To date, the department has been successful in providing financial support for graduate students, in the form of a living stipend, tuition and health insurance, through spring quarter of their fourth year. Department financial aid assignments are made at the beginning of each academic year.  Continued financial support is contingent on satisfactory academic progress.

The main types of support offered by the Department are:

United States Public Health Service Traineeship.  At this time, the Department has 3 training grants, supporting a total of 11 students.  This is supplemented by the Department to equal a Research Assistantship stipend and is payable in four equal installments on the first day of class of Autumn, Winter, Spring, and Summer quarters.

Research and Course Assistantships.  Stanford University sets a minimum level of support for assistantships each year.  Assistantships are paid in semi-monthly payments on the 7th and 22nd of each month during the quarter of the appointment.

Federal Work Study Research Assistantship.  These assistantships are awarded by the University to students who meet certain financial need criteria established by the U.S. Government.  The Department would like all students who live off campus to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and submit tax forms and Undergraduate Financial Aid transcripts so that the Stanford Graduate Financial Aid Office can determine eligibility to receive these funds.  The assistantship is equivalent to the minimum research assistantship.

Other Sources of Financial Aid.  The department depends on a number of its applicants receiving outside awards.  There are several fellowship programs, open on a national competitive basis, which can provide support for graduate students in psychology.  Your attention is called especially to the Ford Foundation Fellowships, the NIMH Individual Pre-Doctoral Fellowships, the American Psychological Association Minority Graduate Fellowships, Office of Naval Research Fellowships, the National Science Foundation Fellowships, Howard Hughes Foundation Fellowships, Jacob Javits Fellowships, and National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowships.  Information about these can be secured from your Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences or your Financial Aid Office.

Regardless of the source of financial support, all students are required to participate in 5 quarters of teaching for the Psychology Ph.D. at Stanford.  Students are discouraged from teaching during their first year.