Engage the next stage of your academic career through a teaching or research appointment. Assistantships provide a tuition and stipend contribution, paid as salary, for research or teaching. While requirements vary by department, Princeton believes strongly that assistantships are an integral part of one's academic training and professional development. Assistantship in Instruction (AI) During an Assistantship in Instruction (AI), graduate students may be involved in a combination of classroom teaching, laboratory supervision, and grading in undergraduate courses. Most Ph.D. programs require teaching as part of the graduate academic experience, often in specific years of study. AIs are also commonly held by master’s students and DCE students. Ordinarily, first year students in Ph.D. programs are not appointed as AI's. Visit the Academics section for complete details regarding the AI program. A summary of financial considerations is included here. AI Hours Allocations Each term, the Dean of Faculty provides departments with an AI hours allocation, based on teaching needs for undergraduate courses. Departments assign these hours in turn. AI appointment hours vary from a minimum of one hour to a maximum of six per term. A six-hour AI represents a full-time commitment of roughly 20 hours weekly. The University limits students with fully funded fellowships to AI assignments of up to 3.0 hours per term. AI Appointment Dates AIs make a commitment for a full academic term and are paid over five months (fall term: August through December, spring term: January through May). AI Tuition Contributions and Stipends An AI appointment provides tuition and salary. The AI University rate is the same across divisions and is higher than both the University Fellowship and Assistantship in Research stipend rates. Coordination of AI Funding Support from an AI replaces, in full or in part, other University funding. If a less-than-full-time AI is assigned, tuition and stipend amounts are prorated. For example, with a 50% AI, the appointment would provide half of tuition and half of the AI stipend. The balance of support would then come from other sources. The following chart demonstrates how teaching combines with fellowships and research to provide 100% support. Course Hours % Support from Teaching % Support from Fellowship and/or Research 0 0 100 1 17 83 2 33 67 3 50 50 4 67 33 5 83 17 6 100 0 Other Considerations: Graduate Students in DCE Status: If you hold a minimum AI appointment of two hours, the Graduate School provides you a tuition grant for the full DCE tuition and Student Health Plan fee, determined on a per term basis. If your AI appointment is one hour, you receive prorated tuition and are responsible for the balance of tuition and fees for the term (unless funded by other sources). Master’s Students: If you self-fund all or part of your tuition, you will continue to be responsible for the same tuition amount regardless of your AI appointment. Search open AI postings Assistantship in Research (AR) During an Assistantship in Research (AR), graduate students contribute to faculty research. Funding is generally provided by faculty research grants. In the natural sciences and engineering, students are commonly supported by an AR after the first year of study and during summers. AR Tuition Contributions & Stipends AR tuition and stipend components are the same for students across divisions. The stipend is provided as salary. Coordination of AR Funding If a student has additional University or external funding, tuition and stipend amounts are prorated, depending on the percent of AR commitment. Tax Information Assistantships are a form of employment, and are subject to federal and state tax withholding. Related Articles Resources Financial Support Model - Stipend RatesGraduate School Teaching AwardsStudent TaxesAI Orientation
