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Funding

Financial Assistance

First-year doctoral students typically are supported through graduate teaching assistantships (GTAs). After the first year, doctoral students are supported by either a GTA or Graduate Research Assistantship (GRA). After the first year, clinical students receive a GRA through a clinical placement, although they may also pursue GTA positions if deemed appropriate. The program also offers bonafide RA positions, depending on available funds. Many I/O and Experimental students are funded with GTAs after the first year but some will receive a GRA, depending on available funds. Students who hold assistantships of at least .25 FTE (the norm in this department is .33 - .50 FTE) during a given semester receive a tuition fellowship from the university for that semester. This fellowship pays both in-state and out-of-state tuition for up to 15 semester credit hours for that semester. The student is required only to pay a matriculation fee for the semester of about $260. There is a limit to the number of credit hours of tuition fellowship a student can receive. That limit is set by the Graduate School and amounts to the number of credit hours required to complete the Ph.D. plus 20 credit hours. For doctoral students in Clinical Psychology the limit is 107 semester hours. For doctoral students in I/O Psychology, the limit is 101 hours and for doctoral students in Experimental Psychology the limit is 80 hours. Students who continue to hold assistantships after exhausting the tuition fellowship limit will continue to have the out-of-state portion of tuition waived ($6240) during semesters in which they hold an assistantship but will be required to pay the in-state portion of their tuition ($3462). Historically, doctoral students making strong progress have received 5 years of support. Because levels of funding are determined by annual legislative action and by the budgetary constraints of the various practicum sites, it is impossible to guarantee this level of support, but it is expected to continue. Assistantship salaries range from $1050 per month (1/3 time, first-year student, no MS) to $1800 per month (½ time, advanced student). Raises typically occur as students progress through the program. All doctoral students are automatically considered for assistantships; there is no separate application. For student loan info, contact the Financial Aid Office at 334-844-4723.


Note:

The information above pertains only to students in the Clinical, Experimental, and Industrial/Organizational Doctoral programs. It does not apply to students in the Master's Program in Applied Behavior Analysis in Developmental Disabilities. Tuition and salary rates are for 2009-2010 academic year.

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Last updated March 19, 2008