Skip to main content
College of Sciences
Department of Physics

Financial Assistance

Our graduate students are financially supported by a mix of teaching assistantships (TAs), research assistantships (RAs) and fellowships.

Teaching Assistantships

These positions involve such activities as teaching undergraduate laboratories, grading undergraduate or graduate homework assignments, or other related duties. A TA has a working obligation of 15-20 hours a week in addition to the full-time (nine credit hours) course load, and renewals of assistantships are contingent upon satisfactory academic progress. The stipend for a nine-month TA in 2024-2025 is $21,375. Summer appointments (to either a TA or RA), bring the annual stipend to at least $28,500.

Research Assistantships

Individual professors offer RAs to students involved in their research. The stipend is determined by the professor offering the position, and it typically ranges from $28,500 to $33,000 annually.

Other Funding Sources

If you wish to specifically nominate someone for a fellowship or supplement, please send the name and contact information of the nominee to the graduate program.

  • Limited Full Scholarships: Exceptionally well-prepared candidates are eligible to apply for the prestigious Andrews Fellowship and Provost Fellowship. These cover the full cost for a limited term.
  • Supplements for Excellence: Each year, several incoming students are recognized with supplemental awards ranging from $4,000 to $30,000, and may provide full or partial release from TA assignments in the initial year(s). This allows recipients to focus on completing their coursework and exams, placing them on an accelerated track toward degree completion. A number of these are prestigious named awards (Sayers Award, Mitchell Award, WebAssign, NC State Graduate Fellowship). Selection for these awards is based on the student’s application and the letters of recommendation and is open to all applicants.
  • Graduate Student Support Plan (GSSP): The GSSP reduces the tuition base and auxiliary costs of the attendance to the graduate program for qualified students. Learn more about the GSSP.
  • Externally Funded Fellowship Programs: The physics graduate program successfully supports incoming graduate students in the application for competitive, externally funded fellowship programs. Those programs include the NSF Graduate Fellowship, Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need Fellowship and SURA-Jefferson Laboratory Graduate Fellowship.