Assistantships & Fellowships

Doctoral students in the Graduate Program in Biology making adequate academic and research progress receive some form of financial support. Most master's students in the thesis track receive some stipend support; however such support is not guaranteed.  Students in the master's non-thesis track do not typically receive stipend support, but are potentially eligible for some forms of financial aid. Students are typically supported through one of three mechanisms: Fellowships, Teaching assistantships and Research assistantships.

Fellowships

Fellowships provide stipend support with little or no teaching commitment. All fellowships include a waiver of tuition and most fees (although a fee of approximately $200 is required of all US students, and $442 of all international students [additional cost for required health insurance]).

University of Louisiana (UL) doctoral fellowships have a stipend of $22,000 for each 9-month academic year, with a duration of 3-4 years. No teaching is required in the first or last years of these fellowships; during intervening semesters students are required to teach one laboratory section. University stipends are for 9 months; students can earn additional income during the summer as teaching or research assistants. 

The Graduate School offers a master’s fellowship program, details of which are available from the Graduate Fellowships page.

Other fellowships administered by the Graduate School are occasionally available to doctoral and master's students; applicants filling out the fellowship application form (which can be downloaded from the Graduate School's Forms & Resources page) will be considered for all available fellowships for which they qualify. Students requiring additional time in the program beyond the duration of their fellowship are usually funded as teaching or research assistants.

Teaching Assistantships

Teaching assistantships (TA) are available to both doctoral and master's students; availability is limited and preference is given to doctoral program applicants. Current (2024-25) biology stipends are $20,000 for master's students and $22,000 for doctoral students; however this number varies slightly from year to year. Teaching loads usually consist of one or two laboratory sections per semester; an effort is made to keep teaching commitments as light as possible to provide the students with more time for their research. At their request, advanced doctoral students are sometimes assigned to lecture sections. TA stipends are for 9 months; students can earn additional income during the summer as teaching or research assistants. All teaching assistantships include a waiver of tuition and most fees (although a fee of approximately $200 is required of all US students, and $442 of all international students [additional cost for required health insurance]). International students are eligible for a TA.

Research Assistantships

Faculty members with grants may offer Research Assistantships (RA) and employ graduate students as laboratory technicians or as research assistants. Applicants need to discuss stipend levels with the prospective advisor if such funding is available. Most, but not all, research assistantships include a waiver of tuition and fees; consult with the faculty advisor. International students are eligible for a RA.

Scholarships

Our program also has available a limited number of Board of Regents Support Fund Endowed Superior Graduate Student Scholarships. These scholarships are awarded as an additional enhancement to our Fellowships, Teaching assistantships and Research assistantships. They range from $3,800 to $6,900/year and are used to support research and academic or professional experiential opportunities.

How to Apply for an Assistantship or Fellowship

Separate forms are required to apply for a Graduate Assistantship or Fellowship; applicants can apply for both types of funding (but only one type can be awarded). Assistantship and Fellowship application forms can be downloaded from the Graduate School's Forms & Resources page. Most fellowships and teaching assistantships are assigned to applicants in March of each year (for Fall admission).

• To ensure full eligibility for funding, applicants for financial assistance should submit the appropriate form to the Graduate School Office along with other application materials by February 1 for the Fall Semester or October 1 for the Spring Semester (note that these dates are earlier than the Graduate School’s deadlines for admission). Later applications may be considered for support if funding becomes available. 

More Information Needed?

Contact the Graduate Admissions Coordinator in the Department of Biology (BiolGradProgram@louisiana.edu) if you have any additional questions about Graduate Assistantships or Fellowships.