Graduate students who do not receive a GRA and still need to secure sponsored funding for their research, have a gap in research funding, or are not in a research-focused program but need financial aid may be considered for a graduate teaching assistantship (GTA). Students selected for GTAs receive monthly stipends and tuition support in return for their work on teaching and instructional duties. 

GTA assignments are made at the school's discretion and are limited by the number of courses requiring teaching support in a given semester. A small number of incoming students may be offered a GTA as part of their admissions offer. Current students have the opportunity to apply for GTA positions in the semester before the assistantship is performed; applications typically are requested about two months before the start of the semester. Allocation of GTA positions are managed by the AE School’s Director of Graduate Teaching.

1. How do I qualify/apply for assistantships? Some students will be offered GRA or GTA positions in their admission letters. If your offer letter does not include information about funding, you are allowed to engage with individual AE faculty members directly for GRA opportunities. While we do not allow students in the first semester to work as a GTA, we allow students without funding to apply for GTA positions in their second semester and onward. Students must apply for GTA positions each semester. The GTA application form is distributed about two months before the start of each semester. Questions about GTAs should be directed to the AE School’s Director of Graduate Teaching.
2. Roughly how many students are funded with GRAs/GTAs in the School of Aerospace Engineering? As of Fall 2021, over 70% of graduate students in the School of Aerospace Engineering received a tuition waiver in the form of a GRA, GTA, Fellowship or other financial support.
3. What fellowship opportunities are offered in the School of Aerospace Engineering? In addition to GRA and GTA appointments, there are other (mostly external) fellowship opportunities. We have provided some additional information on the AE School’s Paying for College webpage.
4. What support does the School of Aerospace Engineering provide for students to get internship positions that could help with cost? We host regular career fairs for both undergraduate and graduate students in the AE School. The event enables students to network and make face-to-face connections with employers for internship and co-op opportunities. More information may be found on the AE School’s Career Fair webpage.