Financial Aid

Support from the Department is principally in the form of graduate scholarships, graduate fellowships, and part-time instructorships.  Such support is determined on the basis of academic excellence, student need, and departmental need.  It is, of course, also limited by the funds that the department receives from the Graduate School and from Trinity College of Arts and Sciences.  Students who qualify for financial aid can normally expect six years of support.  In most cases they will begin teaching part-time in the second year as part of their financial package.  Continuation of such support is contingent upon satisfactory academic progress and (in the case of part-time instructors) teaching effectiveness.

Research Assistantships may be available for students to assist faculty members with research projects.  Work/study (a federally funded program) is sometimes available for research-clerical assistance but is limited to students who qualify for need by filing a GAPSFAS form.

Fellowships are reportable as income to the IRS with the exclusion of money spent on tuition, fees, books, and equipment, although the University neither reports nor withholds income taxes except for foreign students.  The student can arrange to have tax withheld by filing a W-4 form.  Research assistantships and teaching assistantships, on the other hand, are both taxable and are reported by the university to the IRS.

After completing the Preliminary Examination, students are eligible for one conference travel fellowship per year from the Graduate School for the purpose of giving a paper at a professional meeting.  After completing the PhD Dissertation Examination (PhDDE), students are also eligible for research abroad support and Graduate School Dissertation Travel Awards.

Opportunities exist for teaching in the summer sessions; application is made to the appropriate Language Program Director.  Assignments are made on the basis of seniority, ability, and previous experience, and are decided by the DGS and the Language Program Director.

The Graduate School has begun a program of competitive summer grants, which will undoubtedly expand.  For the present, the grants are competitive and have been earmarked for students doing dissertation research or write-up.  Under the present system, students can expect to receive a summer grant at least once during their graduate career.