We strive to provide funding for our incoming students, but admission does not guarantee funding. Every year in the spring, current students may apply for additional years of funding through the department. Each year we have several funding packages that are awarded on a competitive basis, that consist of student academic appointments (SAAs) that range from teaching (Associate Instructorships) to Graduate Assistantships working with ASP on Title VI NRC Outreach initiatives, as a Grader for our Africa- focused area studies course (AFRI-), or on the staff of the Africa Today journal. We also have hourly positions that in certain cases can be combined with other funding for support of 10-20 hours per week. Further, we offer professional internships with Africa Today.
Indiana University provides an array of grants and fellowships for its graduate students. In addition to departmental awards, graduate students in African Studies may apply for grants in support of study and/or research in an African country from the Office of the Vice President for International Affairs.
There are additional fellowships given by the University Graduate School and the College of Arts and Sciences (COLL). For example, our graduate students have been very successful in obtaining the COLL travel award for support in presenting papers at professional conferences. Please note that most of those awards are for advanced students who have reached candidacy. For more information, please see our website and that of the Graduate School.
Student Academic Appointments (SAA)*
Students holding an academic appointment (Assistant Instructor or Graduate Assistant positions) must register for at least 6 credit hours for each semester of the appointment. Some SAA positions require a student to use G901. Advanced students taking G901 to fulfill the SAA requirement will not receive a fee remit. See G901 for more information on this special limited credit for students who have reached PhD candidacy. Detailed information about Student Academic Appointments can be found in the application materials for the appointments, which are usually sent out in April.
*Test of English Proficiency for International Associate Instructor Candidates
International students, or students whose native language is not English, must take the Test of English Proficiency for International Associate Instructor Candidates (TEPAIC) through the Department of Second Language Studies before they can teach. They must also have taken the TOEFL (with a minimum score of 79) or passed the IEPE before they are eligible to take the TEPAIC. No exceptions to this rule are made. The test is offered several times throughout the year through the Department of Second Language Studies. Please make sure to check the dates for the exams.
The GradGrants Center
We also offer a limited number of awards that are
announced via the African Studies listserv and the Tuesday ASP General Bulletin.
The GradGrants Center (GGC) is a free service that provides Indiana University graduate students with one-on-one assistance with grant proposal writing (by appointment) and a centralized area to access funding information.
Requesting Copies of Official Transcripts and Test Scores
Some fellowships/grants/awards accept unofficial copies of college transcripts and/or test scores (GRE, TOEFL). Upon the student’s request, the Administrative Coordinator can provide copies of transcripts or test scores. The student must request copies at least one week before the submission deadline. Last-minute or late requests may not be considered. It is the student’s responsibility to check with the awarding institution as to whether or not they will accept unofficial copies of transcripts or test scores.