Typically, students admitted to the O’Neill School Public Affairs Program receive a tuition and fee waiver, health insurance, and a stipend as a part of a student academic appointment. The stipend is updated annually according to a university established cost of living adjustment schedule (this was $22,660 for AY2024).
A student academic appointment (SAA) consists of a 20-hour per week work assignment during the fall and spring semesters. The most common assignment schedule is to be assigned as a research associate to a faculty supervisor for the first two years of your program. Starting in your third year, you’ll become an associate instructor, serving as instructor of record for an undergraduate course.
The SAA is promised by the school for four years, provided you remain a full-time graduate student and complete the assigned responsibilities. A fifth and sixth year is dependent on demonstrating adequate progress towards the completion of their degree.
In addition to the stipend, students with an SAA receive a summer fellowship of $3,000 to supplement their annual stipend for the first four years.
The program also provides travel support of $600 per conference for two conferences per year once you have passed your first-year comprehensive qualifying exams.