Graduate schools in the sciences typically provide teaching or research assistantships to incoming PhD students, which cover tuition and offer a small salary that is subject to taxation. In contrast, fellowships, often provided by external organizations such as the National Science Foundation (NSF) or NASA, require separate applications and are generally not taxed. Applicants who do not receive assistantship offers should reconsider their choice of program, as these positions are crucial for financial support during graduate studies.
PREREQUISITESProspective graduate students in the sciences, particularly those considering PhD programs, as well as academic advisors and financial aid officers seeking to understand funding options for graduate education.
eri said:Graduate schools in the sciences will typically give teaching or research assistantships to incoming PhD students. If you don't get an offer like this, you probably shouldn't go to that program. Those will pay your tuition and pay a small salary as well, but are taxed. Fellowships are often not taxed and offered through other organizations instead of the school, like NSF or NASA. Those you have to apply to separately.