Fellowships and assistantships

Fellowships are available to new and currently enrolled graduate students at the University of Minnesota. The Graduate School Fellowship Office administers University fellowships. You do not need to work on campus for these positions. For more information, go to fellowships and grants.

Graduate Assistantships are available to new and currently enrolled graduate students at the University of Minnesota. Graduate Assistant Employment, a division of the Office of Human Resources, administers University-wide graduate assistantships. Employment opportunities offer teaching assistantships, research assistant assistantships, or administrative fellowships. For more information, go to the Assistantships website.

Traineeships may be available to new and currently enrolled graduate students at the University of Minnesota. Traineeships are usually developed and offered at the departmental level. Please contact your department for further information regarding trainee opportunities.

Do these awards impact my financial aid eligibility?

If your financial aid package includes a federal or private educational loan, your total aid from all sources cannot exceed your financial aid estimated cost of attendance.

Graduate assistantships

A tuition benefit award will be added to your financial aid package for the value of tuition and student health insurance plan that are benefits of your appointment. An assistantship award may cause your federal student loan eligibility to be adjusted. The hourly wage of your assistantship is a salary and does not count as a financial aid award.

Fellowships and traineeships

Award(s) will be added to your financial aid package for the value of tuition, fees, student health insurance plan, and (if applicable) a monetary stipend which are benefits of your fellowship or traineeship. A fellowship or traineeship award(s) may cause your federal student loan eligibility to be adjusted.

Fellowships and traineeships will impact your financial aid in a way that graduate assistantships do not. The key difference is that any monetary stipend you receive for a fellowship or traineeship is a financial aid award. If the value of fellowship or traineeship benefits equal or exceed your financial aid estimated cost of attendance, you are not eligible for federal or private student loans.