Funding Opportunities

Graduate Assistantships and Fellowships

Graduate assistantships are available to qualified full-time, degree-seeking students who are making satisfactory progress toward their degree. There are several types of assistantships:

• Additional On-Campus Employment for Graduate Assistant Request
• Teaching Assistants
• Research Assistants
• Administrative Assistants
• Residential Life Assistants
• Peaceworker Assistants
• Dissertation Fellowships (right-click and save to download 'up-to-date' document)
• Meyerhoff Graduate Fellows Program
• External Fellowships
• UMBC Chess Scholarships

Applications for teaching and research assistantships should be made directly to the program in which you are studying. Applications for other assistantships should be made to the sponsoring office. If you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, you must annually complete and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as a part of your application for an assistantship.

Detailed information about assistantships and their responsibilities, benefits and stipend levels is available in the Graduate Assistant Handbook.

Problems related to tuition remission for Graduate Assistantships should be addressed to the Graduate School. If you have not received tuition remission correctly, please do one of the following:

• If you did not submit your tuition remission form when you registered for classes your account will still reflect out-of-state tuition. Please submit your tuition remission form to your department immediately.
• If you have submitted your tuition remission form, check myUMBC for the most current status of your bill. Tuition remission forms go through several departments, and printed bills are not sent out after each change.
• If the tuition remission form has been submitted and your account has not been updated, please send your name and student ID number to Kathy Miller at katmille@umbc.edu or Patricia Watson at patricia@umbc.edu. She will update your account based on the most current tuition remission form she has received, and e-mail you the results of the adjustment.

Graduate Assistantship Forms

Minimum Stipend Levels                     Which Tuition Remission Form to Use?

• Award Letter (.docx), Award Letter (.doc)
• UMBC Graduate Assistant Tuition Remission Form
• USM Tuition Remission Form
• Graduate Assistant Health Insurance Enrollment
• Required Graduate Assistantship Course

Funding for Graduate Assistant Research and Travel
The Graduate Student Association (GSA) provides funds to assist graduate students in the development, conduct and presentation of their research.

Fellowships, Loans and Financial Aid
The PROMISE website has information about grants, fellowship opportunities and other sources of loans.

The UMBC Center for Women and Information Technology maintains a listing of information about funding opportunities for female students.

Information about federally subsidized and unsubsidized loans, the federal work-study program and other forms of need-based assistance is available from the UMBC Office of Financial Aid. U.S. citizens and permanent residents who wish to apply for financial assistance must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Many websites exist that provide information on the major graduate fellowships. Learn more about these excellent sources of funding information.

More Detailed Financial Information
For more details about financing your graduate studies, contact the program to which you are applying or in which you are already enrolled. You can also find more detailed information in the Graduate School Catalog.

Part-time on-campus and off-campus jobs are posted in the Office of Career Development and Placement.