Assistantships: How to Not Pay for Graduate School
Thinking about graduate school? Here's how assistantships can help you cut costs, build experience, and make valuable connections while you study.
✨ 5-second summary
Assistantships are paid academic roles that cover tuition and provide valuable work experience, networking opportunities, and skill development—helping you graduate with less debt and stronger career prospects.
What is an assistantship?
First things first, let's talk about what an assistantship actually is.
- In the US, an assistantship is a form of paid academic employment in which students get tuition reimbursement for tasks they do for faculty members, departments, or entire colleges.
- For about 20 hours weekly, graduate assistants typically earn a small stipend, and tuition, room, and board costs are paid in full.
Not only is this a great way to graduate debt-free or with low debt, but it also helps further your academic endeavors by giving you work experience before graduation.
That looks great on a resume and gives you a leg up over others looking for work and/or funding in your field.
💡 An assistantship can look a bit different overseas. In the Netherlands for instance, students can apply for programs such as the Bright Minds Assistantships.
- These assistantships work more like a student assistant program, where students are guaranteed employment for a set number of hours per academic year and are required to work one to two and a half days per week.
- To apply, students must complete an application and be enrolled in a Master's program.
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Discover programs →How to find an assistantship
While not always widely publicized, assistantships are out there for those who know how to look for one.
To identify where you might find an assistantship, you'll need to determine what kind of experience you're looking for. For example, are you looking for practical experience or for teaching experience? Perhaps you're seeking out research opportunities.
You should also be accepted and enrolled in a Master's or doctoral program.
Once you decide what to gain from your assistantship:
- Contact your program's graduate coordinator. They will know what opportunities are available and how to connect you with the right people.
- You can also try searching on your university's website, contacting their student employment office, and checking in with student associations related to your field of study.
- Even if no opportunity exists in your program, others may be available across the university.
Types of opportunities
Some opportunities available for those considering an assistantship are:
- Research assistantships, here you help with various research projects.
- Teaching assistantships, where you teach or assist in teaching lower-level courses.
- Administrative fellowships, which are for those working in "academically relevant administrative services".
Some students may also secure course assistantships, and doctoral students may qualify for doctoral research fellowships. These titles and types of opportunities may vary by institution.
💡 There are some areas with a higher volume of assistantship opportunities.
- For example, universities with student affairs departments often have a wider range of assistantships available in various regions.
- Even if you aren't in a higher education program, you may still be able to apply for one.
Molly Kresl, a NSU Florida graduate student, shared her assistantship experience:
"They treat me as a full-time professional here. I have had the opportunity to present at conferences on campus, and create new student development initiatives. I know I made the right choice."
Is it hard to have an assistantship?
Having an assistantship takes time, commitment, and strong organizational skills.
You'll have to balance your academic work, classes, and assistantship requirements. However, if you stay on top of your work and communicate well with your supervisor and professors, it can certainly be accomplished and can be a rewarding experience.
Understanding that, at times, you'll have to sacrifice your free time for your education or your assistantship is a given. However, the benefits you receive are often worth the occasional inconveniences that may come with an assistantship.
👉 Also read: Time Management for Students
Why you should apply for an assistantship
In addition to helping pay for your Master's degree, there are other great reasons to apply for and work on an assistantship.
- One great reason is networking with experts in your field and academia in general. This is especially true for those with an assistantship in their study area of focus.
- In addition to networking opportunities, you'll obviously gain a ton of experience, and you'll get to "learn from other students in your field."
- You'll also improve your academic skills, like writing, research and public speaking.
Conclusion
Worries about paying for graduate school shouldn't keep you from pursuing your dreams of a higher education.
While obtaining that next level of education can be expensive, it can certainly be accomplished for much less than you may think. Remember, assistantships are a great way to gain more experience in your chosen field, make lifelong connections, and graduate with significantly less debt than your peers.
educations.com teamAuthor
The educations.com team consists of hundreds of dedicated individuals who share a passion for studying abroad. We combine our diverse strengths to guide millions of students in over 250 countries toward finding their dream education.
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