Financial aid is available in the form of assistantships and fellowships, and is available for both U.S. and international students. Assistantships include a full tuition scholarship (18 credits, present value $39,060) and a stipend ($22,950 for the coming academic year). Students on assistantships assist faculty members with their teaching or research during the first year, and in subsequent years teach one introductory philosophy course of their own each semester, or occasionally work as a TA for a large lecture course.
The philosophy department is also able to nominate a few applicants for competitive University of Miami Fellowships and Dean’s Fellowships. These fellowships provide a stipend of $25,000 and carry no teaching duties for two years (after that, the duties are the same as those for assistantships). Applicants who are US citizens or permanent residents may also be eligible for a Holmes Fellowship, which provides an additional $5000 for the first two years of study.
Applicants who are African American or Hispanic and are U.S. citizens are strongly encouraged to apply for a McKnight Doctoral Fellowship. These fellowships are jointly supported by the Florida Education Fund and participating Florida universities (including the University of Miami), and provide for full tuition and stipend support for 5 years. (The stipend offered by the McKnight is currently $12,000 per year, while the department contributes an additional $8,000 per year to match the assistantship level of support.) McKnight Fellows have no teaching duties their first three years, and in their last two years have regular assistantships. We have been very successful at getting McKnight fellowships for our entering students in the past. Please note in your departmental application that you have applied for a McKnight Fellowship, so that we can work with the Florida Education Fund in processing your application and (if successful) in arranging your funding. For more information and to apply online, see: http://www.fefonline.org/mdf.html.
