Graduate Student Funding
Funding support for graduate school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison largely takes the form of assistantships, fellowships, and traineeships. They are typically administered through a student's respective Academic Program; therefore, inquiries about funding support should initially be addressed to the department. Other sources of funding include loans through the Office of Student Financial Services, as well as sources that are external to the university (e.g. grants, fellowships). This section will contain basic information detailing the funding resources available at UW-Madison, as well as contact information for initiating a search for funding.
For up-to-date funding information, please also see the Office of Fellowships & Funding Resources (OFFR) blog.
Assistantships etc.
- Program Assistantships (PA): These assistantships involve project-related assignments. This work varies by department and may or may not be related to a student's academic program.
- Research Assistantships (RA): These assistantships provide students an opportunity to work with faculty researchers. Many times this work is structured to meet the requirements for a master's thesis or a doctoral dissertation.
- Teaching Assistantships (TA): These assistantships are instructional positions that include duties such as lecturing, grading papers, supervising laboratories, and leading discussion sections.
Fellowships:
- University Fellowship: These fellowships are awarded through the Graduate School. Fellows are selected by divisional faculty committees from department nominations.
- Advanced Opportunity Fellowship (AOF): These fellowships are awarded by Schools and Colleges based on department nominations.
- Additional University of Wisconsin - Madison Fellowships: a list of miscellaneous fellowships offered through the Graduate School
- Federal/Private Fellowships: (apply directly to the fellowship agency/sponsor)
- Current Fellows should consult the Information for Fellows Web page for Graduate School policies and procedures.
Fellowships for International Study: valuable funding information from the International Fellowship Office for graduate students interested in studying abroad.
Research and Conference Travel: funding resources for travel for research or for attending conferences.
Other Funding Resources: a list of various websites for students interested in searching for additional graduate funding.
Resources for International Student Funding: important information (for example: financial requirements, employment regulations, funding information, etc) for international students studying at UW-Madison.