Graduate assistantships
Bloomsburg University provides several options to help graduate students financially. Graduate assistantships are available for students pursuing a master's degree. The number of assistantships in any particular program or department can vary. Stipends are awarded by the assistant vice president and dean of graduate studies and research upon the recommendation of departments that have graduate programs. Stipends are available during the academic year and the summer sessions. Most students are granted assistantships for one semester at a time. Some graduate students, however, are granted assistantships under a two-semester contract. Graduate students who have had an assistantship in one program are not eligible for an assistantship in a second program.
Assistantships at Bloomsburg University are either "half-time," which require 20 hours of work each week, or "quarter-time," which require 10 hours of work each week. Both types of assistantships carry a partial tuition waiver. In addition, half-time graduate assistants receive a stipend of $2,608 for the semester while quarter-time graduate assistants receive a $1,304 stipend for the semester. Summer stipends are $978.
As part of the university's commitment to Affirmative Action, 10 graduate assistantships are targeted for minority graduate students. The requirements and conditions of appointment for these assistantships are identical to regular assistantships.
Applications for regular and minority graduate assistantships are available at the Office of Graduate Studies and should be submitted to the department or program to which you are applying. Upon award of a graduate assistantship, you will be provided with the document "Criteria for Graduate Assistantship" by the Office of Graduate Studies. This document describes Graduate School policies for the administration of assistantships.
Other Forms of Aid
Some federal fellowships may be offered in selected fields of study. Program coordinators should be contacted regarding availability. In addition, the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency Loan Program is available as well as the student work-study program. For more information regarding these forms of financial aid, contact the Office of Financial Aid, Student Services Center, Bloomsburg University, 400 E. Second Street, Bloomsburg, PA 17815-1301, (570) 389-4279 or (570) 389-4297.