Financial Aid for Political Science Students

 

The Department of Political Science provides a number of opportunities for financial support. Students are eligible to receive Teaching Assistantships, Department Scholarships, Summer Research and Training Scholarships, and support to attend political science conferences. Applications for these forms of financial aid are available through the Departmental Forms and Graduate Handbook link. Applicants to the Ph.D. or M.A.-Ph.D. program are considered for Teaching Assistantships and Department Scholarships automatically and do not need to submit another application form. Students may also apply for scholarship offered by the Graduate School at Texas Tech University and for Federal Financial Aid through the Texas Tech Financial Aid Office.

Teaching Assistantships

The primary form of financial aid available to graduate students in the Department of Political Science is the Teaching Assistantship (T.A.). Teaching assistants assist faculty teaching courses, hold office hours, grade exams and papers, and, on occasion, teach their own classes. T.A.'s are part-time appointments (20 hours a week) and receive a monthly stipend over the course of a 9-month appointment for the academic year (September to May). On occasion, the Department will be able to offer Summer T.A. appointments. T.A. appointments are made on a yearly basis and students must reapply every year to be considered for funding.

The Department of Political Science has set the stipend level for incoming students at $16,500 for 9-month TA assignments. The Department will also have the ability to hire several online graders with a $11,000 stipend for 9 months. All TAs and graders will also receive a tuition waiver that covers most of the costs of tuition. The department also provides graduate students with an opportunity to work as a TA or a grader during summer with a $4,000 salary.

Department Scholarships

Annually, the Department of Political Science bestows 6-8 scholarships to recognize exemplary academic achievements among graduate students. Furthermore, exceptional performance in graduate research and teaching assistantship by graduate students is recognized through various awards with monetary prizes.  

Summer Research and Training Fellowships

Based on the availability of funding, the Department offers Summer Research and Training Fellowships. These fellowships are designed to provide resources for students who need additional training or to conduct research over the summer. In the past, the Department has funded students to attend both methods and language training programs at other universities.

Conference Support

The department offers each student a stipend to defray the travel and hotel costs while participating at a political science conference each year. Students who apply for Department funds are also required to apply to the Graduate School for conference travel support. Currently, the department supports graduate students' travel for research presentations in professional conferences up to $1,000 per year.

Fellowships for Incoming Students

The Graduate School and the College of Arts and Science will be awarding several graduate fellowships to highly qualified applicants. Currently available fellowships include Helen Jones Graduate Fellowship ($4000 for four years), Distinguished Graduate Student Assistantship ($25,000 for four years, with the stipend included, contingent upon satisfactory academic progress), Graduate Recruitment Fellowship ($5000 per year for four years for Ph.D. students and for two years for master's students), and Diversity Recruitment Fellowship ($4000 per year for four years for Ph.D. students and for two years for master's students, and a $500 research/travel allowance).

International Students' Health Insurance

The department offers financial assistance covering a substantial portion of health insurance costs for international graduate students.