Funding Graduate Study

Financial assistance available to students in American Studies is, unfortunately, severely limited. Because we are a small program, we have few funds for fellowships, grants, etc. In addition, competitions for continuing fellowships and thematic fellowships, sponsored and funded by the Office of Graduate Studies, are held each year for funds to be awarded in the following academic year. Typically three to four of our continuing students receive these fellowships. The competition for these funds is university-wide and highly competitive. Applicants should have an exceptional academic record and a minimum GPA of 3.5. The committee will also consider letters of recommendation and the personal statement which each applicant is asked to submit. Outlined below are the types of aid that are available and relevant application procedures.

UNIVERSITY FELLOWSHIPS

University Pre-emptive Fellowship is a merit-based recruitment fellowship entitling the recipient to in-state tuition and a nine-month stipend.  For entering graduates only.  Nominations are made to the Graduate School by the American Studies Graduate Program Committee each year during the admissions process.  This fellowship is highly competitive—candidates must rank within the top 10% of the discipline. 

Diversity Recruiting Fellowship is a merit based fellowship entitling the recipient to a nine-month stipend plus a supplement for medical insurance Tuition Benefit Assistance applied toward required tuition and fees.  For entering graduates only. Nominations are made to the Graduate School by the American Studies Graduate Program Committee each year during the admissions process.  This fellowship is highly competitive—candidates must rank within the top 10% of the discipline.

Continuing Fellowship is a merit-based fellowship entitling the recipient to in-state tuition and a nine-month stipend.  For graduate students continuing in the program.  Nominations are voted on by the American Studies faculty and made to the Graduate School late in the fall semester for the following academic year.  The departmental application deadline is usually at the beginning of December.  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.

Professional Development Awards provide partial support for students to attend professional meetings at which they present original papers based on their research.  Priority is given to doctoral candidates.  Contact the graduate coordinator for the form.

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 is $3500 for one year. 

The Stott Family Scholarship is derived from Professor Emeritus William Stott’s generous gift to the Department.  Funds are typically used to provide support for students to attend professional meetings at which they present original papers on their research.  The forms can be picked up from the graduate coordinator.

Other Sources of Funding:

National Resources:

• U.S. Department of Education
• FastWeb Scholarship Search
• The Andrew W. Mellon Fellowships in Humanistic Studies

Dissertation Fellowships:

• American Council of Learned Societies
• The Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans
• Hagley-Winterthur Fellowships in Arts and Industries
• U.S. Department of Education - Jacob K. Javits Fellowship Program
• Winterthur Fellowships
• Woodrow Wilson Fellowship Foundation
• Duke Library Research Grants
• Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History Fellowships in American Civilization

EMPLOYMENT

We encourage students to apply to other UT departments and programs for employment.  In the past, American Studies graduate students have obtained teaching assistantships, graderships, and research assistantships in places such as the Texas State Historical Association, the Athletic Department, the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, the University Writing Center, the Nursing School, and various Engineering programs. Remember, there is an employment limit of 14 long semesters for graduate students appointed in student titles.

If you are interested in seeking employment, contact with American Studies Graduate Coordinator, who will have an up-to-date contact list.

The Office of Student Financial Aid is located in the Student Services Building room 3.200, and their phone number is 475-6282. Applications for long-term financial aid based on financial need are available for grants, scholarships, the College Work-Study Program, and loans.  The office also provides short-term loans and a free part-time job placement service.  

The HireaLongHorn Job Bank is located in the Student Services Building room 3.200, and their phone number is 475-6243.  Off-campus and part-time on-campus jobs are posted along the walls.  To apply, you must be at least a second-semester UT student, or be the spouse of at least a second-semester UT student.  

The University of Texas at Austin Office of Human Resources is located at the North Office Building, 471-1795.  Full and part-time positions are posted.  They also have a temp pool, which serves the UT campus.

The Texas Workforce Commission is located at 6505 Airport Blvd Suite 101. This is a free service for any US citizen or work-authorized alien.  TEC posts full and part-time jobs of all types.

The Governor’s Job Bank is now WorkInTexas.com. Links on the site list job openings throughout Texas. 

Liberal Arts Career Services is located in the Flawn Academic Center, Suite 18.  They have job resources and listings for internships, and part an full-time jobs available for anyone to look at.  There is a fee for graduate students to interview through the center.  

Check the American Studies Job Board on the wall by the office door.  We post all research, writing, and teaching jobs that come our way.

