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Assistantships and Costs
How involved are TA positions in terms of time commitment. Does it make it hard to balance your other things and is the pay worth it?
Answer provided by Kelly Lohr '16:
TA-ing is about a 5 hour/week commitment. Most grad students have some type of assistantship, TA-ship and/or monitoring job, so it is not hard to balance your workload with that sort of commitment.
How do I apply for assistantships?
Answer provided by Kelly Lohr '16:
Information about assistantships to apply for comes out at the start of the semester when you get here. Most grad students do not have trouble finding an assistantship, and opportunities continue to come out throughout the year.
Is it really that hard to obtain aid for attending?
Answer provided by Kelly Lohr '16:
Most graduate students receive aid in one form or another, and this would be outlined in your offer letter. Grants and work-study depend on many things. Loans are a part of most graduate students’ reality, but all will tell you it is worth the investment in yourself. Assistantships pay pretty well, and most find Providence an affordable place to live.
Answer provided by Diana Wagner '14
“I was able to work for additional funding by getting assistantships outside the department as well as work-study jobs which are awarded by need and you can only work for a per-determined amount of money (dictated by the government). I also got paid to TA Shoemaking.”
“Graduate school is a huge investment and I would not have been able to go if it weren't for the multiple assistantships and grants to pursue my individual interests and projects […] as well as the jobs I took on:”
Fellowships/Scholarships from RISD ID:
- ID Graduate Fellowship, Mary E Wardwell Scholarship, Fred M. Rhody Scholarship.
- Not sponsored by RISD but I received a fellowship from Craft the Leather to travel to Italy and France as well.
Work Study:
- MRC Work-study, Sewing Room Monitor and [general] Work-study
Out of Department Assistantships:
- 2nd Life Graduate Adviser, MRC Graduate Research Assistant
Teaching Assistantship:
- Intro to Shoemaking
Grants:
- Academic Commons Grant
- GS Grant
Volunteer Work:
- Grad Rep for the ID Department
- Grad Rep for RISD Research Initiatives
- Grad Rep for the RISD Museum Education Committee
- ID Department rep for the Graduate Student Alliance
- President of the Graduate Student Alliance”