NEW: Stipend Enhancement Awards
The Department of Physics and Astronomy will award assistantship stipend enhancements to exceptionally well-qualified students entering in fall 2009 with interests in astrophysics and condensed matter/materials physics/photovoltaics.
Assistantships
Although some students provide their own support through employment, most students are supported by means of a teaching or a research assistantship. The number of assistantships is always limited, and the selection process is competitive.
Applicants for teaching assistantships are expected to function well in English and to be well prepared to teach introductory physics or astronomy laboratories. Good preparation in undergraduate physics course work and good scores on standardized tests are appreciated. What the admissions committee looks for most particularly, however, is evidence of motivation toward advanced study, willingness to work hard, ability to develop toward independent work, and motivation to remedy deficiencies in preparation, if any.
For assistantships beginning in the fall of 2008, 83 complete applications were evaluated, up significantly from last year's number (71) and from the previous year's (56). Thirty offers of teaching assistantships were made, more than usual, and eleven were accepted. One additional student was admitted with assistantship in January 2008.
Assistantship stipends for the 11-month period beginning August 2008 will total $19,000. Scholarships/stipend enhancements and fellowships are available for exceptionally highly qualified students. Students who advance in the program are eligible for research assistantships, some of which pay higher stipends. Assistants spend about 20 hours per week on their duties.
Teaching assistants and research assistants pay a general fee of about $450 each semester; this entitles them to use all campus facilities, including the Recreation Center. However, they are not required to pay instructional fees (tuition) or out-of-state fees. Assistantship stipends are subject to US Federal (about 15%) and Ohio state (much lower) income tax, although citizens of other countries may be exempt from taxation on part of the stipend. In comparing stipend levels, you should consider that some universities offering larger stipends require students to pay tuition.
Graduate assistantships at The University of Toledo include a university contribution to medical insurance with the student contributing about $550 per year. Assistantships are usually continued for the duration of the student's stay in the program, conditioned on satisfactory performance by the student.
Living and Housing Costs
Housing for graduate students is available in International House on campus. Major apartment complexes, smaller apartment buildings, houses, rooms, and duplexes are all listed on the university's Office of Residence Life web site. For example, complexes within 1 mile of campus or served by campus shuttle buses offer 1-bedroom apartments for $350-$400 per month. Food and entertainment costs are low compared with those in larger cities.
International students are encouraged to seek more information about housing, living conditions, local culture, and of course visa and immigration issues at the university's Office of International Student Services