The primary sources of funding for doctoral students are assistantships and fellowships. Some master’s and specialist students are also eligible for assistantships and fellowships. Assistantships offer professional experience, academic training, and financial support for students pursuing advanced degrees. Fellowships may provide payment to the University in lieu of tuition and/or small stipends to cover living expenses. Fellowships allow students time to focus on their academic programs, creative works, and scholarly pursuits, separate from any responsibilities required for an assistantship. The University has some single and multi-year competitive fellowships, primarily for newly admitted students and doctoral candidates. In addition, there are numerous highly competitive external fellowships for which students can apply to fund a significant portion of their graduate program. We encourage all students who are eligible to apply for an external fellowship prior to or during their graduate studies.