Admission to the graduate program does not automatically include financial support. Students can apply for various fellowships and assistantships. Students who obtain university support for their graduate education in the form of teaching or research assistantships receive direct and indirect benefits from the university. The most important indirect benefit is the tuition waiver. Continuation of past funding is always contingent on availability of funds.

1. M.S. Students
   Students initially admitted to the M.S. program do not normally receive funding as teaching or research assistants.
2. Ph.D. Students
   1. Students are eligible for financial support if they are in good standing with the department. To be in good standing, the student must maintain a 3.29 GPR or higher, satisfactorily perform in assigned duties as an assistant, and must progress normally toward the degree. Normal progress guidelines are discussed in a preceding section.
   2. The requirements listed in (1) above are minimum requirements; it is not guaranteed that all students who meet the above criteria will be funded. Failure to remain in good standing will result in the loss of financial support for at least one semester. When a student returns to good standing, the department will consider restoring funding, but it is not guaranteed.
   3. Students may appeal to the Director of Graduate Programs for a waiver or postponement of the requirements in (1) above. The Director of Graduate Programs will make a decision in consultation with the Head of the Department on the merits of the particular case.
   4. Students beyond their fifth year will not be funded under normal circumstances. The exceptions are when the Department is in need of teaching assistance or other special needs, or when a faculty member offers a research assistantship from his/her grants or other non-departmental assistantship funds. For the purpose of this rule, students who start the Ph.D. program in the spring semester will be treated the same as the students who start in the previous fall semester.
3. Duties:
   1. Most funded students will be either teaching assistants or research assistants. Work schedules will be arranged with a faculty supervisor. Students are expected to work 20 hours per week throughout the semester including the final examination weeks. The only exception is during official University holidays. Adequate performance in the assigned work is necessary for continued support; students performing poorly may lose their assistantship. Students assigned to the Tutoring Lab must work as scheduled or find a replacement. No exceptions!
   2. Graduate students who are teaching must hold at least three hours of office hours each week throughout the entire semester.
4. Registration Requirements and Tuition Waivers
   1. Minimum Credit Hours
      Students on an assistantship of any kind must enroll for at least 9 credit hours during the Fall or Spring semesters. Students on assistantship of any kind in the summer must enroll for 3 credit hours during each five week summer session or 6 credit hours for the ten week summer session. Fellowships and scholarships may have different minimum registration requirements. When in doubt, check with the Department’s Graduate Office. Remember: If you are getting paid, you must be enrolled for the minimum hours required.
   2. Tuition Waivers
      Out-of-state tuition waivers are issued separately for each semester and each summer session. If you receive an assistantship or fellowship that carries a waiver of out-of-state tuition, please see the graduate secretary. She will process your waiver electronically.

Possible Funding Opportunities

Bradley Fellows Program - The Bradley Fellows Program supports two outstanding 4th year Ph.D. students working on their dissertation research with a monthly stipend for 12 months.  All third year Ph.D. students are encouraged to apply in the spring semester of their third year of study.  The Department will put out a reminder along with instructions for those applying for this award.  The application will require submission of a research proposal.  Applications are reviewed by a committee of faculty.  This fellowship carries a waiver of out-of-state tuition for the recipient during the period of the award.

Bradley Scholarships - Bradley Scholarships provide a one-time stipend (usually $1000) to support Ph.D. students in the Department of Economics.  These scholarships carries carry a waiver of out-of-state tuition for the recipient for the fall, spring and summer semesters if it is awarded in the fall semester, and for the spring and summer semesters if it is awarded in the spring semester.  The scholarship committee reviews all applicants and awards the scholarship on a competitive basis to students who are not funded by the university or other agencies.  Students who are currently in the Ph.D. program must be a full time graduate student in good standing in the Department of Economics, meet the departmental expectations in academic progress toward the Ph.D. degree, and demonstrate good citizenship in the department.  These are minimum requirements; it is not guaranteed that all students who meet the above criteria will be awarded a scholarship.  The scholarship is also available on a competitive basis to new students who have been admitted to the Ph.D. program and have excellent academic credentials but are not funded through other scholarship or assistantship programs.

Korean Economics Alumni Merit Scholarship - This scholarship is funded by the members of the Korean Economics Alumni Association and offers a lump sum payment of $1,000, and waiver of out-of-state tuition. It will be awarded in August to a first year student who has no funding from the department and has passed both qualifying exams.

PERC Summer Fellowship -  PERC awards two to three fellowships to support outstanding 2nd year Ph.D. students doing research in the summer. Recipients are expected to spend two summer months on a project, produce a working paper and present a seminar. Recipients must be enrolled for at least one summer term.

Gail Frey Monson Memorial  Scholarship - The Monson Memorial Scholarship provides a one‑time stipend of $500 to a fourth-year female Ph.D. student in the Department of Economics.  Applicants must be full time graduate students in good standing in the Department of Economics, have been admitted to Ph.D. candidacy, and demonstrate good citizenship in the department. Applicants must submit the following materials to the Scholarship Committee: (a) a cover letter, (b) a copy of her vita, (c) a copy of her dissertation proposal, and (d) a letter from her main advisor concerning student’s eligibility and qualification for the award. Letters from other members of the student's advisory committee are not required, but are encouraged.

S. Charles Maurice Graduate Fellowship in Economics - This fellowship is established by a generous gift from Niccie L. McKay, wife of late Professor S. Charles Maurice.  This scholarship (typically $2,500) is for a 4th year Ph.D. student in Economics.  Submit a letter of nomination from the chair of the advisory committee, papers and other supporting materials by April 15.

Joan Shin Research Award - This award of $1,000 is given to a 5th year student to recognize outstanding achievement in research. Applicants must submit a letter of nomination from their advisor and their research papers by October 1.  (Winners of Maurice Fellowship are excluded)

Joan Shin Merit Scholarship - This scholarship offers a lump sum of $1,000, and it provides the waiver of out-of-state tuition.  It will be awarded in August to a first year Ph.D. student in economics not otherwise funded by the department or any other public sources.

Chinese Faculty Merit Scholarship - This scholarship offers a lump sum of $1,000 to one or more new Ph.D. students who have no funding from the department or any other public sources.  The scholarship provides the waiver of out-of-state tuition.

Tutoring - Each semester the department puts together a list of names of students who wish to tutor (see the graduate secretary if you are interested.) However, under no circumstances shall an economics instructor, for a fee, tutor a student taking the same course the instructor is teaching. For example, instructors in 202 are paid to teach 202 classes and hold office hours for 202 students. If 202 students need extra instruction they should be sent to the tutoring lab. If 202 students request private tutoring, then they should be directed to graduate students on the tutoring list who are not teaching 202.