Funding & Benefits
Strong Financial Support
Beyond providing an excellent graduate education, we strive to ensure that our students thrive personally. Students in our Ph.D program with no external fellowship funding are typically provided with financial support through graduate assistantships for at least five years, presuming satisfactory progress and performance as a graduate student and staff member.
First-year Ph.D students admitted to our Ph.D. program generally receive an offer of financial support through a teaching assistantship with a generous monetary stipend, a full tuition waiver, and a waiver of most fees. Exceptionally qualified candidates may receive additional financial awards with their offer of admission.
In addition, Purdue covers 80% of the cost of a comprehensive health insurance plan for grads with graduate assistantships and fellowships. For additional information about the health, dental and vision insurance we offer our graduate staff, please visit the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Students and Post Doctoral Scholars's benefits page.
Graduate students living in the Greater Lafayette area also benefit from the area's highly reasonable cost of living, which is 5% below the national average. Housing in the Lafayette area is also 14% lower than the national average! That low cost of living, in combination with our full funding package, can help graduate students focus on their academic pursuits rather than worry about finances.