Funding Your Degree
Most of our graduate students receive financial support as a teaching assistant (TA), research assistant (RA), or with a fellowship. All of these positions provide:
- A living stipend. Stipends for TAs, RAs, and fellowship recipients are typically supplemented by Chancellor’s Graduate Student Awards (CGSA), resulting in a total compensation between $19,500 – $22,285 for the 9-month academic year. Many students also receive some additional summer support.
- Benefits including access to health insurance. The university pays most health insurance costs. The student contribution is currently about $68 per month for a single person and varies for family plans.
- Full tuition remission. Tuition remission means that funded students do not pay tuition. Mandatory segregated fees are not covered by tuition remission. These fees provide access to a variety of student services and activities, such as the Student Health Center, recreation center, free shuttle service, and unlimited free rides on Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) buses.
- Conference travel funds. The Graduate School and the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry both provide funds to help all students present work at professional conferences.
Please note the stipends and health insurance costs are based on the 2025-2026 academic year and are subject to change.
Resources
- Graduate stipend and credit requirement information is from the UWM Graduate School, specifically the Salary Schedules for teaching, project and research assistants.
- Tuition and general academic information is from the UWM Registrar’s Office. Fees/Tuition is listed within Registration for the semester of interest.