Many graduate students are eligible to receive one or more forms of financial assistance in the course of their degree programs.
These may include appointments to the research or teaching staffs, employment as a resident tutor in an undergraduate residence, loans, or selection as a recipient of one of various internally funded competitive fellowships. Students should be proactive in seeking financial aid, and start the process early for best results; refer to the “Student finances” section of the OGE website for resources and best practices.
Moreover, many students come to MIT with financial assistance from a wide variety of federal, foundation, and corporate sources of funds for graduate study and research. These programs typically have specific requirements governing the student’s tenure, and it is the responsibility of the student to ensure continued eligibility for the financial assistance.
The OGE has administrative oversight of all research assistant (RA), teaching assistant (TA), and Instructor G (IG) appointments, and fellowship related awards. A graduate “award” refers to a fellowship. An “appointment” to the graduate student staff refers to an RA, TA, or IG. The responsibility of the OGE is to ensure adherence to Institute guidelines with regard to appointments and the terms and conditions of fellowship awards.
The OGE works collaboratively with departments and programs to resolve problems and concerns with respect to an individual’s appointment or award. For current students experiencing an issue, please contact your graduate administrator. The Director of Graduate Fellowships in the Office of Graduate Education serves as the local agent for many, but not all, of the externally provided resources, and can often help to clarify eligibility requirements and act as an intermediary.
