A major concern of most applicants is money. Every university has its own particular fellowship package, and students should be very careful to look beyond the initial dollar-sign and into the nature of the support offered and how it will change over the years.   Fellowships at Princeton are awarded by the Graduate School at large, not by the Department, and they are based on ability and promise. A fellowship (normally includes) full tuition plus a stipend; all stipends are now paid out over 12 months, guaranteeing support over the summer.  All students receive essentially the same fellowship support, and we are financially competitive with all major graduate programs.  Students are also urged to apply for certain outside funding (for example, Javits Fellowships).

Unlike most other programs, Princeton tacitly guarantees support at the original level for all fellowship holders for the full five years of their enrollment, assuming they demonstrate satisfactory academic progress. Each year the Graduate School is able to offer a modest increase to those who demonstrate satisfactory progress. Because of these and other opportunities--for summer funding, generous teaching stipends, and other departmental and special interest funds such as the Dean's Fund for Scholarly Travel -- most students receive higher levels of support as their program of study progresses. This means no student must renegotiate the package, and no student has at any time been required to teach, grade, or otherwise assist the faculty to earn or supplement the stipend. We feel that this no-strings support is crucial if students are to complete their preliminary work and dissertation in a reasonable amount of time.

Students who pass the general examination are regularly asked to teach as part-time assistants in instruction (see Teaching); while acting as AIs (normally for two or three semesters), they are paid at a rate somewhat higher than the stipend rate.

Any student who wishes and qualifies for work-study, whether during the term or over the summer, will be strongly supported by the Department. The Graduate School has never yet denied any eligible candidate the opportunity to participate in the work-study program.

Finally, all students in their fourth year are eligible for nomination for prestigious and well-endowed dissertation fellowships such as the Whiting and the Procter.  Classics graduate students typically fare very well in this competition.