Department of Psychology at Illinois State University

Financial Assistance

This information is for current students enrolled in a graduate degree program in the department.

Graduate Assistantship

The department routinely awards graduate assistantships to first year students. The decision to award an assistantship is subject to the University's receipt of anticipated funding from the State of Illinois. Graduate assistants must maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale), enroll for at least nine credit hours for the fall and spring semesters, and be eligible for employment based on U.S. Immigration laws. The assistantships are based on a variety of factors, e.g., academic record, the student's graduate program or sequence, and matching job-related skills and availability of the student with specific department needs. An assistantship includes a monthly salary that is subject to applicable taxes and a tuition fellowship for the full academic year..

Students are notified if they are eligible for a department assistantship. Students who accept a graduate assistantship are considered employees of the University and the State of Illinois. Under the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act (5ILCS 430/5-10), state employees are required to pass the Mandatory Governmental Ethics Online Training. Graduate assistants are notified each fall semester of the state website and deadline for completing the online ethics training. Graduate assistants who do not pass the ethics training risk losing their assistantship and tuition waiver.

Assistantships outside the department are listed on the University's Human Resources Graduate Assistants website.

Tuition Fellowship

The department may award tuition fellowships that do not include a graduate assistantship. Students who are eligible for a tuition fellowship will be notified by the department.

Awards

See the University Club Scholarship Program website for information. The scholarship program is open to current Illinois State students on the basis of application, essay, and three letters of recommendation.

Financial Aid

See the Financial Aid website for information about grants, scholarships, loans, and employment.

Graduate School Assistance

See the Graduate School's Assistantships, Scholarships, and Financial Assistance website for more information about financial assistance through the Graduate School.

Symposium Research Grants

See the Graduate School's Research Symposia website for information about research assistance grants, which provides funds for research projects that will be presented at the annual Graduate Research Symposium or at a referred conference. The department may provide matching funds pending budget availability.

Federal Government Loans

See the Federal Student Aid Direct Loans website for information about low-interest loans from the federal government.

Loan Interest Deferment

For information about the possibility of a loan interest deferment (granted during an internship), contact the Loan Servicing Center at (800) 848-0979.

Other Financial Resources

See the APA Scholarships, Grants, and Awards website
American Psychological Association

See the APAGS Scholarships and Awards website
American Psychological Association of Graduate Students

See the Psi Chi Awards & Grants website
Psi Chi, The International Honor Society in Psychology