Princeton University to Increase Graduate Fellowship & Stipend Rates by 25% for Ph.D. Candidates

Princeton University, a private Ivy League research university in Princeton, has announced it will increase graduate fellowship and stipend rates by 25 percent, to around $40,000 during the upcoming 2022/23 academic year. According to the university’s website, this is the largest one-year increase in graduate student stipends at Princeton, Erudera.com reports.

Princeton Graduate School’s acting dean, Cole Crittenden, said that although the university is known for its “longstanding support for and sizable investment in graduate education,” increases that will happen during the upcoming year, are remarkable.

“The increases in stipend rates will ensure Princeton continues to attract and retain the very best graduate candidates from all backgrounds and from all over the U.S. and the world. Our ability to support graduate students as they push the boundaries of scholarship and research in new and exciting directions is a Princeton priority,” Crittenden stressed.

Princeton University will guarantee support for degree-seeking Ph.D. candidates enrolled at the university for the entire period of the regular program enrollment. These candidates will be supported in covering tuition and fees and will receive an allowance to cover their living costs.

Crittenden said that Princeton’s graduate students are involved in important research and learning, and the university does not want these students to not pursue graduate studies due to their financial situation.

“This is important in all cases, but it is especially important for students who may be the first in their family to attend college as well as for graduate students who may have dependents,” Crittenden added.

Stipend rates for the upcoming academic year are expected to increase for doctoral candidates in several disciplines, including natural sciences, engineering, humanities, and social sciences. The increases will be supported by several sources, including central budget funds backed by Princeton’s endowment.

Princeton has announced that stipend rates in natural sciences and engineering will increase as follows:

• Assistantship in Research (AR) stipend will increase from $31,720 to $40,000.
• Assistantship in Instruction (AI) stipend from $34,800 to $42,000.
• University First-Year Fellowship from $31,720 to $40,000.

Meanwhile, in humanities and social sciences:

• Assistantship in Instruction (AI) stipend will rise from $34,800 to $42,000.
• University Fellowship – from $30,475 to $38,000.

Crittenden also pointed out that Princeton continues to lead with its initiatives focused on family for undergraduate students, adding that a large percentage of graduate students use university housing, and once the Lake Campus graduate housing facilities are completed, Princeton will also be able to offer housing to enrolled graduates who want it.

The university has been successful with its undergraduate financial aid program as well. Since 2001 when the program was established, over 10,000 undergraduates have received financial support from Princeton’s no-loan financial aid program.

“Princeton provides aid in the form of grants, which do not need to be repaid, and 83% of Princeton seniors graduate debt free,” the university points out on its website.

Nearly 61 percent of undergraduates receive financial support, and over 22 percent of the Class of 2025 are qualified for federal Pell Grants for low-income students, which according to the university, shows Princeton’s commitment to attract, enroll and support talents regardless of their background.