The UIC Philosophy Department places a very high priority on providing support for its Ph.D. students. We aim at providing five years of support for all Ph.D. students who (a) enter with a bachelors degree, (b) enter with financial support, and (c) continue to make satisfactory progress. We try to provide a sixth year of support for students whose interdisciplinary work requires an extra year of study in another department. For very many years we have been able to reach these goals. Teaching Assistantships are by far the most common form of financial support, but each year we have a small number of students on University Fellowships, Dean Scholar Awards, and minority fellowships. All these forms of support are sponsored by the UIC Graduate College.

Teaching Assistantships. Most UIC philosophy graduate students are funded in this way. Teaching Assistants (TA's) typically lead discussion sections, grade written work and otherwise aid course instructors. More advanced graduate students may be offered the opportunity to teach their own courses. For the academic year beginning Fall 2007 the stipend will be $15,152 (for fall and spring semesters), plus a waiver of tuition, the service fee, and the academic facilities maintainance fund assessment (worth $20,556 for out-of-state students in 2007-8). Teaching Assistants are represented by a union, and the first collective bargaining agreement goes into effect this fall.

University Fellowships. These are awarded to outstanding students in University-wide competitions (in February for entering students, in April for continuing students). Students who are offered a University Fellowship as part of their recruitment package automatically receive a second year on a University Fellowship once they begin work on their dissertation, subject to satisfactory progress. Students on University Fellowships are not required to teach or render other services. Advanced students on University Fellowships occasionally supplement their income with a half-time Teaching Assistantship. Usually we have from one to four students on University Fellowships each year. Currently these carry a stipend of $20,000, plus a waiver of tuition, the service fee, and the academic facilities maintainance fund assessment.

Dean's Scholar Award. These fellowships are awarded in a University-wide competition to exceptionally qualified students who are working on their dissertation. The fellowship can be renewed for a second year. We have been averaging about one Dean's Scholar each year. These fellowships carry a stipend of $20,000, plus a waiver of tuition, the service fee, and the academic facilities maintainance fund assessment.

Minority Fellowships:

Abraham Lincoln Graduate Fellowships. This program is designed to expand the overall breadth of background of the UIC graduate student body by providing support to individuals from racial and ethnic minority groups that have been traditionally underrepresented in graduate education. Applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States from one of the racial and ethnic minority groups traditionally underrepresented in graduate education, specifically Native American, African-American, Mexican-American, and Puerto Rican students. Abraham Lincoln Fellowships carry a stipend of $20,000, plus a waiver of tuition, the service fee, and the academic facilities maintainance fund assessment. Students who are offered a University Fellowship as part of their recruitment package receive a second year on a University Fellowship once they begin work on their dissertation.

Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illinois (DFI) Program. The purpose of DFI is to increase the number of underrepresented faculty and staff in Illinois institutions of higher education and higher education governing boards. To be eligible, the applicant must be a legal resident of Illinois, and must be African American, Hispanic American, Native American, Asian American, or a member of another group underrepresented in higher education in Illinois. For more information see the DFI home page.

For additional information on all sources of funding, see UIC Graduate College/ Financial Awards. For further information on minority fellowships, see also UIC Graduate College/Diversity Matters.