Funding Opportunities for Current Students
Awards
The following are awards given to students based on exceptional research, teaching, and/or citizenship. Students may apply or be nominated, based on the terms of each award.
The Texas A&M Distinguished Dissertation Award recognizes exceptional dissertations by doctoral students, highlighting significant contributions to their respective fields of study. Visit the Distinguished Dissertation Award webpage to learn more
Supported by the Association of Former Students, the Distinguished Graduate Student Award represents one of Texas A&M’s highest honors for outstanding achievements by graduate students in research or teaching. Visit the DGS Award webpage for more info.
The Montgomery Award is presented to student leaders making major contributions to the academic and professional opportunities, and quality of life of their fellow graduate and professional students at Texas A&M. Visit the Montgomery Award webpage for more info.
The U.S. Senator Phil Gramm Fellowship acknowledges outstanding teaching and mentoring by graduate students at Texas A&M University. Learn more on the Phil Gramm Fellowship page.
The program reimburses students up to $1000 for travel expenses associated with academic conferences and research projects in the United States and abroad. Visit the RAP Travel Award page for info.
The Graduate Student Child Care Travel Award reimburses students up to $750 for expenses incurred to care for children (either expenses for child travel or child care at home) while attending academic conferences, professional development opportunities, or conducting research in the United States or abroad. Visit the Travel Awards page for info.
Assistantships
A graduate assistantship (GA) is a part-time, paid position generally working in a research, teaching, or administrative support role related to your field of study. Assistantships include a stipend, coverage of tuition and fees, and health insurance. Most assistantships are awarded by the department to which you are applying, but some are offered on Jobs for Aggies.
With a Graduate Assistant Teaching (GAT) position, you have the opportunity to administer or assist instructional assignments and interact directly with students. Depending on the needs of your advisor, you might offer classroom and laboratory instruction, assist a faculty instructor in teaching sessions, tutor or hold office hours. You’ll also be responsible for grading some student work. These assistantships are typically extended by your department along with your offer of admission.
Graduate Assistant Non-Teaching (GANT) is the most fluid GA position. GANT responsibilities do not involve instructional assignments or support of teaching or academic programs, and are not primarily assisting with research. GANT responsibilities vary greatly and may include, but are not limited to the following non-teaching/non-curricular duties: performance of varied programmatic duties in non-academic units, assisting with administrative duties in a variety of settings. Most assistantships are awarded by the department to which you are applying, but some are offered on the Jobs for Aggies employment site.
Graduate Assistant Researchers (GARs) are hired by a research supervisor or Principal Investigator (PI), usually a faculty member, to assist on a research project. The research you perform will likely be related to your research focus, dissertation, or thesis. Research may or may not be externally-funded. This position is ideal for you if you excel at research; collecting, coding and analyzing data; and writing materials for review or presentation. These assistantships are typically extended by your department along with your offer of admission.
For Ph.D. students employed in GAT, GAR, and GAL the benefits include coverage of both resident tuition and required fees.
Mandate to Cover Tuition and Fees
See the assistantship employment comparison for more detailed information on GA titles.
Fellowships
A fellowship is a funding award given to master’s and doctoral students, usually provided in regularly scheduled stipend payments to assist with living and educationally related expenses.
The Future Faculty Fellowship at Texas A&M supports graduate students who aspire to pursue academic careers through dedicated mentoring and professional development opportunities. Learn more at the F3 webpage.
The Dissertation Fellowship at Texas A&M provides support for doctoral students who are in the final stages of their dissertation research. Visit the Dissertation Fellowship webpage for info.
The Crossing Latinidades program is open to doctoral students in the humanities or humanistic social sciences who are working on dissertations with US Latino/a/x/e topics. The Grad School issues calls for applications annually for both the Summer Institute and the fellowship, which carries a stipend of $30,000 for nine months + tuition waiver, health insurance and fees.
Additional Fellowship Resources
You may also apply for external fellowships funded by federal agencies, foundations and industries. These include the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship; the National Institute of Health (NIH) Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award; the Fulbright Program; and others. Some external fellowships are processed by the Grad School, while others may be processed by your department or college.
Supplemental Funding
Texas A&M encourages students to seek external sources of funding. In addition to financial support, landing a prestigious external fellowship from sources such as the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Ford Foundation, or other national fellowships can provide students with valuable networking opportunities, opportunities for collaboration, and pipelines to careers.
Through the Graduate Recruitment, Enhancement and Travel (GREAT) Program, we supplement external fellowships so we can offer highly competitive funding packages to recruit high achieving students into our graduate and professional programs.
Grants
Texas A&M offers several need-based grants to help supplement costs of education.
The Federal TEACH Grant (Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education) Program helps students who plan to teach in high-need fields at the secondary or elementary level. Open to master’s students only. Learn more by visiting the Financial Aid website.
For international students seeking a graduate or professional degree, these grants are awarded based on financial need. Apply through the International Student Financial Aid Application (ISFAA). Visit the financial aid page on Aggie OneStop to learn more.
The Texas Aggie Graduate Grant is a need-based award (need is determined by Scholarships & Financial Aid) for Texas residents attending graduate or graduate certificate programs on the College Station campus. The TAGG application is located on the Aggie OneStop Forms and Media webpage. Signed applications are accepted via upload in the Howdy Portal.
The Texas Public Education Grant (TPEG) is a program administered by the State of Texas to aid students with financial need, seeking a first bachelor's degree, graduate degree or professional degree. It is awarded based on the FAFSA/TASFA received.
Employment Opportunities
In addition to assistantships, graduate and professional students have a variety of options for employment at Texas A&M. Check Jobs for Aggies, hosted by our Human Resources & Organizational Effectiveness office for wage positions.
Internships
An internship is an interest or major-related work experience with a learning component. It often provides you with the opportunity to explore your career interests or establish your qualifications for your ideal post-graduation job.
Internship opportunities are available through the department with which you are associated or through various companies and organizations state and worldwide. Your advisor and other professors in your department can help you identify and prepare for the internship that best fits your skills and career objectives.
All on and off-campus internship opportunities are found on HireAggies through the Texas A&M Career Center. You can also find internships by attending the numerous Career Fairs held by the Career Center.