Funding Your Education

The School of Information provides internal funding opportunities for our graduate students. These opportunities, some of which are funded by alumni and friends of the School, allow students to better focus on the task at hand: pursuing a well-rounded graduate education at a highly respected research and teaching institution.

Assistantships

The School of Information provides a limited number of assistantships for graduate students at the master’s, specialist, and doctoral levels.

Types of Assistantships

  1. Research Assistantships: working with a faculty member assisting with research-related activities. For more information about potential available positions, contact one of our centers or institutes.
  2. Graduate Assistantships:  Students may be assigned to work with the School of Information Administrative Offices, Academic & Research Technologies, CCI Helpdesk or other areas within the School as needed.  Due to the nature of work in these positions, students must be available to work in person at the Tallahassee Main Campus. Opportunities will be posted to the Graduate School email list when/if they become available and will include information about how to apply.
  3. Teaching Assistantships: There are sometimes a very limited number of Teaching Assistantship assignments available. These are based on class offerings and course enrollments, and vary by semester.  TAs work with a faculty member teaching a course, grading, and/or other assigned duties. Teaching assistantship opportunities will be posted to the Graduate School email list when/if they become available and will include information about how to apply.  To be considered for a teaching assistantship students should:
  • be admitted to the School of Information as a regular degree-seeking student. Non-Degree Seeking and Provisionally Admitted students are not eligible.
  • reside in Tallahassee.
  • be in good academic standing with the University.
  • have solid tech skills.
  • be enrolled for the minimum hours as described below.

General information about assistantships:

Graduate students who are awarded an assistantship typically receive the following:

Stipend*: Assistantship appointments typically include a stipend at quarter time (10 hours per week) or half time (20 hours per week). Some appointments may require working between semesters.

Waiver*:  Most assistantship awards include a bi-weekly stipend and a waiver of nine hours of in-state tuition.  Students awarded an assistantship must be registered for a minimum number of semester hours as described below.  Course fees and insurance are not covered.

*Note: Stipend and waiver amounts depend upon funding availability and are subject to change.

Appointments are based on eligibility, academic ability as verified by transcripts of current and previous work, graduate entrance exam scores, your resume, as well as applicable skills in the area assigned.

Students who are awarded an assistantship will be notified of their appointment by email and will be provided a deadline by which they must respond.

All appointments are for one semester and may, at the option of the School and the student, be renewed throughout the student’s time of study in the graduate program.

To remain eligible for an Assistantship, a student must remain in good academic standing and must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA, as well as perform satisfactorily in the position to which they are assigned as determined by the hiring supervisor

Students must be enrolled for a minimum number of hours as follows:

  • Fall and Spring Semesters – 9 hours required
  • Summer A Session Courses only (1st six weeks) – 5 semester hours required
  • Summer B Session Courses only (2nd six weeks) – 5 semester hours required
  • Summer C Session (12 week session) or any combination of A, B, or C Session Courses – 9 semester hours required

School of Information Scholarship Opportunities

The School of Information provides a number of School of Information Scholarship Opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students.

External Funding Opportunities

Opportunities for financial aid are available from sources outside the School and the University. They are provided by a diverse group of professional organizations related to the field of information studies. We have provided the following index of External Funding Opportunities that provides a partial list of these funding sources, as well as links for more in depth descriptions and contact information.

State Library Associations

Many state library associations offer scholarships and awards to qualified applicants.  Research funding opportunities by selecting your state library association below.

Alabama Library Association

Alaska Library Association

Arizona Library Association

Arkansas Library Association

California Library Association

Colorado Association of Libraries

Connecticut Library Association

Delaware Library Association

Florida Library Association

Georgia Library Association

Hawai’i Library Association

Idaho Library Association

Illinois Library Association

Indiana Library Federation

Iowa Library Association

Kansas Library Association

Kentucky Library Association

Louisiana Library Association

Maine Library Association

Maryland Library Association

Massachusetts Library Association

Michigan Library Association

Minnesota Library Association

Mississippi Library Association

Missouri Library Association

Montana Library Association

Nebraska Library Association

Nevada Library Association

New Hampshire Library Association

New Mexico Library Association

New York Library Association

North Carolina Library Association

North Dakota Library Association

Ohio Library Council

Oklahoma Library Association

Oregon Library Association

Pennsylvania Library Association

Rhode Island Library Association

South Carolina Library Association

South Dakota Library Association

Tennessee Library Association

Texas Library Association

Utah Library Association

Vermont Library Association

Virginia Library Association

Washington Library Association

West Virginia Library Association

Wisconsin Library Association

Wyoming Library Association

National and International Associations

American Association of Law Librarians

American Library Association

Beta Phi Mu

Coalition for Networked Information

Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR)

Medical Library Association (MLA)

North American Serials Interest Group (NASIG)

Southeastern Chapter American Association of Law Libraries (SEAALL)

Special Libraries Association (SLA)

Programs for Underrepresented Populations

American Association of University Women

American Indian Library Association

ALA Black Caucus

Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL)

Association of Research Libraries (ARL)

Chinese-American Library Association

REFORMA Scholarship Program

Programs for Students with Disabilities

American Council of the Blind

Billy Barty Foundation Scholarship Program

Blinded Veterans Association

Cystic Fibrosis Scholarship Foundation (CFSF)

Additional Sources

FinAid! The SmartStudent Guide to Financial Aid

Financial Aid from the U.S. Department of Education: Student Guide

Florida Department of Education

FastWeb

Scholarships.com