Financial Aid for Graduate Students

The Department makes every effort to assist graduate students in securing financial aid. In recent years, most EALC graduate students have received some form of financial support through fellowships, teaching and research assistantships, or tuition-and-fee waivers. Financial aid for graduate students in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures may include:

Teaching Assistantships

Many graduate students in the Department hold Teaching Assistantships, which provide a waiver of tuition and part of student fees, as well as a salary based on workload. The Department expects all graduate students to hold a Teaching Assistantship during at least part of their program, as the experience in teaching yields not only personal satisfaction, but also professional enhancement and a competitive edge on the job market.

Note: Financial aid awards are contingent upon passing the Test of Spoken English (TSE). Foreign students should take the TSE at the earliest possible date, ideally before applying to the Program. Doing so will expedite acceptance and financial aid decisions and speed up the visa application process. Note that applications and test scores may be submitted separately.

Research Assistantships

Along with Teaching Assistantships, Research Assistantships provide financial aid for graduate students in the Department. Research Assistants earn a waiver of tuition and part of the student fees, as well as a salary set at the level of workload. In addition to financial benefits, Research Assistantships provide the graduate student with a valuable opportunity to work closely with faculty on research projects involving current issues in the field. Generally, Research Assistants in the Department will possess advanced reading skills in one of the Department's major languages.

University Fellowships

* These fellowships carry a tuition and service fee waver for the academic year and summer session. With approval by the Graduate College, these Fellowships may be supplemented by a teaching assistantship, but usually not more than one-quarter time. Each year, the Department may recommend one or more students for a University Fellowship.

UIUC Distinguished Fellowships

These prestigious fellowships provide $17,000 plus tuition waiver for three twelve-month years to truly exceptional students who have been newly admitted to the Graduate College.

Graduate College Fellowships

Graduate College Fellowships are fellowships awarded to minority students in those academic areas where they have traditionally been underrepresented. They provide a stipend of $10,000 plus tuition and a service fee waiver, generally for the first year of graduate study.

Mellon Fellowships in Humanistic Study

Nearly all students in the Humanities and Humanistic Social Sciences who apply to the EALC doctoral program are eligible for a Mellon Fellowship which provides a first-year stipend of $17,500 and tuition. Please click the botton below to visit their website.

Minority Academic Partnership Plan (MAPP) Fellowships

MAPP Fellowships provide support for Black, Hispanic and Native American students who have graduated from any campus of the University of Illinois and are admitted to doctoral programs in pursuit of an academic career. They provide $10,000 plus tuition and a service fee waiver for the first year and departmental assistantships and fellowships thereafter.

Dissertation Completion Awards

For students in their final year of writing the dissertation, these awards provide $15,000 and a tuition and service fee waiver for twelve months. Nominees for a Dissertation Completion Award must have completed all requirements for the Ph.D., including the preliminary examination. No employment of any kind is permitted while holding this award.