There are two main types of graduate assistantships available for PhD students:
All graduate students offered assistantships must complete human resource and other training modules before they are processed into the payroll system.
Assistantship positions typically require employment for 20 hours per week. PhD students holding assistantships must be registered full-time, which is defined as at least 9 semester hours during the Fall and Spring semesters, and zero to 6 hours during the summer, depending on the level of summer support (see GA registration requirements). Assistantships terminate upon failure to maintain the minimum enrollment requirement.
For the 2020-2021 academic year, the total compensation for both types of assistantships includes a monthly salary of $2,008 plus payment of tuition and fees to cover the minimum enrollment requirement. Students serving in these roles also are eligible for health insurance benefits.
Most applicants who are accepted for enrollment in the PhD program will receive an offer of assistantship support for the first two academic years, subject to the student’s acceptable performance of assistantship tasks and acceptable academic progress in the PhD program. Historically, the PhD program has been able to provide assistantship support for all enrolled students through the completion of their dissertation research (typically four years).
The School of Public Health has a limited number of scholarships. PhD applicants will receive scholarship application information after all required application materials have been submitted to SOPHAS. Current PhD students are contacted via school email with information about available scholarships and application instructions. Depending on the specific scholarship program, scholarship funds may be used to pay for books, supplies, or other expenses.
PhD students are eligible to participate in the TAMU Graduate Student Travel Awards. This program is supported by the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies (OGAPS), the Texas A&M Association of Former Students, and the George Bush Presidential Library Foundation. The purpose is to help support graduate student domestic and international travel related to conferences, academic presentations, research projects, and internships. For more information, visit: http://ogaps.tamu.edu/Buttons/Funding-Opportunities.
PhD students who have passed their qualifying exams and developed a proposal for their dissertation research may apply for an AHRQ Health Services Research Dissertation Grant. This highly competitive grant program provides funding for up to $40,000 in direct costs over a period of 9 to 17 months. Applicants must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident by the time of the award to apply. Visit the AHRQ program website for more details.
