{"id":514,"date":"2023-03-27T22:51:01","date_gmt":"2023-03-27T22:51:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/psyc\/?page_id=514"},"modified":"2026-05-04T19:55:46","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T19:55:46","slug":"financial-aid","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/psyc\/financial-aid\/","title":{"rendered":"Financial Aid"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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\n Graduate Funding Opportunities\n <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
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Students admitted into the PhD program are provided with a graduate support package for a five-year period. Each student receives an annual stipend of $42,436<\/span>, 36 units of tuition paid per year, and year-round health and dental insurance. The graduate support package typically provides two years of fellowship to allow students to focus full-time on their coursework, and three years of funding as a teaching or research assistant where they develop additional professional skills. In rare cases, our faculty may fund students with a research assistantship support package that includes two years of research assistantship and three years of teaching assistantship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n <\/div>\n \n \n \n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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\n Fellowship\n <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
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Most students receive two years of fellowship funding. The “Early Year Fellowship\u201d is intended to support students in completing their initial research projects, particularly the second year project. Although the fellowship funding is typically used during the first or second year in the program, it can be taken any time during Years 1-3. The second year of funding, the \u201cAdvanced Research Fellowship\u201d is intended to allow students to fully engage in dissertation-related activities. Therefore, students are strongly encouraged to take the Advanced Research Fellowship during Year 4 or 5 of the program, but only when they have completed their Qualifying Exam, and are engaged in full-time research for their dissertation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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\n Research and Teaching Assistantships\n <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
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In addition to formal course work, the Department of Psychology considers experiences as research and teaching assistants to be invaluable parts of a graduate student’s training and are strongly encouraged. As a teaching assistant, students help faculty teach a semester long course. This can involve teaching lab sections of a large lecture course; preparing, administering, and grading examinations; and holding office hours with students. As a research assistant, students help faculty carry out research projects, from conceptualization and research design, implementation and data collection, to analysis and final write-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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\n Department Awards\n <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
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Psychology Department Travel Grant Awards:<\/span><\/strong> This award promotes student’s professional development by supporting attendance at major professional conferences and presenting papers and posters. Students are eligible for up to $1,250 per year for travel to conferences.<\/p>\n

Psychology Department Doctoral Research Grant Awards:<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0This funding is intended to support student’s efforts in carrying out their second year projects and dissertations. Students can apply for up to $4K per year, depending on the scope of the project and funding available.<\/p>\n

Psychology Department Dornsife PhD Academy Research Award:<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0The Dornsife Academy helps to develop student’s skills in leadership, financial management, communication and public speaking. Students who attend the academy meetings throughout the academic year are eligible to apply for small grants to fund their research projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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\n Other Funding Opportunities\n <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
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PhD student may also be eligible for fellowship funding from a variety of sources, including the USC Graduate School, Dornsife, and other\u00a0external resources<\/a>\u00a0(e.g. NSF, Ford, APA, etc). In addition, as part of USC’s commitment to the professional development of our students, if any students receive one of a number of nationally competitive awards they will be eligible for stipend increases from the Graduate School.\u00a0https:\/\/graduateschool.usc.edu\/fellowships\/fellowships-for-phd-students\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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\n Funding FAQs\n <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n \n