Financial Aid for Graduate Students

Financial Aid is available from the Department of Anthropology and the University Financial Aid Office.  Most departmental stipends also carry a full or partial tuition waiver. The department's priorities in allocating these stipends are described in these Funding Guidelines.  Both departmental and non-departmental sources of financial aid are described below.

How to Apply for Financial Aid

Teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and departmental and college scholarships are awarded through the Anthropology Department.  Incoming students who need financial aid should download an departmental financial aid application and submit with 3 letters of reference written on the official form.  Continuing students must apply each year for funding (it is not automatic) but are no longer required to obtain letters of recommendation.

General University sources of financial aid (loans, work study, etc.) and related information (tuition, residency, etc.) are available from the University Financial Aid Office.    

Sources of Financial Aid

Teaching Assistantships
Research Assistantships
Hiatt Scholarships
Anderson Fellowships
Other Pre-dissertation Fellowships
Dissertation Research Awards
Travel Funds
Other sources of funding

Teaching assistantships are awarded on a competitive basis. TA stipends are currently $5,750 per semester (subject to change) plus tuition waiver. If you did not receive assistance during your first year, you are encouraged to apply again.   Ph.D. students may receive teaching assistantships for teaching (rather than assisting).  See  the  Funding Guidelines for more information.

Prospective students who submit a departmental financial aid application are automatically considered for a teaching assistantship. Matriculated students, including those who currently hold financial aid, must apply for these awards by February 1 of each year. They will not be automatically awarded or renewed.

Financial aid may be withdrawn from awardees under the following conditions: a) failure to maintain required minimum grades, b) failure to adequately fulfill work obligations, c) failure to make adequate progress toward a degree. In cases where a teaching assistant resigns, leaves the program, or fails to meet academic or work obligations, the Department Chair and Graduate Advisor will select a replacement.
top

Research Assistantships are available as a result of grants awarded to the department faculty, and are available by arrangement with the faculty member in question. RA stipends are determined by the faculty member. Research Assistantships may include a tuition waiver.
top

Hiatt Scholarships: The College of Social and Behavioral Sciences offers four Hiatt Scholarships to "traditionally under-represented" graduate students. These are awarded to students who will "enhance the ethnic and cultural diversity of the graduate student body". Applications require transcripts plus a letter from the student describing past academic performance, need, community service activities, and future career plans. Students must be nominated for this award; if you think you might qualify and would like to be considered for this award, please contact Ursula Hanly (801-581-6251; This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it ).
top

Anderson fellowships are offered through the Department of Anthropology on an occasional basis. Students who submit a departmental financial aid application are automatically considered for this award.
top

College of Social and Behavioral Science scholarships also help to support at least one Anthropology graduate student each year.   Students who submit a departmental financial aid application are automatically considered for this award.
top

Other Pre-Dissertation Fellowships:  Other sources of funds are available from external sources, and include  the Woodrow Wilson fellowships and the  National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships . These NSF fellowships provide three years of support to graduate students and prospective graduate students in a variety of fields, including anthropology.  They are for students in the early stages of their graduate career. 
top

Dissertation Research Awards:The University offers several fellowships to support graduate research. These include Graduate Research Fellowships ($15,000 plus tuition) for research in any field, the Marriner S. Eccles Graduate Fellowship ($15 ,000 plus tuition) for research on politics, public policy and the economy, and more. Deadlines vary, but are usually in January or February.

Graduate students are also encouraged to seek dissertation funding from external sources.  The chief sources  of dissertation support are the NSF Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants in physical anthropology, cultural anthropology, and archaeology, but funds are also available through Wenner-Gren Foundation Dissertation fieldwork grants,  the Social Science Research Council,  Fulbright-Hays doctoral dissertation awards, and  the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation.
top

Travel Funding: Funding is available for travel to conferences, especially if you are presenting a paper or poster. There is usually a better chance of obtaining funding if you apply early in the academic year. There are two main sources of travel funding: the ASUU and the Graduate School.

To request travel funds from ASUU, send the Anthro Graduate SAC Chair the following information: your name, name of conference attending, location, reason for attending (i.e., how attending will benefit you and the department), and an itemized list of anticipated expenses. If you get funding, you will need to save all of your receipts so that you can get reimbursed. Funding typically includes support for up to 50% of travel and registration expenses. Funding may also be available for non-conference expenses.

Travel funds are also available through the Graduate School with a departmental match.   The instructions and form can be downloaded  here.  The maximum award is $400, $200 from the graduate school matched by an equal amount from the department. The Graduate School also requires that you save all of your receipts, and will reimburse you after you travel. You may apply for both awards simultaneously.
top