Financial Support

The Department of Curriculum and Instruction offers the following guide regarding funding for students.

Recruitment Fellowships

Fellowships are available for departmental applicants who meet particular requirements. These awards are very competitive and the C&I Award Committee contacts applicants who qualify with offers after admittance to the department. Learn more at the Graduate School's site.  

Teaching Appointments

Curriculum and Instruction Students

Most teaching opportunities in Curriculum & Instruction involve either supervising student teachers in their school placements or assisting a faculty member teach a course. Most of these positions require at least three years of EC-12th grade teaching experience in the U.S. After experience as a TA for a particular course, some students with special qualifications will be eligible to teach that course as an assistant instructor under a faculty member's supervision.  If you meet the above criteria, we encourage you to apply.

STEM Education Students

Most TA positions for STEM Education graduate students occur in the College of Natural Sciences (CNS) in the department in which the student has an undergraduate degree (e.g., math, biology). Admitted students that are interested in these positions should contact the graduate advisor for STEM Education. Additionally, there are a few opportunities for working as a TA in the UTeach program, the pre-service preparation program for high school math and science teachers. These positions generally require high school teaching experience in the U.S. Admitted students who are interested in these positions should also contact the Graduate Advisor. Students who do not have more than three years of teaching experience are advised to take some version of the 398T course as the graduate school requires it for AIs and our department strongly encourages it for TAs.

Learn more about academic employment from the Graduate School

Research Appointments

Occasionally, there are positions available for C&I doctoral students as research assistants or in other capacities.  These positions are typically funded through external grants, so students should contact individual faculty members.

Continuing Fellowships

As a student in good standing, you are eligible to apply for continuing fellowships from the Graduate School, the College of Education and the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. A range of awards are available, including, but not limited to, the following examples:

  • Graduate School Continuing Fellowships
  • COE Continuing Fellowships
  • C&I Department Endowed Fellowships
  • COE Small Research Grants
  • Graduate School Spring Dissertation Writing Fellowship
  • Graduate School Summer Dissertation Writing Fellowship
  • Travel Awards (for attending conferences to present academic papers)

The department will email you when these opportunities arise. 

Financial Aid

Admitted students may apply for student loans through the UT Financial Aid office. Students are also encouraged to fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application.  FAFSA is a federal application and not exclusive to The University of Texas at Austin.