Assistantships
About Assistantships
School of Public Health faculty, divisions, administrative offices and research centers employ graduate students as teaching (TA), research (RA), or graduate assistants (GA). The stipend amount is determined by the appointing unit and may be subject to tax. Tuition and the service fee are waived for assistants if the appointment is between 25 and 67 percent for at least three quarters of the term (91 calendar days in fall or spring semester, 41 calendar days during the summer session). All assistants must maintain a minimum of eight semester hours in the semester for which the waiver is held (three in the summer term).
Graduate students who hold academic appointments as assistants for the spring semester are entitled to a waiver for the summer term immediately following, if:
- Tuition and service fees were waived in the spring term.
- The student is registered for at least three hours during that summer term.
- The student does not hold a summer assistantship.
Graduate students holding a summer assistantship must satisfy eligibility requirements for a waiver as previously described (i.e., have an appointment between 25 and 67 percent for at least three quarters of the term (41 calendar days during the summer session) and be registered for at least three semester hours during summer session).
Tax Considerations
If the amount of the tuition and service fee waiver exceeds $5,250, the excess is deemed income under the Internal Revenue Code and taxed accordingly. Please visit the Graduate College website for the more information.
Tuition Differential
Waivers received through assistantships do not cover tuition differentials for the School of Public Health.
How to Apply
Initially students are considered for assistantships through their division/program’s funding assistance application. Please do not use the Graduate College application for assistantships unless specifically requested. Additionally, students are able to seek out assistantship opportunities throughout the campus. The SPH Office of Student Services posts assistantships as they become available on the SPHVIEWS listserv.
Click here to apply for assistantship
Public Health Scholarships and Awards
The School of Public Health awards scholarships to students demonstrating significant academic achievements, engagement in research pursuits, and educational interest in different areas of public health. Announcements, including information about application procedures and deadlines, will be made in the fall academic term via the SPH-Students listserv.
Scholarship applications will be accessible via the UIC Scholarships and Awards (SNAP) system toward the end of the fall semester. Awards are typically paid out in the spring term. Please note that students cannot receive a monetary award from the school in a term for which they are graduating.
Steps to apply for SPH scholarships/awards
- Review the specific awards available under each of the SPH applications.
- Complete the general UIC SNAP general application. This is required before filling out any other applications in the system.
- Complete the SPH-General Scholarships Application– This applications covers the majority of scholarships/awards for SPH students, including both school-wide and division/program specific awards. SPH students from all graduate degree levels are encouraged to apply for awards through this application.
- Consider filling out these additional applications, if they apply to you:
- SPH-Doctoral Awards Application– This application covers scholarships/awards that are specifically targeted to doctoral students.
- SPH-Global Health Scholarships and Awards Application– This application covers scholarships/awards that are specifically related to students pursuing a global health field experience.
- SPH-Alan W. Donaldson Award – This award honors one graduating student for significant academic excellence, qualities of leadership, and community service. It is the most prestigious award granted by the UIC School of Public Health and is a memorial to Alan W. Donaldson, ScD, a founding father of the School and its first Associate Dean. Applicants must be among the graduating class from a School of Public Health degree program (summer 2020, fall 2020, or spring 2021). Additionally, selected applicants will record video remarks for the School’s Commencement Ceremony for Spring 2021. The Donaldson Award requires 2 letters of recommendation from faculty members and a letter from an outside community agency or organization. The SNAP system allows you to enter the name and email address of the faculty members providing your letter. Please be sure to reach out to the faculty members before you enter their name in the system. Please be careful to correctly enter the faculty member’s email address. The letter from an outside agency/organization should be received directly by you and uploaded to the SNAP system.
- SPH-Rodney P. Musselman Travel Award – This award supports students attending professional conferences or meetings, including travel, accommodations, meals, and registration fees.