Overview, Application Process, Forms

Whether or not you are applying for financial support, an Annual Progress Review and a Financial Support Funding Card are required.

Financial support from the department for current registered students include fellowships and teaching assistantships. All current, registered graduate students should submit the Financial Appointment request form, typically due toward the end of the fall semester. There will be two mandatory Financial Appointment Information meetings before the deadline--after the meeting notes will be posted for reference and for students unable to attend. Applicants for teaching assistantships  should also submit the Teaching Assistantship application.

Research assistantships are arranged with individual faculty when they receive grants for this purpose.

Many other campus units also offer fellowships and other appointments, especially international area studies centers, IPRH, and other programs.

The Graduate College also offers a variety of financial support including fellowships and assistantships--though the application is often through the department. See  the "Fellowship Finder," Graduate College Funding & Employment, and Grad Links (a weekly electronic bulletin highlighting important deadlines, workshops, and other opportunities for graduate students.) The Fellowship Finder will also help locate national and international fellowships and grants, which are useful for you professionally and also help us support all graduate students within our budget.

Important notes:

When you receive a fellowship or other support from outside the department, please notify the Director of Graduate Studies and the Graduate Program Coordinator of your award as soon as possible. First, we want to congratulate you. Second, you must complete forms in a timely manner to be sure you can receive a tuition and fee waiver. Third, please note to the DGS if this award will result in any changes to your current Financial Aid Request; likewise, if you receive awards/appointments after your department award/appointment, be sure to let us know. As much as possible, we want to maximize our ability to support all graduate students at a comparable level.

Because of IRS rules, you must be registered for 12 hours when you receive fellowship funds. The exception is a summer pre-dissertation grant, for which you need to be registered in spring (i.e. when you apply).

In order to ensure timely progress toward completion of your degree, it has long been department policy to discourage additional employment when you already have full-time (50%) employment (TA, RA, GA etc.) or full fellowship support. Exceptions to this policy can been made when professionally useful to you and when this will not slow your progress toward completion. There are also staff support considerations that will influence the number of exceptions we can make. Please discuss this with your advisor and the DGS.

Application Process

All current, registered students are expected to submit the Financial Appointment Request Form and the Financial Support Funding Card by December of each academic year.  Please see the Departmental Forms page for a complete list of forms and deadlines for all types of support.

Everyone applying for department funding, whether fellowship or teaching appointment, must fill out the “Financial Appointment Request Form.” In addition, if you are applying to be a TA or Grader, you should also fill out the TA Application form. Links to key forms are at end of this page and in “Departmental Forms."

So, most of you will be filling out both forms. Documents you will need to submit:

  1. "Funding card” (below and under Forms)
  2. Current Academic Record from “UI Integrate.”
  3. Current CV
  4. Letters of recommendation:
  • Everyone: letter from advisor (or both advisors in co-advising situations) re academic progress
  • For fellowships: two letters, including one from advisor
  • For TAships only: If first time as TA: two letters, including one from advisor. If taught before: two letters—one from advisor (on academic progress) and one from the faculty supervising your teaching that speaks to your work as a TA. (So, if also applying for fellowship this would be 3 letters). For Widenor Teaching Appointments and Stand-Alones: same as above (advisor and teaching letter)

NB: For each letter, a filled-out reference release (“History Reference Form”--below and under Forms) to Shannon’s mailbox by the  November 12th deadline. She will obtain the faculty signatures for history faculty only. Be sure to request letters well in advance of the deadline.

NB: If one of your letter writers will cover both academic progress and teaching, be sure to mark this on the History Reference Form so Shannon knows she has all necessary letters.

Additional materials:

For Summer Pre-Dissertation Research Grants (applications due February 2nd):  The department currently offers a one-time scholarship up to $5000 to support research in support of the dissertation proposal. Students may use this scholarship to finance travel to explore archives, to find collaborators, to travel to research sites in general. A travel request form must be submitted, description of proposed research (3-page proposal), CV, recommendation letter from your advisor, and a detailed and itemized budget (that is reasonable).  The administration of the grant is through scholarship. Up to half of the award may be granted in advance of the trip, while the other half will be granted in reimbursement. The student will need to save all receipts for submission to the department business office upon return.   

For Widenor Teaching Appointment: Copy of your dissertation proposal, an up-to-date letter from your advisor, a letter on your teaching, a course description and provisional syllabus, and your ICES printouts and teaching records (faculty observations).

For Conference Presentation Support (fall applications due ; spring applications due ):  The department currently offers a one-time scholarship of up to $1000 to support travel to present research at a professional history conference. For this grant, the student needs to complete a conference travel form and follow the procedures of the Graduate College Conference Presentation Award competition.  Students may apply to the department for conference funding only once per year but may apply more than once in their career and funding may be available. Funds currently are assured for only one award, however.

Key Documents and Links
(Financial Support and TA Application Documents on Forms Page)

  • Financial Support Funding Card  (link on Forms page)

  • Financial Appointment Request Form  (link on Forms page)

  • Required Supporting Documents for Financial Support  (link on Forms page)

  • History Reference Form  (link on Forms page)

  • TA Application (opens in a new window) (link on Forms page)

  • Graduate College Conference Travel Award Application (link on Forms page)

  • Graduate College Funding & Employment (including the “Fellowship Finder”)

  • Grad Links – A weekly electronic bulletin highlighting important deadlines, workshops, and other opportunities for graduate students  

  • Financial Aid Workshop 2023 Notes