GRANTS

The College of Liberal Arts Grant Services is a centralized source for information on obtaining money for graduate school and thesis/ dissertation research. Appointments are encouraged.  

The Regional Foundation Library (RFL) is located at 1009 East 11th St, Second floor.  The RFL is a branch of The Foundation Center, a library in New York City created thirty years ago especially for grant seekers.  

The main reference room of the Perry Castenada Library (PCL) contains many grant and fellowship directories.  The primary ones are:
               
Call# AS 911 A2 A67 1997
Annual Register of Grant Support, Deanna Sclar and Staff
of Academic Media (eds.), Orange, New Jersey: Academic Media, published yearly.
 
Call# LB 2338 G7 1995-97
The Grants Register, Roland Turner (ed.), New York: St. Martin’s
Press.
 
Call# AS 911 A2 F65 V.19 1997
The Foundation Directory, Ann D. Walton and Marianna O. Lewis
(eds.), New York: Russell Sage Foundation.

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 Graduate Research Assistant, Teaching Assistant, or Assistant Instructor.  We are generally able to hire nine TAs and seven AIs each semester.  Owing to this limited number, our students often try to secure TA positions in other departments.
 
Apply for positions in American Studies or outside of the department anytime after entering the Program.  It is extremely rare for us to be able to offer these types of positions to first and second-year students.
 
Teaching Assistant (TA)
A TA assists a professor with tasks related to a large lecture class. Duties may include holding discussions sections, grading exams and papers, holding regular office hours, and handling questions and problems. Students are limited to, but not guaranteed, four semesters as a TA.  

Graduate Research Assistant (GRA)
A GRA assists a professor with research projects.  
 
Assistant Instructor (AI)
An AI is responsible for organizing and teaching a course of his/her own devising, usually on a topic related to the student’s dissertation research.  An AI must have a master’s degree, experience as a teaching assistant (or equivalent experience), and must have taken a 398T (Supervised Teaching in American Studies) course. Except in very exceptional circumstances, a student must have passed the PhD qualifying oral exam before becoming an assistant instructor.
 
During the fall semester, the Department sends out a call for course proposals, which should be formulated in some detail with the advice of relevant faculty advisers.  Early in the spring semester, the faculty meets to examine proposals and select AIs for the following academic year.  Decisions are based on such considerations as seniority, a student’s performance, the design of the course, and the relevance of the proposed course to the needs of the undergraduate program.  Appointments are generally for half time (20 hours) to teach three sections of thirty students each spread over the two semesters of an academic year (two sections one semester, and one section in the other). Again, each assistant instructor is limited to, but not guaranteed, four semesters of funding.
 
A course may be proposed after completing the master’s degree and passing or scheduling the oral qualifying exam.
 
Applications, Pay, and Enrollment
Contact the Graduate Coordinator to request an application.
 
All positions are awarded by the American Studies faculty on the basis of availability of positions, merit, and seniority.  Should a student decide not to accept a position during a particular semester, this will not necessarily disqualify him or her for subsequent semesters.  However, be advised that there are other qualified students coming up behind you and that an offer one year does not automatically entitled you to the following year.
         
The pay scale for TA, AI, and GRA positions is determined by the Liberal Arts Dean’s Office. Exact figures are available upon request.
 
All TAs and AIs must be enrolled for at least nine hours each semester they are employed (except during summer, when three hours are required for each session of employment). A student must enroll in 398T (“Supervised Teaching”) the semester before he or she begins teaching as an AI. For TAs, 398T is recommended, but not required.
         
Read more about student employment (including requirements).

TEXAS RESIDENCY

Information on Texas residency (FAQ, contacts, how to apply)

From the link above:

"Under Texas state law, an applicant or enrolled student is classified either as a resident of Texas, a nonresident, or a foreign student. Residency for admission and tuition purposes at a public college or university in Texas is different from residency for voting or taxing purposes.
 
To qualify as a Texas resident, an individual must reside in Texas for one year and establish a domicile in Texas prior to enrollment. An applicant or student who is claimed as a dependent on a parent's most recent federal tax return will be classified based on the parent's qualifications for residency."

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.  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.

Read more information about the waiver and fill out an online application form

Non-residents who hold a 20-hour appointment are eligible for in-state tuition and tuition assistance.

TA/AI TUITION ASSISTANCE

TAs, AIs, or GRAs appointed for 50% time are eligible to receive a non-resident tuition waiver as well as tuition assistance.  The assistance amount is paid on a semester basis. Payment is made in a lump-sum, is paid separately from the regular appointment, and is subject to applicable tax withholding.