Graduate Assistantships, Fellowships, and Scholarships

Financial aid in the form of teaching and research assistantships, fellowships, and scholarships is availabale for qualified applicants who are admitted to the graduate program in Computer Science or interdepartmental graduate programs such as Bioinformatics and Computational Biology that offer research-based graduate training for Computer Scientists at Iowa State University. Competition for financial aid is intense and award decisions are based on a careful evaluation of all of the applicants who have been admitted to the graduate program.

Graduate Assistantships

The Computer Science Department offers a limited number of assistantships to highly qualified applicants admitted to our graduate program. Available assistantships vary yearly.

First year students receive a stipend of $1450 per month. Students completing MS requirements receive $1,500 per month and those passing the Ph.D. preliminary examination receive $1550. Graduate assistants are assessed resident tuition http://www.iastate.edu/~registrar/fees/ and receive a tuition scholarship http://www.grad-college.iastate.edu/news/tuitionrates.html and enrollment in the student health insurance plan http://www.public.iastate.edu/%7Ehealth/resources.htm. A quarter time (1/4) assistantship is 10 hours per week; a half time (1/2) is 20 hours per week. All graduate students MUST maintain a minimum of grade point average of 3.0 and take no more than 12 credits each semester. Computer Science does not currently offer graduate courses during summer sessions.

Graduate Teaching Assistantships

All students admitted to our graduate program are considered for teaching assistantships. There is no separate application for teaching assistantships. Continued support is subject to satisfactory performance of TA duties (which include, but not limited to, grading, conducting recitation or student help sessions, occasional classroom instruction, and general instructor and course support). Currently enrolled students may refer to the Graduate Teaching Assistantship Application Website for detailed information.

Graduate Research Assistantships

Exceptionally meritorious applicants admitted to the Computer Science Ph.D. program whose applications offer strong evidence of research potential are considered for a limited number of graduate college funded research assistantships. These research assistantships usually support the students in the first year of their graduate study during which they are expected to participate in and contribute to the research program of a faculty mentor of their choice. Funding in subsequent years is subject to satisfactory academic progress towards a Ph.D. in Computer Science and satisfactory performance of the research assistantship duties which usually include performing research that is jointly agreed upon by the student and the faculty mentor. Continued funding can be in the form of a teaching assistantship offered by the department, a research assistantship offered by the faculty mentor, or a combination of both.

Most students in the graduate program are considered for research assistantships by their faculty mentors (major professors) as and when funds become available through research projects that are supervised by the professors. In most cases, the award of such assistantships is based on the student's academic and research performance in the graduate program at ISU under the supervision of the faculty mentor.

Exceptionally well-qualified students with clearly defined research interests are occasionally able to obtain research assistantship offers from professors who have funded projects in areas of mutual interest prior to their arrival on campus. It is highly inadvisable for graduate students to seek or accept research assistantships in areas other than the ones in which they plan to focus their graduate studies.

Additional Funding Sources for U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents

Often, U.S. citizens and permanent residents who have been admitted to the graduate program in Computer Science or a related interdepartmental graduate program may qualify for fellowships or traineeships funded by training grants. During 2005-2010 there are several graduate fellowships available to applicants interested in research-based graduate training in Bioinformatics and Computational Molecular Biology. These fellowships are funded by an Integrative Graduate Education and Research Training (IGERT) grant from the National Science Foundation. These fellowships have a duration of 1-3 years and provide a stipend of $30,000 per year. In addition, tuition, fees, and health insurance are paid for the duration of the fellowship. Funds for textbooks and scientific journals, computer software and hardware, short courses, internships, travel, and related expenses are also available.

Other funding opportunities may be available for qualified female and minority applicants who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. The Department of Computer Science will make every effort to forward applications from qualified candidates whole interests match the focus of such training programs to the respective selection committees at ISU for evaluation. However, qualified and interested applicants are encouraged to contact the programs directly. A list of current opportunities that the Computer Science Department is aware of are available at http://www.cs.iastate.edu/gradadm/.

Finding Financial Aid After Arrival on Campus

U.S. citizens and permanent residents who are admitted to the graduate program without financial aid are often able to find part-time employment (e.g., as programmers) either on campus or off campus in local companies. International students who do not receive an assistantship offer prior to their arrival on campus are occasionally able to find an assistantship after their arrival at ISU. However, under NO circumstances, is it advisable for such students to assume that they will be able to find financial aid after arriving on campus.

Requirements for Maintaining Funding

In addition to the requirement of satisfactory performance of responsibilities associated with teaching or research assistantships or fellowships, continuation of funding of students admitted to the Ph.D. program beyond the first year is subject to satisfactory academic progress in the Ph.D. program. Similarly, continuation of funding of students admitted to the M.S. program is subject to satisfactory academic progress in the M.S. program.

Corrections and updates to this page should be directed to webmaster@cs.iastate.edu.