Financial Assistance
Our Chemistry Graduate Students are offered full assistantships upon entering our program. These assistantships are initially offered for a period of five years but are evaluated each semester to ensure that the student remains in good standing with our department and the Graduate School.The department holds the right to revoke an assistantship at any time.
Assistantships are offered in two forms as described below:
Types of Financial Assistance
- Teaching Assistantships- Teaching is considered an integral part of graduate education; hence, most graduate students receive a teaching assistantship for the first two semesters. These appointments, which require approximately twenty hours per week of service (laboratory or recitation instruction, preparation, grading, etc.), permit the student to carry 12 credits of graduate course work. Students usually find teaching personally rewarding, because it enhances their own understanding of basic chemical principles and allows them to pass this understanding on to others. The Department provides all new teaching assistants comprehensive training before the start of their teaching assignments. All teaching assistantships include tuition remission as well as medical, dental and vision health insurance coverage.
- Research Assistantships- Graduate students are typically supported by research assistantships after the spring semester of their first year. The research assistantship provides more time for creative thinking and independent research, ultimately leading to the PhD thesis and degree. These assistantships are generally paid from funds by various agencies, such as the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Department of Energy and the Department of Defense. All research assistantships include tuition remission as well as medical, dental and vision health insurance coverage.
Student Recognition Awards
The Graduate School recognizes excellence in graduate education through a variety of award programs for students and faculty with funding derived from institutional resources as well as gifts from donors.
Fellowships
The Pennsylvania State University Graduate School and the Eberly College of Science jointly with the doctoral program you applied to offer a number of prestigious fellowships and scholarships to incoming students that provide payment of tuition, a stipend, and a health insurance subsidy for one or more years. These fellowships and scholarships are nationally competitive and celebrate academic excellence, equity and diversity. Fellowship awards range from $2,000 to $4,000. Fellowships are supported entirely by endowments from generous alumni and industrial sponsors.
University Graduate Fellowships (UGF), awarded by the Graduate School, are intended to support recruitment of the very highest caliber prospective students to Penn State’s research doctorate (PhD) programs. These prospects are individuals whose goals are to engage in original research and contribute the new knowledge to their respective fields for the ultimate benefits of the society. Students receiving the University Graduate Fellowships will be designated and recognized as University Graduate Fellows. The fellows will receive a stipend of at least $30,000 for the first academic year, graduate tuition, subsidized health insurance, and all academic fees. In the first year of the program, no TA or RA duties are required. In the second year of the program, you will receive a comparable stipend, but regular TA or RA duties will be required. You will still be eligible for additional summer funding, as described in the departmental offer.
The Dean’s Distinguished Graduate Scholarship (DDGS), awarded by the Dean of the Graduate School, is designed to support recruitment of the very highest caliber prospective students who will contribute to the diversity in graduate education at the institution. Students receiving the Dean’s Distinguished Graduate Scholarship will be designated and recognized as Dean’s Distinguished Graduate Fellows. The fellows will receive an annual stipend of at least $30,000, graduate tuition, subsidized health insurance, all academic fees, for 5 years, contingent upon satisfactory progress. In the first-two years of the program, you will still be eligible to receive the University Graduate Fellowship (or possibly another fellowship), as described above. In the first-year no TA or RA duties are required. For years three through five, this scholarship will top-off the stipend provided by your program to reach a $30,000 stipend. You may still be eligible for additional summer funding, as described in the departmental offer. If you would like to be considered for this scholarship, please respond to the Dean’s office (mum1@psu.edu) by April 2, 2019. Please note that an additional essay may be requested.
The Science Achievement Graduate Scholarships, awarded by the Eberly College of Science and your Department, are designed to support recruitment of the very highest caliber prospective students who also have a demonstrated interest in the advancement of women in the sciences, and for eligibility require an additional interview. Students receiving the Science Achievement Graduate Scholarships will be designated and recognized as Science Achievement Graduate Fellows. The fellows will receive an annual stipend similar to the NSF Graduate Fellowship (currently $34,000), graduate tuition, subsidized health insurance, all academic fees, for 5 years, contingent upon satisfactory progress. In the first year of the program, you will still be eligible to receive the University Graduate Fellowship (or possibly another fellowship), with no TA or RA duties being required, and this scholarship will top-off the UGF amount. This scholarship will also provide up to $3,000 each year for professional travel, purchase of computers, or other professional development needs and activities. You may still be eligible for additional summer funding, as described in the departmental offer. The attached document describes the Science Achievement Graduate Fellows program in more detail. If you would like to be considered for this scholarship, please respond to the Dean’s office (mum1@psu.edu) to request and to schedule a brief interview by April 2, 2019.