Graduate School admission does not automatically assure the availability of financial support, although the student’s graduate program, home department, and faculty advisor will make every effort to help students secure funding. Financial assistance is most frequently in the form of research/teaching assistantships or graduate fellowships, or a combination of both.
Assistantships
An assistantship provides financial assistance through part-time academic employment. Research assistantships are generally funded through external research grants, and as a result, their availability is difficult to predict and will vary with time. Teaching assistantships provide employment in exchange for teaching activities, such as helping a professor by conducting lab or study groups, preparing lectures and grading.
Most assistantships are driven by faculty research or teaching needs, so it is best to contact your advisor to find out what opportunities are available in your department. You can find out about assistantships in other University colleges and departments by visiting the Graduate Assistant Employment Office.
The 2025-2026 Graduate Assistantship pay rate in Forest Resources is $27.98/hour for MS and PhD students and advanced Masters students. The pay rate for students on advanced PhD status is $29.09.
Fellowships
Graduate students not on a regular assistantship may be supported by fellowships administered by the Department of Forest Resources, the Graduate School, or by non-University agencies, and some may be self-supporting.
Unlike assistantships, fellowships do not require you to work in exchange for financial aid. Fellowships are based on academic merit and usually cover educational and living expenses. Currently enrolled graduate students may apply for University-wide fellowships and/or external funding opportunities.