Financial Aid

The Department of Anthropology and the University of Maryland offer financial assistance to incoming and current graduate students in a variety of ways.

Three types of financial assistance care available :

• Merit-based awards
• Need-based awards
• In-state residency

Follow the links above or scroll down the page to learn more about the types of financial assistance available and when, and how, to apply for them.

Merit-based awards

Two types of merit-based awards are available.

Department Fellowship Awards of Excellence
Teaching and Research Assistantships

Fellowships : Depending on the award, up to 12 hours of tuition remission will be granted along with a stipend of about $12,000. Fellowship and Graduate Grant awards are highly competitive and based upon academic merit, determined by information provided in the student's application (i.e., grades, standardized test scores, letters of recommendation and the statement of purpose). Decisions are made early and offers are made by letter between February 1 and April 15.

Because the MAA Program is considered a terminal masters degree in matters of university administration, special conditions apply to MAA students regarding these merit-based forms of aid.

Please note the following :

• Only first-year, incoming students may be considered for fellowships and graduate grants.
• Students who received fellowships or scholarships must attend full-time.

Teaching and Research Assistantships : These department-administered, academic-year-long awards are given to incoming students on a competitive basis with priority given to first year students. The department is seldom able to renew these awards for a second year. Depending on available funding, six to eight part-time assistantships may be available per year. Offers are made by letter from the department in the spring to students who have already been offered admission into the MAA Program.

The Department of Anthropology at the University of Maryland does not utilize Teaching Assistants (TAs) as primary instructors for courses. Faculty members serve as course instructors, and TAs assist by facilitating discussion groups and review sessions, grading class papers and tests, performing necessary administrative functions, and advising students during office hours. Assignments depend upon the department's needs and the experience and academic qualifications of the assistant.

Please note the following :

• Graduate Assistants are appointed for the academic year.
• Graduate Assistants receive tuition remission but are responsible for mandatory fees (Cf. Schedule of Classes).
• Part-time assistants must pay for 1-4 credits not covered under the tuition remission but these unpaid credits are billed at the in-state rate.
• Stipends are paid through the school year on a bi-weekly basis; taxes are withheld for stipends but not for tuition remission, which is not taxable.
• Assistants are eligible to participate in the campus employee health program, which includes medical, dental, and vision plans, as well as catastrophic health and life insurance.

Need-based Awards

Need-based forms of financial aid, such as Federal Work-Study and student loans (Stafford, SLS, Perkins, etc.) are available through state and federal financial aid programs.

• These programs are administered through the Office of Student Financial Aid
• Students seeking this type of financial aid must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The priority deadline for these forms is February 15.
• Additionally, students must provide a Fiancial Aid Transcript from every institution previously attended, whether or not aid was received. For more detailed information about this type of financial aid, contact the Office of Student Financial Aid, Lee Building, University of Maryland, College Park MD 20742 or call 301-314-8313.

Visit the FAFSA website for more information or to apply online for federal student aid.

In-State Residency

To establish residency in Maryland, students are required to maintain a permanent residence, transfer their driver's license and registration, and register to vote in Maryland. One full calendar year later, a hearing is held to determine the student's eligibility for the following semester. Because in-state residency takes one full calendar year to achieve, graduate students often are not considered state residents for tuition purposes until fairly late in a two-year program, unless they have established residence at least one month before the September start date for classes.

Incoming students who establish residency as of the first day of class in the Fall term may only be considered residents for their second Spring term. For more information and application forms, contact the Campus Classification Office, 1118 Mitchell Building, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 or call (301) 405-2030. For more information, visit the Office of Student Financial Aid website.