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Financial Aid for Graduate Students

Students who are admitted into the program will receive a letter from the Chair that indicates the level and duration of any support they will receive, the degree toward which the student will be working, and any requirements that may apply.

Support packages for PhD students typically involve a combination of Department Fellowships, GSRA (graduate student research assistantship), GSI (graduate student instructor) and MA (museum assistantship), and include fringe benefits and full tuition waiver. Special rules that apply to other fellowships are explained in the individual letters. The nature of the GSRA/GSI/ MA/Fellowship mix is given great attention, and generally students cannot change these appointments without specific permission from the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies and from their research advisor(s).

Students entering the PhD program with a BS will receive an offer of support for a total of 5 years including fringe benefits and tuition waiver.  For students at the MS level, the duration of support is 2 years, MS students are not required to register for the term in which they graduate (provided no credits are taken). Students entering the PhD program with an MS degree from another institution will receive an offer of support for a total of 4 years. Students who first complete an MS at Michigan will receive three years of support if and when they are admitted to the PhD program (making a total of five years for MS plus PhD).

Fellowships often include summer support for the first summer only.  Beyond the first year all support is for the academic year only, and includes predetermined stipends and fringe benefits as well as a tuition waiver.  Summer support is not guaranteed by the Department, but is arranged with the student’s research advisor(s).  Students should not register for the summer term unless they plan to defend their dissertation outside the grace period (see Rackham Handbook), because they will have to pay tuition. Fringe benefits continue for students who have an appointment for the following fall term or through separate arrangements.  A few Departmental summer appointments that are available (positions in laboratories or the field camp) are arranged through the individual directors of these programs. Further support beyond that required to complete a degree may be covered by a student’s advisor(s) (including benefits and tuition), but is not guaranteed.

In order to receive continued assistance, a student must be in “good standing” (see Rackham Handbook), meet degree requirements (such as passing the required, annual PhD/dissertation committee meetings), perform GSI and/or RA duties acceptably, make adequate progress toward the graduate degree (as judged by the thesis committee), and proceed to candidacy according to schedule (PhD only).

Students should meet with the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies at the beginning of each academic year to confirm their status. Inquiries about the nature of GSRA/MA support should be directed to the student’s research advisor(s).  Questions about GSI and other forms of support should be directed to the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies.

The Rackham Fellowships Office has extensive information about graduate fellowships, grants, and other financial aid at http://www.rackham.umich.edu/Fellowships/.

The Student Financial Operations web page has general information about student accounts, tuition waivers, fees, etc. 

Questions? Contact the Geological Sciences Graduate Admissions Office.