Funding Opportunities for Prospective/Incoming Students

Assistantships

Department/Program Teaching Assistantships (GAT)

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.

Department/Program Research Assistantships (GAR)

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.

Non-Teaching Assistantships (GANT)

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.

Doctoral Research Excellence Assistantships

Funded by the Texas A&M University System Chancellor's Office, the Doctoral Research Excellence Fellowship provides four fully-funded doctoral research assistantships at stipend levels sufficient to be competitive with peer universities to enhances A&M’s research capacity and productivity. For more information, see the call for nominations. You must be nominated by your college or school to be eligible for this award. See the the Doctoral Research Excellence Assistantship page for information.

Awards

Avilés-Johnson Fellowship Program

Named for Dr. Dionel Avilés ’53 and Dr. James Johnson ’67, the first Hispanic and Black doctoral degree earners, respectively, at Texas A&M, the Avilés-Johnson Fellowship Program seeks to attract, recruit and support the development of high-achieving graduate and professional students who bring a multiplicity of experiences to our university.  Visit the program webpage for more information.

College Graduate Merit Fellowships

Many colleges offer merit-based fellowships on a competitive basis. You do not have to apply for college merit fellowships. If applicable, these fellowship offers will be presented with your offer of admission.

IDP Merit Fellowships

Interdisciplinary Degree Program (IDP) Merit Fellowships were created to encourage high-quality doctoral applicants for Texas A&M’s interdisciplinary graduate programs. Programs will nominate applicants. Contact your IDP for information.

IDP HEEP Fellowships

Pathways to the Doctorate Fellowship 

Pathways to the Doctorate Fellowships are designed to support students who come to Texas A&M University as a result of a partnership and collaboration with another institution and are intended to promote mutually beneficial relationships between faculty, departments, and programs at Texas A&M University and other institutions. Visit the Pathways to the Doctorate webpage to learn more.

Scholarships

Texas Leadership Research Scholars (TLRS)

Lechner Award

Grants

Federal T.E.A.C.H. Grant

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.

International Texas Public Education Grant (ITPEG) 

For international students seeking a graduate or professional degree, these grants are awarded based on financial need. Apply through the Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA). Visit the International Student Financial Aid page on Aggie OneStop to learn more.

Texas Aggie Graduate Grant (TAGG)

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.

Texas Public Education Grant (TPEG) 

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.

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.

A student sits in a patterned chair in a campus hallway, writing in a notebook beside an open laptop and backpack, studying in a quiet, modern space.

GREAT Program

Graduate Recruitment, Enhancement and Travel (GREAT) Program

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.

Two students sit at a long desk using laptops, one wearing headphones, focused on work in a bright, modern study space.

Fellowship Resources

Learn more about fellowship opportunities.

Employment Opportunities

Explore additional employment opportunities that align with your skills and interests.