What is the value of a merit-based assistantship?
It varies, depending on whether the student is an Illinois resident or not and whether the package includes a partial waiver of tuition, a full waiver of tuition, additional scholarships, etc. In AY 2009-10, the annual base graduate student tuition rate is $23,624 for non-residents of the state and $9,318 for Illinois residents. The College of Fine and Applied Arts assesses an additional tutition charge of $1,040. Quarter-time assistantship stipends are approximately $6,700 in AY 2009-10. Thus, an award package that includes a stipend plus waiver of all non-resident tuition and selected fees would be valued at over $30,000.
