UNM Department of Linguistics

Financial Support for Graduate Students

University of New Mexico support for graduate students takes two forms: assistantships and fellowships. A few fellowships are awarded through UNM's Office of Graduate Studies and are open on a highly competitive basis to all graduate students in the university.

The Department of Linguistics each year provides limited financial support to graduate students. This support currently includes graduate and teaching assistantships and several tuition fellowships. Students interested in applying for financial aid from the department can request a copy of the application form from the administrative assistant. Applications are due January 15 for funding beginning in the following Fall semester.

The assistantship awards are made strictly on the basis of academic merit. The determination of these awards is made by the department faculty collectively in early April for the following academic year. Those selected for assistantships may be assigned to serve as an assistant to a faculty member, or to have full teaching responsibility for a course (typically Ling 101, Introduction to the Study of Language). These assistantships are considered half-time positions (.50 FTE) and provide an annual stipend of approximately $10,000, tuition remission for up to 12 credit hours per semester and a health insurance plan. Reduced assistantships (.25 FTE) are sometimes made with appropriate adjustment of the stipend and tuition remission.

The tuition fellowships are available only to those who are permanent residents of the state of New Mexico. The awards are made on the basis of financial need as well as merit. Tuition remission for up to 12 credit hours per semester is provided.

In addition, research assistantships and project assistantships are occasionally available to graduate students to work on research or public service projects usually funded by outside sources. Selection of assistants is made by the faculty member who serves as the project's principal investigator, and the primary basis for selection is the student's ability to handle the specific project assignment. Examples of recent projects include the New Mexico-Colorado Spanish Survey (funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities and directed by Garland Bills), Perceptual Processing in Delayed Language Learners (funded by the National Institutes of Health and directed by Jill Morford), Jicarilla Apache Language Immersion Program (funded by the Act for Native Americans and directed by the Jicarilla Apache Tribe with the assistance of Melissa Axelrod), Plains Apache Project (funded by Endangered Language Fund and directed by Melissa Axelrod), and Modeling Durations in Connected Discourse (funded by the National Science Foundation and directed by Caroline Smith).

Graduate students in linguistics often receive support in other University programs, for example, as instructors in the ESL writing program in the Department of English, as instructors in the Center for English Language and American Culture, as tutors in the Center for Academic Program Support, and as teaching assistants, project assistants, and work-study employees in varied other programs.

The GPSA's Student Research Allocations Committee provides money for graduate student research projects and for travel expenses to conferences. Contact: SRAC, Graduate and Professional Student Association, Student Union Building 200, 277-3803. The Department chair may also have limited supplementary funds for student travel and research projects; a "Travel Request" form is available from the Department Administrator.