All psychology graduate students admitted to a Ph.D. program receive assistantships or other jobs that facilitate and enhance their educational goals. Financial assistance is most frequently available to graduate students in the form of teaching and graduate assistantships from the Department of Psychology. Several research assistantships are also awarded to students to work on projects funded by grants and administered by the individual faculty members responsible for the projects. Additional assistantships are available through the Office of Student Affairs and other administrative departments at the university.
The basic graduate assistantship in the department is a half-time (20 hours/week) nine-month (academic year) appointment The stipend for a half-time academic year appointment for the 2022-2023 academic year is $19,482. Students on a graduate assistantship will also receive a tuition scholarship. Ph.D. students on a half-time appointment will have their tuition fully covered by this scholarship (you will only need to pay university fees).
Program Costs and Assistantship or Fellowship Support
Graduate students admitted to our program typically receive funding for up to five years as long as they remain in good standing. The following standard support package requires 20 hours per week of work for the nine-month academic year:
- Taxable stipend of $19,482 for the academic year ($9,741 per semester)
- Full tuition waiver per academic year of $11,882 for in state residents and $27,428 for out of state residents
- Paid “single student” health insurance with an estimated value of $2,064 per calendar year
Students are required to pay a composite university fee of $641 per semester. Additional funding sources, accorded on a competitive basis, include:
- F. Wendell Miller Scholarship – Financial assistance for masters and doctoral students in areas that build upon university strengths and address local and global critical needs.
- Diane Brandt Scholarship for Women – financial assistance for women in science, engineering, math, and other fields in which women have traditionally been underrepresented.
- George A. Jackson Award – financial assistance for masters and doctoral students who identify as African American, American Indian, Hispanic/Latinx, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander.
- Iowa State Ronald E. McNair Scholarship – financial assistance for students who are current or past participants in the federally funded Ronald E. McNair Postbaccaluareate Achievement Program.
Minority Student Applications
Iowa State University is committed to equal opportunity and affirmative action policies in all of its endeavors. Minority students are especially encouraged to apply for graduate study in psychology. Sources of financial support specifically designated for graduate study by minority students are available through the Minority Student Programs in the Office of Student Affairs. These funds, along with regular departmental assistantships, are used to support minority students in the department. In addition, minority applicants are urged to submit an application to the American Psychological Association Minority Fellowship Program. Information and application forms may be obtained from: Director, APA Minority Fellowship Program, 750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242; 202-336-6027; http://www.apa.org/pi/mfp/index.aspx.