Publication: Housing and the Cost of Living for Graduate Students 2007-08
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In assessing your financial position during the time you expect to be at Princeton, it may be helpful to know about the availability of fellowships, assistantships, and other forms of financial aid. The following kinds of support may be available to you once you have begun your graduate work at the University. Availability and types of support vary by department.
University fellowships are offered during the admission process. Once you have been admitted and begin graduate study, you may want to investigate non-University fellowship opportunities. Information on governmental, corporate, and private foundations or fellowships may be obtained from listings on the Graduate School Web site at www.gradschool.princeton.edu.
Students may be asked by their departments to accept a position as an assistant in instruction or research. An assistant in instruction usually serves as a preceptor or a laboratory instructor in freshman- and sophomore-level undergraduate courses. A full-time assistant in instruction receives a stipend for carrying a teaching load of six contact hours per week per term, which normally requires 20 hours of effort per week. Assistantships in research are awarded almost exclusively in the natural sciences and engineering. Graduate students who serve in this capacity assist faculty members doing research, either on the main campus or at Forrestal. These positions provide students with excellent research experience, and normally comprise research for the dissertation. A full-time assistant in research receives a stipend for 20 hours of research per week during the 10-month academic year.
Part-time appointments in either assistantship category are common types of support in many departments.
Summer assistantships in research are also available in the natural sciences and engineering departments.
If a student experiences financial difficulty, he or she may apply for a loan. The Graduate School can grant loans only to cover the cost of education and for essential purposes. Expenses such as car payments or vacation travel are not usually considered essential. Contingency loans are designed to assist students in coping with unexpected financial emergencies. They are short-term loans ($500 limit) that are repayable by the end of the spring term in any given academic year, usually by deduction from stipend checks. Long-term loans, payable after departure from the Graduate School, are intended to help students cover their cost of education during the academic year if resources prove inadequate. Long-term loans under the Federal Stafford Loan Program, for up to $8,500 subsidized, up to $10,000 unsubsidized, and up to $6,000 under the Perkins Loan Program, are available only to eligible U.S. citizens and permanent residents. Students in science and engineering who intend to pursue teaching careers may also be eligible for up to $3,000 under the Ford Foundation Engineering Loan Program. International students are eligible for private education loans, short-term loans and the Ford Foundation Engineering Loan Program. For additional information on these loan programs, contact the Office of the Dean of the Graduate School, Clio Hall, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544; call 609-258-3028 or 3029; or visit the web at www.gradschool.princeton.edu.
The Graduate School believes that part-time employment may hinder students’ progress toward the completion of their studies, but it also recognizes that such employment may become an increasingly important option for those having financial difficulties. If a student and the department (for instance, the director of graduate studies and the student’s adviser) judge that employment is both manageable and necessary, the student may work. If, however, a teaching or a research assignment is available in the department, the student must accept that rather than apply for an off-campus position. If there is not any work available, he or she may then apply independently or through the student employment office for employment of some other kind on campus. Graduate students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents may be eligible to participate in the Federal Work-Study Program. The United States government requires that a student show financial need before being allowed to participate. All applicants must, therefore, submit a needs analysis form. For further information, prospective students should visit www.gradschool.princeton.edu. The University’s Office of Human Resources is available to spouses of graduate students who seek jobs in the University community; visit www.princeton.edu/hr. The Greater Princeton Chamber of Commerce, 9 Vandeventer Avenue, Princeton, New Jersey 08542 (telephone: 609-520-1776, web: princetonchamber.org), publishes “Princeton Area Life,” a relocation guide, and “Visitors Guide.” Note that the Immigration and Naturalization Service does not permit F-2 dependents of international students on F-visas to work under any circumstances.