Financial Support

During their educational programs at UConn Health, graduate students can receive financial support in the form of Graduate Assistantships (GAs, defined below) and fellowships. These awards can be obtained from institutional or external sources. If students have questions on financial support, they can speak with administrative staff, program directors and advisors.

Need-Based Aid

Need-based support is also available to graduate students at UConn Health. Students should contact the Office of Student Financial Aid on the University of Connecticut Storrs campus.

Graduate Assistantships

The Graduate Programs Committee (GPC) at UConn Health awards merit-based GAs to most entering Biomedical Science PhD students and combined MD/PhD students and to eligible Masters and PhD Public Health students. As defined by the University of Connecticut, “a GA is awarded to a graduate student who provides research or teaching support that is a part of their academic program.” Please note that UConn Health campus offers only research GAs. A full-time GA is defined as 20 hours per week. A part-time GA is defined as less than 20 hours per week. The current full-time GA for students supported through UConn Health is $39,100 per year. A student holding at least a half-time GA (10 hours per week) will receive a waiver of tuition and the opportunity to participate in a highly subsidized health insurance plan.

To qualify for appointment as a GA, a student must have regular graduate status and maintain full-time enrollment in the Graduate School. A GA must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.00 and be eligible to register for courses. Full-time enrollment in the Graduate School for a student holding a GA is 6 credits.

Supplemental Employment

Some graduate students may wish to have supplemental employment during their programs. Doctoral students supported by GAs are expected to devote full time effort working towards their degrees. Additional employment is generally discouraged, but may be undertaken with the approval of their Major Advisor, the advisory committee and the Dean of the Graduate School. Employment that has educational value (e.g., teaching at local colleges) will generally be considered most appropriate as long as it does not substantially impact progress towards the degree. If a student wishes to have additional employment, they must complete the Supplemental Employment Approval form and submit it to The Graduate School for final approval.

If a UConn Health graduate student holds a GA awarded by the GPC, total remuneration from university sources (i.e., graduate assistantship, additional employment income, and external fellowships administered by the university) should not exceed the National Institutes of Health (NIH) salary level for a beginning postdoctoral fellow. In cases where total remuneration provided through the university would exceed the NIH postdoctoral salary level, the level of GPC support may be reduced.

Fellowships

Graduate students at UConn Health are encouraged to apply for external fellowships during their academic programs. The following is a partial list of external fellowships that are available to doctoral students.

Students are also encouraged to join the UConn listserv to get announcements of graduate fellowships.

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