Funding
The College of Liberal Arts now offers guaranteed funding packages of 6 years to PhD students. These packages come from a combination of departmental teaching assistant/assistant instructor positions and fellowship years. Funding offers are made with admission to the program.
The Department of American Studies awards departmental fellowships to graduate students each year. The faculty make decisions after a thorough review of student proposals. Variable amounts are dispersed for recruitment, archival research and completion of the dissertation. Archival research awards typically range between $1,000 and $3,000 while more substantial recruitment or dissertation fellowships are valued between $25,000 and $30,000.
Professional Development Awards provide partial support for students to attend professional meetings at which they present original papers based on their research. In addition, the Stott Family Scholarship is derived from Professor Emeritus William Stott’s generous gift to the Department. Funds of up to $500 are typically used to provide support for students to attend professional meetings at which they present original papers on their research.
The Louann Atkins Temple Endowed Presidential Scholarship in American Studies is derived from a generous alumni gift to the Program. Nominations are made and voted on by the American Studies faculty on the basis of academic merit. Registration for nine hours is required. The award ranges between $2500 and $3500 for one year.
The Graduate School awards a number of college and departmental fellowships based on nominations from departments.
Recruitment fellowships are prestigious awards funded by the Graduate School to attract top-quality graduate students to The University of Texas at Austin. Graduate advisers have the vital role of identifying and nominating eligible applicants. To be eligible, students may not be currently or previously enrolled in the Graduate School, and must rank within the top 10 percent of all students in their discipline.
Continuing University Fellowships managed through the Graduate School are merit-based fellowships typically awarded to students in doctoral candidacy for completion of the dissertation. Nominations are voted on by the American Studies faculty and made to the Graduate School. The departmental application deadline is usually in the middle of the fall semester. Awards are based on major accomplishments since entering Graduate School, a well-defined program of research, strong personal statement, and letters of recommendation. Financial need will be considered.
Each year, the department nominates eligible students for thematic recruitment fellowships offered in the College of Liberal Arts (COLA). These multi-year fellowship packages typically offer four years of substantial funding: two years of fellowship and two years of academic employment as a teaching assistant in the department. COLA also provides opportunities for departments to nominate one recruitment candidate and one doctoral candidate for substantial multi-year fellowships.
COLA actively encourages the procurement of external federal and non-federal grants and fellowships. Their team of experienced grant administrators provides personalized support services to faculty and graduate students interested in seeking external resources for research and instruction. They provide both pre-award services (grant preparation and submission) and post-award services (administration of awarded grants and contracts).
- Liberal Arts Research Support Services
- Liberal Arts Monthly Grants Digest sign-up
- Pivot - Funding Opportunity Database
- Humanities Institute Graduate Student Funding list
- Texas Grants Resource Center
National Funding Resources:
- U.S. Department of Education
- FastWeb Scholarship Search
- American Studies Association Fellowships listings
Find a list of external fellowships on the Graduate School website or a partial list below:
- Texas State Historical Association Fellowships
- Smithsonian Institution Fellowships & Internships
- American Council of Learned Societies
- The Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans
- Hagley-Winterthur Fellowships in Arts and Industries
- Winterthur Fellowships
- Woodrow Wilson Fellowship Foundation
- Duke Library Research Grants
- Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History Fellowships in American Civilization
- American Association of University Women
Teaching Assistants, Assistant Instructors, and Graduate Research Assistants
One of the primary sources of financial aid for many graduate students is a position in an academic department as a Teaching Assistant, Assistant Instructor, or Graduate Research Assistant. We are generally able to hire ten TAs and six AIs each semester, and TAs can also work for other departments in the College. Students working as a 20-hour/week TA or AI receive a monthly salary and their tuition is completely covered through the Tuition Reduction Benefit and Non-Resident Tuition Waiver (see below). Students working as a 20-hour/week GRA also receive a monthly salary and may receive tuition assistance, but it is not guaranteed and varies by position. Additional information about working as a TA/AI/GRA can be found here.
TA/AI Tuition Reduction Benefit
The Tuition Reduction Benefit (TRB) refers to resident (in-state) tuition coverage that is provided to students as a benefit of their employment as teaching assistants (TAs) and assistant instructors (AIs). The TRB does not pay out directly to the student, but instead is applied to the student’s tuition bills.
Texas Residency
Texas law classifies each person who applies for admission to a Texas public college or university as:
• A resident of Texas;
• A nonresident; or
• A foreign (international) student.
How you’re classified is important because it determines whether you pay non-resident tuition rates or in-state rates, which are lower. Being a resident also qualifies you to apply for financial aid awarded by the state.
Non-resident Tuition Waivers
Students who are not residents of Texas when they begin graduate study are subject to non-resident tuition fees. There are, however, a few circumstances in which the student may qualify for resident tuition rates, including employment as a TA or AI. Although the student remains classified as a non-resident, the difference between the non-resident and the resident tuition rate is waived for the semester/s in which the waiver applies.
Non-resident students may also be eligible for a waiver of the non-resident portion of tuition if they have been awarded competitive academic scholarships of $1000 or more for the academic year. They must have competed with other students, including Texas residents, for the scholarship, and the scholarship must have been awarded by an officially recognized scholarship committee. There are a very limited number of these waivers available each year.
Health Insurance
The University of Texas at Austin offers multiple high-quality insurance options to its graduate student employee populations. Eligibility to participate in these plans will depend on your job profile, the length of your employment period, and your scheduled weekly hours. Graduate students who are receiving fellowships can also participate in UT's student health insurance plans, and some fellowships include a stipend to offset the cost of purchasing coverage. More information here.
Financial Aid
For students who need additional financial support beyond fellowships or assistantships, financial aid is available. Graduate students at The University of Texas at Austin may apply for federal, state and institutional financial aid programs administered by the Office of Financial Aid by completing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
