When a student is admitted, funding is generally in the form of a teaching assistantship or research assistantship. Teaching Assistantships are competitive. There are fellowships available to newly admitted students which are also competitive. A tuition waiver for up to 12 credits per semester and affordable health insurance are included with either teaching or research assistantship.
First-year students are generally funded through Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA) or Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA). These appointments carry stipends of $23,040 for the academic year plus full-tuition remission and health benefits (approximately $11,000). Duties as a GTA include teaching labs, grading, preparation and office hours for an expected time commitment of 20 hours per week.
To hold a graduate assistantship a student must be admitted to a department or major area with a specific graduate degree objective. The student must be enrolled for credit during the tenure of the assistantship for an expected minimum time commitment of 20 hours per week.
All international graduate students who wish to be employed as teaching assistants at UNL must attend the International Teaching Assistant Institute, which is held twice each year. The summer institute, a concentrated 90-hour program, is held the last week of July and the first two weeks in August; or during the fall semester participants receive six hours of instruction per week in a 15-week program. More information on the availability of assistantships and the International Teaching Assistant Institute is forthcoming at the time of admission.
Othmer Fellowships
Othmer Fellowships are intended to assist in recruiting exceptional scholars who are seeking a terminal degree (i.e., Ph.D., Ed.D., D.M.A., M.F.A.). Othmer Fellows will receive, in addition to the departmental assistantship, an additional fellowship of up to $8,000 per year. Othmer Fellowships are renewable for up to three years, given continued excellent progress toward the degree. All graduate applicants newly admitted to a doctoral or MFA degree program are eligible for an Othmer Fellowship. To qualify, the department is expected to offer an assistantship stipend equal to the highest amount offered by the department to first-year students. The assistantship must be renewable for up to three years. All admitted applicants are automatically considered. No additional application needed.
Chancellor's Fellowships
Chancellor's Fellowships are designed to assist departments with the recruitment of superior graduate students by adding fellowship funds to an assistantship. Chancellor's Fellows will receive, in addition to the departmental assistantship, a $4,000 fellowship per year. Chancellor's Fellowships are automatically renewable for a second year, given excellent progress toward the degree. All newly admitted masters or doctoral students are eligible. To qualify, the department is expected to offer an assistantship stipend at least equal to the typical level offered by the department to first-year masters or doctoral students. The assistantship must be renewable for up to two years.
NIH Fellowships through the Nebraska Center for Virology
The Nebraska Center for Virology provides prestigious training fellowships funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The primary objective of the NRSA program is to prepare individuals with exceptional academic credentials and potential, for careers that have a significant impact on the Nation’s biomedical research agenda. NCV offers positions for four predoctoral trainees annually.