Two years of fellowship and four years of teaching?

[s2k]

Can someone tell me exactly what this means: "We are committed to offering all our prospective students a combination of fellowship aid and teaching to cover their years in the program. Under normal circumstances, students can count on at least two years of fellowship and four years of teaching."

I.E. The first two years I don't teach at all, I just get a stipend, and the following four years I'm teaching classes to earn a stipend? This would mean six years total of aid - does this mean I don't have to take out loans at all?

I am not very well versed in how financial aid works... help!

[Medievalmaniac]

Can someone tell me exactly what this means: "We are committed to offering all our prospective students a combination of fellowship aid and teaching to cover their years in the program. Under normal circumstances, students can count on at least two years of fellowship and four years of teaching."

I.E. The first two years I don't teach at all, I just get a stipend, and the following four years I'm teaching classes to earn a stipend? This would mean six years total of aid - does this mean I don't have to take out loans at all?

I am not very well versed in how financial aid works... help!

It sounds like a sweet deal to me, to be honest. Two years of no teaching, four years of assistantships and teaching experience to get you prepared for the job market...I would jump on that deal in about a half a second and never look back.

[communications13]

It does sound like 6 years of funding, however, I suggest calling the dept or the finaid office and clarifying. It very well could be 4 years of funding (2 fellowship and TA/2 TA). From my research many schools do TA in conunction with a TAship.

As far as whether you'll have to take out loans that really depends on your style of living and where you will be living. If you can live very fugally you might now have to take out loans. You can probably scour the school's website (or call finaid office) and find out how much a TA makes, figure out your monthly pay, take out 1/4 for taxes and have a good idea of how much money you'd have to work with.

All that said, it does sound like a pretty good deal, no harm in asking the school a few questions...after all, you were accepted to be thier student! Congrats!

[IRdreams]

At my school a package like this meant that you recieve a fellowship year your first year to ease you in. Then you teach for the next 3/4 years. Finally, during your dissertation year you get another fellowship year. Kind of like a dissertation completion fellowship just for being in the program.

[ScreamingHairyArmadillo]

Just make sure you're also getting tuition remission and/or health insurance coverage. And you may have to pay some graduate fees. But otherwise a year or two on fellowship is awesome! I have that now and while I look forward to teaching at some point, I know I'll be much more prepared for my coming field season than I would've been otherwise.

And also to agree with an above poster, depending on your frugality, you shouldn't have to take out loans.