Gregory E. Sterling, Dean of the Graduate School, has announced increased funding levels for graduate students entering the University in the Fall of 2009.
At Notre Dame, virtually all doctoral students receive full-tuition scholarships that include all fees except for a small student activity fee.
The vast majority of Notre Dame’s doctoral students also receive multi-year fellowships or assistantships that provide a stipend for living expenses. In making his announcement, Dean Sterling said: “Signaling its dedication to graduate education even within the current economic climate, the University will raise its stipend levels next year. Beginning in Fall 2009, base stipend levels for entering students will rise to a minimum of $1888/month over a nine-month period, with many graduate students receiving more support. The exact dollar amount depends on the student’s discipline.”
Dean Sterling highlighted as well sharp increases in the amount of stipends for the Graduate School’s prestigious fellowships. “Stipends for Notebaert and Naughton Fellows will rise from $23,500 to $28,000 annually; those for Presidential Fellows will rise from $22,500 to $26,500 in science and engineering, and to $25,000 in the humanities and social sciences. Stipends for the University’s Fernandez and Gaia fellows will increase from $20,000 to $22,000/year; while Diversity Fellows will receive stipends of $20,000/year.”
Dean Sterling also announced increased support from the University for health insurance for all fully funded graduate students. “Beginning in the 2009-2010 academic year, the University’s contribution to the health insurance premiums for all graduate students—both entering and continuing—will increase from 50 percent to 70 percent. That step, combined with a switch to Aetna Student Health that will provide students with better coverage at a lower rate, will result in fully funded students paying $372/year for individual health insurance in Academic Year 2009-2010 rather than the $734/year paid in the current academic year.” He noted that the Graduate School will continue its practice of covering the full cost of the health insurance premium for all students receiving one of its prestigious fellowships.
More information on support available for graduate students, as well as a cost-of-living comparison for South Bend with the cities in which many of Notre Dame’s peer institutions are located, is available in the Financial Support pages of the Graduate School’s website.