usually awarded either a teaching or research assistantship. Advanced students may seek funding through approved and supervised field placements in local organizations. Historically, the School has done an excellent job of covering all doctoral students who request financial aid. The various positions available to doctoral students are described below.

Teaching assistantships (TA positions) typically involve assisting faculty who are teaching large undergraduate courses, statistics courses, or lab courses. TA tasks generally involve grading exams, preparing teaching materials, and meeting with enrolled students to answer questions. TA positions pay approximately $14,000 for 9 months. TAs that are enrolled for 12 or more hours receive a waiver of in-state or out-of-state tuition, excluding student fees.

Research Assistantships (RA positions) are awarded to students through the initiative of individual faculty with external research grant monies. Such positions are competitive and based on consideration of the student’s competencies and fit to the research program. The job requirements include helping faculty members with the various tasks associated with the research enterprise, including data collection, data coding, and statistical analysis. RA position pay varies with each position, but typically pays approximately the same amount as a TA position. RA funding also usually includes a full tuition waiver for all positions above 10 hours per week.

Since 1997, approximately a dozen graduate students have been funded with external grant monies associated with the Kanfer-Ackerman lab. Though funding opportunities change yearly, there is typically availability for at least one RA position each year. Part-time field internships/placements are awarded to students on a competitive basis in collaboration with organizational opportunities. Historically, such placements have been plentiful in the Atlanta area and are filled by advanced I/O students. Pay for each position varies and usually does not include any tuition waiver.