Financial Assistance

Rice provides financial aid in four ways: tuition waivers, graduate fellowships, research assistantships based on merit, and need-based aid such as federally insured loans. Tuition waivers are granted in an amount equal to Rice's tuition, which is $31,430 for 2009-2010. Graduate fellowships, unlike teaching fellowships awarded by many universities, entail only a modest teaching or research assignment (a maximum of ten hours per week during the semester); consequently, graduate fellows can engage in full time study. At present these fellowships provide incoming students at least $18,000 per nine month academic year. Numerous opportunities for summer funding (often supported by faculty grants) are also available. In addition, a number of graduate students have been recipients of external fellowships. All financial aid decisions are made shortly after the February 1 application deadline.