Teaching Assistantships
Assistantships not only provide financial assistance but also afford graduate students a structured experience in teaching and research. Graduate assistants receive a stipend and a 9-or 12-hour tuition waiver (Usually, in-state students receive a 12-hour waiver while out of state students receive a 9-hour waiver). The out-of-state portion of tuition is not waived beyond the first year. Thus, students who are not granted state resident status at the time of their admission must petition for a change of that status through the Registrar's Office at the end of their first year (usually in June). Both MA and PhD students receive this funding during the academic year. The teaching assistantships generally constitute the student being an instructor of record or a teaching assistant for a course. Since most of the department’s courses are taught in-person, the department’s ability to fund students is limited if they are not based in Tallahassee. The department does offer some online classes, making it possible but not guaranteed that graduate students who have moved away can receive a teaching assistantship.
As a one-half time appointee, the University guidelines recommend that no more than 20 hours of duties be required of the student weekly, although this may vary depending on the needs of the department. Students are also offered a tuition waiver. The waiver does not cover university fees. Continuation of funding is contingent upon academic progress in the program and fulfilling the obligation of the assistantship. Additional information about funding can be found in your appointment letters. It should also be stressed that your teaching assistantship shall be considered your main form of employment and, as such, outside employment is not encouraged.
Graduate Teaching Assistantships for students already enrolled are awarded and are distributed to students based on (a) an assessment of the student's progress toward the degree as primarily indicated by the Annual Review, (b) the recommendation of the faculty associated with the various courses and the student's past performance as a teaching assistant, if available. Incoming students will usually be awarded teaching assistantships as recommended by the area faculty based on the available information.
Research Assistantships
Financial support varies with the resources of the major professor but should not be lower than the teaching assistantship for equivalent half-time work.
Fellowships
Florida State University provides financial support in the form of fellowships to a number of graduate students. For more information on these awards, please visit the Graduate School’s page on fellowships.
Matriculation Waivers
Students receiving teaching or research assistantships for at least one-quarter time or who are on a fellowship are eligible for matriculation waivers. These provide for a waiver of the instate tuition fees only. Students are still responsible for activity, athletic, health fees, etc. Consult the Graduate Office for the necessary paperwork.
Out-of-State Tuition Waivers
Students receiving teaching or research assistantships for at least one-quarter time or who are on a fellowship are eligible for out-of-state tuition waivers. These provide for a waiver of the out-of-state tuition fees only. Students are still responsible for activity, athletic, health fees, etc. Consult the Graduate Office for the necessary paperwork. U.S. citizens who are non-Florida residents are eligible for an out-of-state waiver for one year. See “Information for New Graduate Students” below for further information on residency.
Taxes on Stipends
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has ruled that student assistantships are not tax exempt. However, some foreign countries have treaties with the U.S., and individuals from those countries may be tax-exempt. Questions about taxes (especially prior returns) should be directed to the IRS.
By demonstrating progress toward the degree and satisfactory performance of duties, Ph.D. students are eligible, in most cases, for a continuation of teaching assignments and financial support for two academic years following successful completion of their comprehensive exams. All decisions about teaching assignments and financial support will be based on Departmental needs and resources.
Grants
Several sources of additional funding are available for graduate students through grants and awards. The department strongly encourages students to apply for funding sources, both internal and external to FSU.
Departmental Level Opportunities
Dean’s Doctoral Scholar Award (DDSA)
This is awarded to one incoming PhD student every year. The award is $2,500 (in addition to the student’s regular stipend) and is renewable for one additional year. The selection of this person is determined by the department’s Graduate Committee. For further information about this award, please contact the department’s Director of Graduate Studies.
Dean’s Award for Doctoral Excellence
This is awarded to two PhD students each year who have completed at least two years of their program. The award is $3,000 (in addition to the regular stipend) and is renewable for two additional years. The selection of the student to receive this award is determined by the Awards Committee. For further information about this award, please contact the department’s Director of Graduate Studies.
Lucius Moody Bristol Graduate Fellows in Religion
Recipients obtain approximately an additional $5,000 per year (in addition to their assistantship stipend). A maximum of two new fellows are designated annually. These traditionally go to students in the ARH and REP tracks. Please contact the faculty in those tracks for more information.
