Financial Support

Graduate Teaching Assistantships

Approximately 80 graduate students are funded through Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTAs), which provide a stipend for the nine-month academic year. GTAships include full-tuition remission and subsidized health benefits. The department also has numerous fellowships available for new and continuing students. In addition, summer support is often available.

Taking into account the relative low cost of living in Lincoln (check out this cost of living calculator to compare Lincoln with other cities in the US), our financial package is very competitive. Duties as a GTA includes service in at most four class periods per week and the attendant grading, preparation and office hours for an expected time commitment of 13-15 hours per week.

Fellowships

The department has fellowships that supplement a GTA stipend. All students that apply for admission in our program are automatically considered for these fellowships.

The Department of Mathematics has several university fellowships that supplement GTAships. In particular, the department awards Othmer Fellowships to top students entering each Fall. Othmer fellowships pay $4000 to $8,000 in addition to the GTA stipend for each of three years of graduate study. Students with Othmer Fellowships are still eligible for summer support.

Continuing graduate students may apply for other fellowships in a university-wide fellowships competition each spring.

Summer Support

Summer support for graduate students is often available, although compensation varies depending on the specific assignment.

Information for International Students

Financial aid for first-year international students is primarily in the form of graduate teaching assistantships.  English language ability is an extremely important factor in awarding these assistantships. To be considered for a GTA, a non-native speaker must score at least: 600 on the paper-based TOEFL; 250 on the computer-based version of the TOEFL; or 100 on the internet TOEFL or an IELTS score of 7.5. Students for whom English is the second language must participate in UNL's Institute for International Teaching Assistants and pass a panel review of their preparedness to teach in English. Students who do not pass the panel review are assigned grading duties and receive compensation for those responsibilities during the academic year.

GTA Pay Scale

The Department of Mathematics offers GTA academic year stipends, which increase with performance and seniority in the program.

Total GTA compensation also includes:

• Possible Summer Appointment - Graduate students are encouraged to look for internships and other summer opportunities. While summer appointments are not guaranteed, the department has been able to offer summer appointments to almost all interested graduate students over the last decade.
• Tuition Waiver - All students with a 0.33 FTE or greater appointment receive a tuition waiver for up to 12 hours per semester and an additional 6 - 12 hours in the summer. (Students do have to pay fees per semester.)
• Benefits - All GTAs receive health benefits. Students are required to pay approximately 21% of the premium, the remaining 79% is covered by the University.

Students for whom English is the second language must participate in UNL's Institute for International Teaching Assistants and pass a panel review of their preparedness to teach in English. Students who do not pass the panel review are assigned grading duties.

In considering a GTA offer, a potential student should look at the total benefits and the time commitment to assess the value of one offer in comparison with another offer. Additionally, the cost of living, which is quite low in Lincoln, Nebraska, is an important consideration when comparing offers. To compare Lincoln with other cities in the US, check out this cost of living calculator.