Financial Aid

Financial aid for study at Delaware takes several forms including Research Assistantships, or Departmental Fellowships, Teaching Assistantships and Tuition Scholarships. These forms of financial aid are awarded by the Department on a year-by-year basis. There is also a University Fellowship which is awarded by the University on a competitive basis. Continuation of support is dependent upon your academic progress and your performance of any duties assigned to you. All students receiving support of any kind are expected to discharge assigned tasks including certain jobs such as proctoring of departmental examinations and assisting with undergraduate registration (``drop-add'').

The Department encourages students to compete in nationally advertised graduate fellowships. Information on what are currently available can be obtained from the graduate studies secretary.

The Department has a limit on its support of graduate students. The total number of semesters a student can be funded under a Teaching Assistantship is 10 semesters; 8 semesters for a student entering with a Master's degree. The department, however, will make every attempt to provide some form of funding for qualified students during their tenure.

The stipend for Teaching and Research Assistants for the 1999-00 academic year is determined by the following schedule.

1.

Initial appointments of first year graduate students, $ 12,000.

2.

Second year graduate students or initial appointment of graduate students entering with a master's degree, 12,500.

3.

Graduate students who have passed their Candidacy Exam and a language exam, $13,000

Students will remain at level 2 until the requirements for level 3 are met.

As most students are supported as Teaching Assistants, at least for some period of their studies, it is expected that all graduate students prepare themselves for classroom teaching. All new students are required to participate in the Department's orientation and TA training program which takes place in the days before the beginning of classes. The program includes both departmental and University presentations. In addition, new teaching assistants are required to attend teaching workshops scheduled by the department.

For foreign students, preparation for classroom duties includes work with the English Language Institute (ELI) both in the month preceding the Fall or Spring term as appropiate. Students also must attend departmental training sessions. ELI must certify that a foreign student has a sufficient command of English before the Department can make a classroom assignment. It is Departmental policy that no foreign student be supported more than two semesters without being certified for classroom assignments by ELI. Foreign students are expected to meet the following schedule with respect to test scores reported by ELI:

(1)

achieve a score of at least 600 on the TOEFL examination (or an equivalent score on another examination approved by ELI) before the beginning of the first semester of study;

(2)

attend the workshop for foreign Teaching Assistants given by ELI and CTE before the beginning of the Fall or Spring term of residence;

(3)

must meet the minimum requirements set forth by the University's policy for SPEAK and UDIA scores for ITA instructional assignments (level II).