UB releases statement on graduate student assistantships

The University at Buffalo released the following statement on graduate student assistantships:

“UB is committed to providing our graduate students with excellent academic and professional experiences that will advance their education and careers. The talent, dedication and intellectual vitality brought to our campus by our graduate students is greatly valued by the university.

UB graduate students who receive assistantships are awarded a total financial package averaging about $38,000 annually. The award includes a stipend, free tuition and free health care, in exchange for 20 hours of service per week during the nine-month academic year in the students’ field of study.

This financial package is nationally competitive and reflects a university investment of more than $48.5 million in 2016-17. The average stipend awarded for an assistantship at UB is $17,343 for the nine-month academic year, which ranks UB 12th among 23 public universities in the Association of American Universities.

The university does believe that stipend levels awarded to students in some academic departments should be increased. In these cases, the university is providing guidance to academic departments on how to increase stipends to nationally competitive levels.”