Graduate

Funding Opportunities

Financial Aid/Student Loans
For general information about receiving financial aid and/or student loans, please visit the Financial Aid Office website.

Part-time Employment for Graduate Students
Job information, both on- and off-campus, is available at the USF Career Services.

Graduate and Professional Students
Information about various aspects of attending graduate school, including obtaining funding, can be found at the Federal Student Aid website. Click here for a FAFSA Graduate and Professional Students information pamphlet.

USF Office Of National Scholars
The Office of National Scholars (ONS) is dedicated to providing guidance and support for USF's high achieving students as they compete for national merit scholarships across all disciplines. The scholarships and fellowships are for creative, motivated, academically strong students who are leaders in and out of the classroom.

Chemistry Department Student Awards                                                                                              Each fall and spring semesters, outstanding graduate students selected by the department to receive various graduate student awards based on specific criteria. There will be a call for applications each each Fall semester and announce in the Spring semester at the annual chemistry banquet. Recipients are determined by members of the Departments Graduate Council. Click here to learn more about Graduate Awards and the recipients!

Internal Awards

Teaching Assistantships
Each fall and spring semesters the Department of Chemistry awards, on a competitive basis, approximately 100 teaching assistantships (TAships) to selected current or newly-admitted graduate students. Students holding an assistantship perform instructional duties for an average of 20 hours per week. The assistantship provides the student with a competitive stipend, a tuition waiver, and the employer's health insurance contribution. Students holding TAships are required to be enrolled in 9 credit hours each semester (Fall/Spring) and to be in good academic standing. Summer funding may also be available and we typically award 30 teaching assistantships.

Research Assistantships
Research assistantships for summer research activities are available from professors who hold grants and have such funding available. Recipients of the funding will be determined by the grant-holding professor.

USF Presidential Doctoral Fellowships
USF provides $20,000 per year to the most outstanding applicants to USF doctoral programs. The fellowship also provides a full tuition waiver and coverage of health insurance and other fees. This fellowship is renewable for up to five (5) years.

Fred L. and Helen M. Tharp Scholarship
Each summer, outstanding graduate students selected by the department receive a Tharp Scholarship cash award. The amount ranges from $1,000 to $5,000.

Travel Support
Financial support for travel to professional conferences is available from the following sources:

  • Graduate and Professional Student Council (GPSC): Apply to the GPSC directly. A presentation at a conference is required.
  • The Martin Travel Endowment 
    This award is funded by an endowment established by Barbara and Dean Martin. There will a call for applications each Fall semester and announce in the Spring semester at the annual chemistry banquet. Recipients are determined by members of the Departments Graduate Council. 

External Awards

The Graduate Scholarships and Fellowships Program (GSFP)
The GSFP helps current or prospective graduate students locate and apply for external sources of graduate funding to be used at USF or other institutions, both in the U.S. and abroad. The GSFP maintains a library of references, and also information on and applications for a variety of award programs. It also offers a computer database search of over 20,000 potential aid sources. The GSFP can be contacted at the USF Graduate School.

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi
The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi provides several funding opportunities. Some of these, but not all, require membership in Phi Kappa Phi. For further details, please visit the Phi Kappa Phi website.

Professional Society Fellowships
Most professional societies offer various forms of funding. For further information, please check the following websites:

  • American Chemical Society (ACS)
  • American Mathematical Society (AMS)
  • American Statistical Association (ASA)
  • Mathematical Association of America (MAA)
  • Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM)
  • The Actuarial Foundation
  • NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

All U.S. Citizens and permanent residents who are first- or second-year graduate students are eligible. Applications need to be sent in the Fall. Further information can be found at the NSF website

American Association of University Women (AAUW) Educational Foundation
The American Association of University Women (AAUW) Educational Foundation provides funds to advance education, research, and self-development for women and to foster equity and positive society change. The foundation's American Fellowships are designed to support women doctoral candidates completing dissertations or scholars seeking funds for postdoctoral research leave from accredited institutions. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Candidates are evaluated on the basis of scholarly excellence, teaching experience, and active commitment to helping women and girls through service in their communities, professions, or fields of research.

McKnight Doctoral Fellowships
The Florida Education Fund's McKnight Doctoral Fellowships seek to increase the numbers of African-American and Hispanics pursuing graduate education in the state of Florida.