Financial Assistance

A number of assistantships are available each year to incoming Ph.D. students. Applicants are automatically considered for these assistantships.

This page is for the Physics Department’s issues. Please visit the Graduate School’s Financial Support too.

Assistantships (TA and RA)

 For 2011-2012, the normal assistantships carry a stipend of 
$2,248.87 per month, or $26,986 per year.

Please note the Cost of Living in North Carolina is less than in many other cities*.   It is not possible to compare the stipends in other institutions without looking at the Cost of Living.
* Visit the Durham's accolades, and search the Cost of Living.

The fine print:

  • The stipend ($2,248.87) is the same per month for a TA (teaching assistant) or an RA (research assistant).
  • Tuition ($20,360 per term) and most fees are paid for the recipient in addition to their TA or RA award; (i.e. you do not need to pay this). These fees include the registration fees, student health fees, and the recreation fees.
  • Other fees not included are the activity fees ($16.25 per term) and the transcript fee ($40 in the first Fall term).
  • Also see the health insurance below. The “student health fees” and the “health insurance” are different.
  • Visit the Typical Academic Year Expenses from the Graduate School. Many of these expenses are paid for the TA or RA.

Normal Schedule

1st year — 9-months
Most students will work as a TA for the nine-month academic year. First-year graduate TAs are assigned duties of approximately 12–15 hours per week, normally assisting with the general undergraduate physics courses.
1st year — 3-months (summer)
Most students will work as an RA for the three-month academic year.
2nd year — 9-months
Most students resume their teaching assistantships in their second academic year, however sometimes a professor will recruit a student to work on a research project with him/her.
From the summer 2nd year — RA
Most students will be working with a research group and embark on their dissertation research project.


Health Insurance

The Graduate School will pay the individual health insurance premium for Ph.D. students in years 1-6 who enroll in the Duke Student Medical Insurance Plan (Duke SIMP). The Graduate School will not cover health insurance premiums for any other plan nor does this benefit have any cash or other substitution value. Coverage for additional family members must be purchased separately. This plan year will run from August 1st – July 31st.

The Duke SMIP is mandatory for international students attending Duke on an F-1 or J-1 visa, and they will be automatically enrolled in the Plan.

More information is available on Graduate School Payment of Health Insurance policy, and the Duke SMIP in the Duke University Student Affairs website.


Taxes

[taxes]

The stipend (and any supplements) listed here will be part of your gross pay from Duke. Your actual take-home pay will depend upon your personal tax situation and cannot be estimated here. Students from different countries and/or different family situations will be responsible for different tax commitments. In addition, Duke policy dictates that no fees or tuition may be charged to research grants.

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