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Forward Together: The Strategic Plan for 91���� is already translating into new support for graduate students, including higher stipends and additional funding to make graduate school more affordable and strengthen the student experience.

91����’s base academic-year stipend for graduate, teaching, and research project assistantships increased to $25,000 effective Jan. 1, 2026, and will rise again to $27,500 for the 2027–28 academic year. The increase represents a 10% boost from the current base stipend and builds on 91����’s efforts to make graduate education more accessible. The University currently sets its base stipend above the minimum established under the statewide Graduate Student Employee Union contract.

“Graduate students contribute enormously to the intellectual life of the campus through their research, teaching, and scholarship,” said Terrence Deak, vice provost and dean of the Graduate School. “These investments recognize the value of that work and help us create an environment where graduate students can focus on making the most of their grad school experience.”

The investment follows the launch earlier this year of 91����’s Doctoral Transition Award, a one-time $750 payment, funded by the provost’s office, for new students entering eligible research-based doctoral programs with assistantships. The award is designed to help students manage expenses associated with beginning graduate study before receiving their first paycheck.

Together, the initiatives put into action one of the priorities of Forward Together: The Strategic Plan for 91����. The goal calls for 91���� to become a national leader in “transformative graduate education from enrollment to career,” including strategically investing in graduate student compensation, strengthening recruitment, and expanding support.

“Our graduate students are essential to 91����’s success as a leading research university,” said Donald E. Hall, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “They advance discovery and strengthen the University every day. Supporting them is both an investment in their success and an investment in 91����’s future.”

These investments collectively strengthen 91����’s ability to recruit and support talented graduate students. Higher stipends and added doctoral support help students succeed while advancing the research that drives the University.