SUNY ESF
Expenses, Financial Aid & Employment

• Financial Aid & Scholarships website (includes general information on college costs for grad students)

Assistantships and Fellowships

Assistantships and fellowships are awarded to students who have demonstrated scholarship and academic promise, and whose education and experience enable them to assist in the teaching mission of the college through laboratory or classroom instruction and research. Students who hold an assistantship must be enrolled for full-time study as defined by graduate policies, and be making satisfactory progress toward completing their degree.

Major funding for graduate students comes from two major sources:

• State University of New York Graduate Assistantships in support of the teaching mission of the college (a.k.a. GAs – otherwise known as “TAs”); and
• Research Project Assistantships funded by the Research Foundation of New York (RPAs).

Prospective and current graduate students may apply for graduate assistantship positions using forms available here:

• Funding Opportunities for Graduate Students

A limited number of fellowships are funded through the ESF Foundation and are administered through the various academic departments.

Tuition Scholarships

Students who are awarded assistantships or fellowships are also eligible for tuition scholarships. Students who hold graduate assistantship appointments for 20 hours per week are eligible for 100% tuition scholarship per semester. Students who hold graduate assistantship appointments for 10 hours per week are eligible for 50% tuition scholarship per semester.

Students who are appointed to research project assistantships are eligible for tuition scholarships according to the policy on tuition scholarship and duration of appointment.

Graduate students who hold an assistantship and/or a tuition scholarship must be in a full-time status each semester while holding such an award. Usually registration for nine credits equates to full time status for a student holding an assistantship. Graduate students not holding an assistantship are considered full time if they are registered for at least 12 credit hours each semester.

New York State Residency

New York State residents pay a lower tuition rate per credit hour at both the undergraduate and graduate level. Find more information here:

• SUNY Smart Track Guide to Resident Tuition Policy

Employment

Information regarding eligibility, responsibilities and general employment issues can be found on the Office of Human Resources website.