General Information
The department awards its most promising M.A. and Ph.D. students financial support in the form of teaching assistantships, research assistantships, Grinter and Alumni fellowships. Outstanding applicants may be nominated for a prestigious Presidential fellowship, which is awarded through a University-wide competition. In addition, students are encouraged to apply for an array of other fellowships. To apply for this financial support fill out the Application for Graduate Fellowship and Assistantship form that can be sent to you in the application materials from the department or downloaded from the Graduate School’s website here.
Assistantships
Teaching Assistantships include waivers of in-state and out-of-state tuition plus a stipend. Research Assistantships are funded by research grants received by members of the department and by programs elsewhere in the University. These assistantships are awarded normally only to students already enrolled at the University of Florida; current students should apply to the research project or individual faculty member holding the research grant.
Scholarships and Fellowships
The following awards are competitive and the amounts subject to annual adjustment. For a complete description of these and other fellowships plus useful links to other financial aid sources go here.
Alumni Fellows
These are designated every year (the Religion department typically receives one) which provide four years of scholarship support and tuition remission for students who remain in good standing. Most fellows have assistantship responsibilities for 4 of the 8 semesters of their award. These awards involve 12 month contracts and the University expects Alumni fellows to demonstrate high standards of academic achievement and participation in university life.
Grinter Scholarships
These are intended to facilitate recruitment of truly exceptional graduate students. Currently enrolled graduate students are not eligible, except in the particular case in which they are entering a Ph.D. (or other terminal degree) program. Stipends last for three years, with subsequent years contingent upon satisfactory student progress.
Presidential Fellowships
These are sponsored by the Graduate School and named for former University of Florida presidents. They represent a four-year commitment to the student, assuming satisfactory progress toward the degree. The first and fourth years are funded by the Graduate School. The second and third years are funded by the student’s department or college as either an assistantship or a fellowship at the same stipend level as the Graduate School funding. Because nationally competitive stipend levels vary widely across disciplines, the academic units set the stipend level. These fellowships are limited to U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are pursuing a Ph.D. The program is intended primarily to attract outstanding students from across the nation. Applications for students from traditionally underrepresented groups are encouraged.
Wells Fellows
Those receiving special supplemental stipends made possible by private donations to the program.
In addition to the preceding financial aid opportunities, admitted students are also encouraged to apply for other scholarships and fellowships, including the ones listed below:
Title VI—Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship
Title VI fellowships are available to graduate students whose academic programs are either Latin America or Africa oriented. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents and must be registered for a full-time course load including a language relevant to the area of their choice, specifically, Portuguese or Haitian Creole for recipients through the Center for Latin American Studies; Akan, Arabic, Swahili, or Yoruba for recipients through the Center for African Studies.
The Florida Education Fund (FEF) Awards McKnight Doctoral Fellowships
These awards are for African-American students newly admitted into selected doctoral degree programs at Florida universities. The University provides payment of 12 hours tuition fall and spring and 8 hours summer and will provide continued support for up to two more years, subject to satisfactory progress and availability of funds. African-American U.S. citizens are eligible to receive McKnight Fellowships.
TCD Awards
The Tropical Conservation and Development Program, located in the Center for Latin American Studies, offers graduate fellowships, field training, and grants to qualified students throughout the Americas. TCD has developed a coherent interdisciplinary curriculum of graduate courses available to program participants, as well as research and training opportunities in Latin America. For more information on these and other fellowships contact the Center for Latin American Studies.
All applications for financial assistance, fellowships and assistantships should be addressed to the Department of Religion Graduate Secretary, P.O. Box 117410, University of Florida, Gainesville, Fl 32611. The application deadline is January 15.
Medical Benefits and Health Care
The University of Florida provides medical benefits (full or partial depending on the program selected) for full time assistants and fellows. The University of Florida has a national reputation for excellence and innovation in health care and medical research.