Graduate Funding

Funding for master’s students

The Luddy School has some funding to help support students in the Master of Information Science, Master of Library Science, or Specialist in Library and Information Science programs. Apply by January 1 to be considered for these awards.

Many master’s students work on campus or around Bloomington to help cover their costs.

Funding for Ph.D. students

Many of our Ph.D. students receive financial support that helps them concentrate on their studies and research. Support often comes through student academic appointments (SAAs), such as associate instructorships or research assistantships. Additional fellowships and awards may be available to recognize outstanding accomplishments.

Student sitting in front of a screen showing code as he's explaining it
Ph.D. Opportunities

Purdom Fellowship

The Purdom Fellowship is awarded to one incoming Ph.D. student or current Ph.D. student, with a preference for new students who are interested in theoretical areas of computer science. This one-year, $25,000 award includes a fee remission and subsidized health insurance. The remission does not cover mandatory, course-related, or miscellaneous fees. Alumnus Cheng Wu funded the fellowship to honor one of his professors, Paul Purdom.

Student Academic Appointments

All SAAs include a monthly stipend for 10 months. SAA stipends are considered graduate student financial support and compensation for assigned academic duties and therefore are taxable income.

SAAs also include a fee remission, subsidized health insurance, and many include a travel allowance. The fee remission is restricted to a maximum of 30 credit hours in an academic year—up to 12 credit hours in the fall, up to 12 credit hours in the spring, and up to 6 credit hours in the summer. The fee remission is not taxable.

Requirements

In order to receive an appointment as an Associate Instructor (AI) or a Research Assistant (RA), the student must be able to provide proof U.S. citizenship or proof of authorization to work in the United States as a non-citizen for the period of time the employment is offered. This documentation is required at the time of arrival on campus in August.

If the student receives a Student Academic Appointment (SAA), the student is required to sign an employment contract, supply the documentation that is required for the hiring process, attend a training session, complete several online tasks, and follow all policies in IU’s Graduate Student Academic Appointees Guide.

If the student’s native language is not English, the student is required to pass the Test of English Proficiency for Associate Instructor Candidates (TEPAIC), an English proficiency exam, in order to receive an AI assignment.

 

Expectations

In order to receive funding from the School, the student must maintain full-time status, which requires that a student be enrolled in a minimum of eight (8) credits each semester. Audited courses are not counted in the definition of full-time study. However, there are a few exceptions as follows:

  • A Ph.D. student who holds a Student Academic Appointment (SAA) as an Associate Instructor or Research Assistant will be required to enroll in at least 6 hours of credit during each semester they continue to hold an appointment.
  • By enrolling in less than the required eight credits per semester, it will take longer to complete the program. Additionally, failure to be enrolled in a minimum of 8 credits per semester without the approval of the student’s advisor, track director, and the Informatics Director of Graduate Studies, may result in loss of funding.
  • A Ph.D. student who has completed courses and deferred dissertation credits totaling 90 hours, providing they are working on their dissertation for the completion of the degree, must enroll in at least one hour of dissertation credit each semester.
  • A Ph.D. student who has already accumulated 90 or more hours of graduate credit and who holds a Student Academic Appointment (SAA) as an Associate Instructor or Research Assistant will be required to enroll in at least 6 hours of credit during each semester they continue to hold an appointment.
  • International students: It is imperative that an international student maintain full-time status to remain in visa compliance. For questions about visa compliance, contact the Office of International Services .

This offer and funding package are contingent upon the student remaining in good academic standing and making satisfactory progress in the program, as defined in the University Graduate School Bulletin, the Informatics Ph.D. Handbook, and the appropriate track handbook.

If the student’s native language is not English, the student is required to pass theTest of English Proficiency for Associate Instructor Candidates (TEPAIC), an English proficiency exam, in order to receive an AI assignment.

CyberCorps Scholarship for Service

The CyberCorps scholarship is designed to recruit and train the next generation of cybersecurity professionals to meet the needs of Federal, State, local, and tribal government. This program provides scholarships for cybersecurity undergraduate and graduate (MS or PhD) education funded through grants awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). In return for the financial support, recipients must agree to work for the U.S. Government after graduation in a cybersecurity-related position, for a period equal to the length of the scholarship.

CyberCorps Scholarship Information