Federal investment in doctoral education serves the nation by filling a critical gap that neither states nor industry can fill. Talented students who receive doctoral degrees are a highly mobile national resource, so state governments often are reluctant to invest in graduate students who might not remain in the state. Similarly, corporations find graduate support difficult to justify when they cannot be certain that a student will join the company after attaining the degree, rather than a competitor. When the federal government investments in graduate education, the entire nation reaps the dividends. The federal government provides the vast majority of support to graduate students in the form of research assistantships funded by research grants at NIH, NSF, the Department of Defense, and other federal science agencies. Federal fellowships and traineeships also provide critical support to top graduate students in their fields of study.
How Are Doctoral Students Supported?
Along with their own resources—including family support and student loans—there is a variety of mechanisms for U.S. graduate students to finance their living costs and costs of education.
Traineeships and Training Grants. These awards are block grants made to departments or to interdisciplinary groups for supporting graduate students they select. Along with support for the individual students, the grants help support the graduate education program. Such grants enable academic departments and programs to target particular types of students—such as women and under- represented minorities—or to build programs in new or emerging fields of study. Training grants are found primarily in the biological and physical sciences and engineering.
Individual Fellowships. Fellowships are awarded to individual students, not to institutions. A student can use a fellowship at any school of his or her choice.
Research Assistantships. With a research assistantship, a graduate student receives research training and financial support funded as part of a professor's research grant. The advantage of this type of support for students is that it ensures the focused interest of the faculty advisor in the student's research and provides necessary research supplies and equipment. These grants are found primarily in the biological and physical sciences and engineering.
Teaching Assistantships. As part of preparation for a faculty career, a graduate student may receive a teaching assistantship in which he or she learns how to teach by participating directly in the education of undergraduate students. This may include a variety of experiences, such as leading small discussion groups, developing and grading exams, conducting laboratory sessions, and presenting formal lectures. Teaching assistantships are offered in nearly all disciplines.