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. Teaching Assistantship (TA) During a Teaching Assistantship (TA), 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. TAs are also commonly held by master’s students and DCE students. Ordinarily, first year students in Ph.D. programs are not appointed as Teaching Assistants.Visit the Academics section for complete details regarding the TA Program. A summary of financial considerations is included here. TA Hours Allocations Each term, the Dean of Faculty provides departments with a TA hours allocation, based on teaching needs for undergraduate courses. Departments assign these hours in turn. TA appointment hours vary from a minimum of one hour to a maximum of six per term. A six-hour TA represents a full-time commitment of roughly 20 hours weekly. The University limits students with external fellowships providing a stipend of 75% or more of the standard university rate to TA assignments of up to 3.0 hours per term. TA Appointment Dates Teaching Assistants make a commitment for a full academic term and are paid over five months (fall term: August through December, spring term: January through May). TA Tuition Contributions and Stipends A TA appointment provides tuition and salary. The TA stipend rate (paid as salary) is the same across divisions and is higher than both the University Fellowship and Teaching Assistantship stipend rates. Coordination of TA Funding Support from an TA replaces, in full or in part, other University funding. If a less-than-full-time TA is assigned, tuition and stipend amounts are prorated. For example, with a 50% TA, the appointment would provide half of tuition and half of the TA 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 Research00100117832336735050467335831761000Other Considerations:Graduate Students in DCE Status: If you hold a minimum TA 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 TA 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). Search open TA postings Research Assistantship in Research (RA) During a Research Assistantship (RA), 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 RA after the first year of study and during summers. RA Tuition Contributions & Stipends RA tuition and stipend components are the same for students across divisions. The stipend is provided as salary. Coordination of RA Funding If a student has additional University or external funding, tuition and stipend amounts are prorated, depending on the percent of RA commitment. Tax Information Assistantships are a form of employment, and are subject to federal and state tax withholding. Resources Financial Support Model - Stipend RatesGraduate School Teaching AwardsStudent TaxesTA Orientation
