Auburn University provides opportunities for funding your graduate education in three main ways: graduate assistantships, graduate fellowships and financial aid. We understand the significant investment in your future and are here to help support you in a variety of ways. Explore funding opportunities below.
The majority of graduate assistantships are awarded through a student’s home academic department and are highly competitive for high-achieving students. An assistantship comes with a monthly stipend for campus employment in teaching, research or other areas, automatic enrollment in the graduate student health insurance plan at a reduced rate and may be eligible for a tuition fellowship. We recommend you read your department’s website carefully if you wish to be considered for an assistantship. Some departments offer assistantships based on the admissions application and other departments require additional steps. Please contact the Graduate Program Officer (GPO) for specific questions about a graduate assistantship in your area of study.
Non-academic assistantships are offered through business and support units across campus, which require application through the student job postings listed through the Auburn University Human Resources department.
The Office of Student Affairs hosts Placement for Graduate Assistants (PGA), Auburn’s annual interview day — typically held in March — that provides current and prospective graduate students the opportunity to interview for graduate assistantships and learn more about our campus and resources.
The Auburn University Graduate School administers two internal competitive fellowship programs for high-achieving doctoral students: The Presidential Graduate Research Fellowship (PGRF) and the Presidential Graduate Opportunity Program (PGOP). Both of these fellowship programs are a part of a focused initiative to enhance the profiles of Auburn University’s doctoral and terminal (professional) degree graduates as academic and societal leaders. The programs also aim to to elevate Auburn University’s research and scholarly profile by attracting outstanding students for doctoral studies. Both programs require faculty nomination and have early spring semester deadlines for incoming students starting in fall semester at the beginning of an academic year.
Auburn University individually mentors and supports interested students from all academic disciplines in the prestigious scholarship application process. These awards will not only help fund your advanced undergraduate or graduate studies, but raise your visibility among academic peers and enhance your professional opportunities in graduate school and beyond.
At Auburn, we believe financial barriers should never hinder your pursuit of knowledge and personal growth. A graduate degree is a significant investment in your future, and the Office of Financial Aid is dedicated to supporting you every step of the way.
Graduate assistants play a critical role in the university’s research, teaching and outreach missions. An eligible student may be hired as a graduate assistant (GA), a graduate research assistant (GRA) or a graduate teaching assistant (GTA). The Auburn University Graduate School sets the criteria and eligibility guidelines, while the student’s hiring department determines appointment types and terms, hours worked, pay rate and more.
As demonstrated commitment to graduate education and to the critical role that graduate assistants play in supporting the university’s research, teaching and outreach missions, the Auburn University Graduate School provides graduate tuition fellowships to graduate assistants who meet or exceed specific requirements. There is no application process associated with this program. All contact and any questions concerning assistantships and qualifying tuition fellowships should be directed to the academic department for the student’s area of study.
