Financial Support for
Mathematics Graduate Students
MS Students
With few exceptions, there is no financial aid available for students in MS programs in the Mathematics Department. One exception is the MS in the Teaching of Mathematics; students is this program are usually offered two semesters of support in the form of a teaching assistantship. One or two students in the MS in Actuarial Sciences program are also hired as teaching assistants each year. Qualified MS applicants from populations historically underrepresented in graduate study are encouraged to apply for fellowship support from the department.
Other mathematics MS students are occasionally hired as teaching assistants after enrollment, on an as-needed basis each semester. There is no guarantee of employment, so students must be prepared to finance the entire cost of their degree program from other sources. Currently enrolled MS students who wish to be considered as teaching assistants should contact gradoffice@math.uiuc.edu. International students must satisfy the English Proficiency Requirement as measured by the Internet Based TOEFL (iBT), the IELTS, the TSE (Test of Spoken English), or the university-administered EPI (English Proficiency Interview) test to be eligible for consideration as teaching assistants.
Some MS students may qualify for Fellowship support from various sources outside the Department of Mathematics.
Some students find employment elsewhere on campus: see the Graduate Assistantship Clearinghouse.
MS students may apply for student loans through the Office of Student Financial Aid.
Ph.D. Students
Most of our Ph.D. students have financial support from the University of Illinois.
Teaching Assistantships
Most of our Ph.D. students are offered a position as a 50% teaching assistant at the time of admission. A teaching assistantship includes a full tuition waiver (regardless of student's residency classification) and partial fee waiver, as well as a stipend sufficient for living expenses in Champaign-Urbana. The workload is 20 hours per week during the Fall and Spring semesters; students may choose a smaller workload with full tuition waiver and proportionately reduced stipend. The teaching assistantship will be renewed for a total of 6 years, assuming the student is making normal progress in the Ph.D. program.
GAANN Fellowships
Funded by the US Department of Education, GANN Fellowships offer a full tuition waiver and stipend for three years to outstanding students. Fellows are free of teaching duties in the first year, participate in training in teaching during the second year, and do some teaching in the third year. Thereafter, the department will support GAANN fellows as regular teaching assistants for up to three additional years. These fellowships are limited to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and nationals. All U.S. applicants to the Ph.D. program will be considered for GAANN fellowships. In order to qualify, applicants must also submit the FAFSA. The FAFSA can be done after the application for admission. Please be aware that all graduate students are automatically considered independent of their parents for the purpose of the FAFSA.
Illinois Distinguished Fellowships
These prestigious fellowships, funded by the Graduate College of the University of Illinois, carry a full tuition waiver and a stipend for three years. The competition is campus-wide; all Ph.D. applicants will be considered for nomination by the Department of Mathematics.
Graduate College Fellowships for
Underrepresented Students
These fellowships, funded by the Graduate College of the University of Illinois, provide a full tuition waiver and a stipend for one to three years. The competition is campus-wide. Outstanding M.S. and Ph.D. applicants from populations historically underrepresented in graduate study will be nominated for the fellowship by the Department of Mathematics. Such populations include, but are not limited to, people of African-American, Mexican-American, Puerto Rican, and Native American descent. Students from these backgrounds are encouraged to identify themselves in the application so that they may be considered for this fellowship.
Mathematics Department Fellowships
The Mathematics Department has a number of fellowships specifically for Mathematics graduate students, some funded by the Graduate College at the University of Illinois and some by generous donors. All Ph.D. applicants will be considered for these fellowships. Continuing graduate students are also eligible and my compete for a fellowship by submitting the fellowship application form.
Outside Fellowships
If you hold an outside fellowship or other form of financial support such as an NSF Graduate Fellowship, a Fulbright, a Thai Government Scholarship, a Vietnamese Education Foundation Fellowship, etc., please notify us at gradoffice@math.uiuc.edu.
REGS
Research Experiences for Graduate Students (REGS), funded by a National Science Foundation Grant, provides summer stipends for graduate students to engage in mathematical research with Department of Mathematics faculty. Entering students from the US or already holding a U.S. visa may participate in REGS in the summer before they begin graduate studies at the University of Illinois. Please see the REGS webpage for more details.
Research Assistantships
Many senior Ph.D. students are supported as research assistants funded by the thesis adviser's grant funding.
Summer teaching assistantships
All mathematics graduate students may apply for a summer teaching assistantship. These are limited in number. Please note that students holding an academic year teaching assistantship will automatically have a summer tuition waiver, whether or not they hold a summer teaching assistantship.
Other employment on campus
Some mathematics graduate students find employment elsewhere on campus. Please see the Assistantship Clearinghouse.