Walter and Marian Moore Travel Award
This award supports travel of graduate students to conferences. Currently an award of $300 is disbursed to three students in the fall term, and three more students in the spring. The Graduate Policy Committee will determine who is eligible for this support on the basis of the following criteria:
- The student must have a paper accepted at a conference
- It must be at an international or national conference
- The student must be ABD; in terms of selecting students, seniority will be a determining factor
- The faculty will also take recommendations by students’ faculty advisors into consideration.
Academic Journal Assistants
Students may be selected to work as editorial assistants for academic journals edited by faculty members of the department of Religion. If you are interested in these opportunities, discuss this possibility with the faculty of your track.
FSU Grants, Fellowships, and Awards
There are numerous grants to which graduate students in the department of Religion can apply that are open to graduate students across the university. This information can be found at gradschool.fsu.edu/funding-awards. If you are interested in applying for an internal FSU grant or fellowship, it is recommended that you discuss this issue with the Director of Graduate Studies. Some of the grants or fellowships require that the student first be nominated by the department before he/she can apply. The awards often in general require that the graduate student be nominated.
The following are some but not all of the internal grants and fellowships that are available. A comprehensive list can be found via the above link.
International Dissertation Semester Research Fellowship Awards
Approximately $7,000-$14,000 plus a full tuition waiver.
Leslie N. Wilson - Delores Auzenne Assistantship
Awards $5,000, which is added to the Religion department graduate assistant stipend for a maximum of approximately $15,000 plus a full tuition waiver.
McKnight Doctoral Fellowship
This is available to students of African-American or Hispanic descent. Awards approximately $12,000 and a full tuition waiver. One applies to this grant concurrent to applying for the Ph.D. program.
FSU Dissertation Research Grants
Assists doctoral students with expenses associated with research necessary to prepare dissertations. Awards will be $1,000 for top tier awardees and up to $750 for second tier awardees.
The Porterfield Prize
The Porterfield Prize is awarded annually to an ARH student given to an ARH student on the basis of a paper they wrote in their coursework during that year. This prize is administered by the ARH track.
External Funding
The Office of Graduate Fellowship and Awards exists to help graduate students find and secure external funding. Visit ogfa.fsu.edu. They are willing to meet individually with graduate students to help them find grant opportunities. Keep in mind that many grants often have their deadlines during the first half of the fall semester. Students are strongly encouraged to consult with the Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards.
A list of funding opportunities that often are of interest to graduate students in Religion include the following.
American Institute of Indian Studies
Provides support for an extended research stay in India.
Boren Fellowships
Awards up to $24,000 for overseas study.
Critical Language Scholarship
Fully funded overseas summer language scholarship for qualifying languages.
Edward H. and Marie C. Kingsbury Award
The amount of the award is approximately $6,000-$10,000 and a full tuition waiver.
Fulbright Scholar Program
Students can have the opportunity to study abroad through this prestigious program.
Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Completion Fellowships
Awards a $30,000 stipend plus up to $3,000 for research costs and $5,000 for university fees.
Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship
Awards $25,000 for twelve months of full-time dissertation writing.
Religion department graduate students in recent years have won fellowships such as the Charlotte W. Newcombe Dissertation Fellowship, American Association of University Women Dissertation Fellowship, P.E.O. Scholar Award, American Philosophical Society, and others.
Health Insurance Subsidy Benefit
The Health Insurance Subsidy Benefit is a subsidy that is provided to eligible students that applies towards the cost of their University purchased health insurance plan. When a student is determined to be eligible the university will provide a subsidy benefit amount dictated by the student’s FTE. This is the “Employer Portion,” and will be applied to the total amount owed for the policy. The remaining amount which is the “Employee’s Portion,” will be automatically deducted from the employee’s paycheck. Both the “Employer Portion” and “Employee Portion” must be contributed/deducted from the same five paychecks in order to qualify as a pre-tax benefit. The supplement amounts are negotiated with the university on behalf of graduate assistants by FSU-GAU and can be found in the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
For more on the process of receiving the subsidy, see The Graduate School’s website.
It is possible for students on FSU’s insurance to get insurance from FSU for their dependents. Visit studentinsurance.fsu.edu for details.