Funding

Graduate students at Ohio State have a variety of funding options available to them including fellowships, associateships, loans, scholarships and other university employment opportunities. All PhD and MS - Thesis students recommended for admission are eligible for funding consideration. MS Non-Thesis admitted students will not be considered for funding and must plan to self-fund or have non-OSU support to fund their graduate studies. The majority of our PhD and MS - Thesis students are supported by a university fellowship or a graduate associateship, both of which are described below. Students who are supported by a fellowship or an associateship receive a monthly stipend, a fee authorization for tuition and fees and a health insurance subsidy through the university while they are funded by one of those types of support.


University Fellowships

Graduate fellowships are awarded on a competitive basis each year to applicants who show outstanding scholarly accomplishment, involvement in activities outside of the classroom and exceptional potential for graduate study. Fellowship recipients pursue their graduate degree under the supervision of their faculty advisor but generally have more freedom in their research than a graduate research associate would. Fellowship awards can range from one to four years.

There are three different types of fellowship awards offered by the university:

  1. Graduate Fellowships - The best applicants are nominated by the program to receive a University Fellowship. These are awarded through a rigorous university-wide competition.
  2. Graduate Enrichment Fellowships - This award is very similar to the aforementioned Graduate Fellowships. Students are nominated by the program for this award and must demonstrate the potential to contribute to the diversity of The Ohio State University Graduate School in their application. This award is only open to U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents of the U.S.
  3. Patrick S. Osmer SROP Fellowship - The intent of this fellowship is to offer admission and financial support to outstanding participants of the Summer Research Opportunity Program (SROP).

Additional details about University Fellowships can be found here.


Graduate Associateships

Graduate Associateships (GA) are departmental positions to assist with research and teaching activities in the department. GA’s pursue their graduate degree under the supervision of a faculty advisor.

There are two different types of associateships offered by the program:

  1. Graduate Research Associateships (GRA) – GRA positions are awarded by individual faculty members based on the interest and qualifications of the student and the availability of project funds. GRA appointments are funded directly by faculty members and are supported by grants from external funding sources. In addition to meeting all requirements in pursuit of their graduate degree, a GRA is responsible for performing research tasks under the direction of the professor (usually their primary advisor) by whom he is funded. GRA appointments are awarded throughout the year by the individual faculty members as grant money becomes available.
  2. Graduate Teaching Associateships (GTA) – GTA positions are awarded by the program based on the student’s ability, teaching interests, and program needs. In addition to pursuing their graduate degree, a GTA is responsible for teaching duties, which could include conducting lab or recitation sessions, grading homework and quizzes, and otherwise assisting the professor with the class. Students are considered for GTA positions based upon faculty nomination. If you are an international applicant and you wish to be eligible for GTA consideration, you must score at least a 28 or higher on the speaking portion of the Internet Based TOEFL test regardless of any prior teaching experience. Students with a score less than 28 are not be eligible for GTA consideration at the time of admission. Students can take an Oral Proficiency Assessment (OPA) at Ohio State upon enrolling and, if passed, would then be eligible for consideration for a GTA position in future semesters.

Additional details about graduate associate positions can be found here.


In addition to the funding mechanisms outlined above, there are other options available for students support their graduate studies. To learn more about loans, scholarships and other ways graduate students support their studies click here.