asking for funding from a different department

[Guest Gnome Chomsky]

I'm applying to master's programs and I keep running into this same thing. When I ask if they offer funding for master's students they say they don't but there are other departments at the school that do. I'm confused. Why would a department other than the one I am a part of fund me? And how would you go about asking? I assume it involves TA or RA work in a related field.

[Lisa44201]

I'm guessing it would involve a TA/RA position; although that sentence could mean that your particular program is not a funded Master's, but there are funded Master's programs in other fields at the same university. I'd suggest asking your mentor.

[Eigen]

I would personally take "we don't offer funding, but other programs do" to be a suggestion to apply to another related program at the same university. 

 

But it could also mean potential RA/TA positions in another department. 

 

Really, you'd need to ask the school or someone at the school for more specifics. 

[Guest Gnome Chomsky]

I don't think they're telling me to apply to a different program. My field is specific and I expressed this specific interest in my e-mail. I'm guessing I would be a student in my field (computational linguistics), which is unfunded, but I would TA classes in something related to my BA (linguistics or computer science).

[rising_star]

They probably mean that you can get a assistantship through other places like Student Affairs (Housing, Student Union, Honors College), not another academic unit.