Costs & Funding

Program Funding

Teaching Assistantships

With dozens of positions available each year, teaching assistantships (TA) make up most of the funding available for graduate students in the Food Systems, Nutrition, and Health Program (FSNH). TAs are an integral part of our undergraduate teaching program and offer graduate students experience teaching and working with faculty.

TAs are recruited to support undergraduate courses in autumn, winter, and spring quarters. Open TA opportunities are advertised to current UW students prior to each quarter and applications are reviewed in a competitive selection process. TA positions are an average of 20 hours per week and provide a three-month salary (Graduate School Pay Schedule), a tuition waiver (minus some mandatory student fees), and GAIP health insurance for the quarter of the appointment.

Note: GCPD students are unable to hold TA positions during the three quarters of full-time practice experience.

Hourly Reader/Grader Positions

Hourly reader/grader (R/G) positions are available for graduate students in autumn, winter, and spring quarters. R/Gs assist with course-related duties including grading student papers and examinations, attendance at lectures, office hours, consultation with instructors, and other tasks as assigned, but do not have any teaching responsibilities. The pay rate for positions during the 2023-24 academic year is $22.29 per hour. The weekly hours vary by course needs and are provided in the position announcements. Hourly R/G positions do not provide a tuition waiver or insurance benefits.

Food Systems, Nutrition, and Health Graduate Scholarships

Several merit- and need-based endowed scholarships are available annually to current FSNH graduate students. Scholarship applications are requested in early spring for the following academic year. These awards are intended to assist directly with tuition and other program-related costs.

Additional Opportunities

School of Public Health

The School of Public Health lists student funding and opportunities including current fellowship, assistantship, and other funding opportunities available to students across the School. The School also offers a number of competitively awarded scholarships and fellowships.

Dietetics Scholarship Opportunities

GCPD students have been successful in obtaining scholarships from outside organizations such as the Washington State and national Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Visit WSAND and AND for more information.

Traineeships

There are 4 Maternal Child Health Bureau traineeships available to advanced FSNH graduate students who are either current RDNs or enrolled in the GCPD.

UW Resources

Office of Financial Aid

The Office of Financial Aid provides information and applications for available loans, grants, and work-study positions. Please review their key dates and deadlines page for priority application dates.

Graduate Funding Information Service

University Libraries and the UW Graduate School offer the Graduate Funding Information Service (GFIS) to link all graduate students with scholarship, fellowship, and other funding opportunities. They provide workshops and individual consultations, guides on how to best search for funding, and a collection of funding directories and resources.

Emergency Aid (current students ONLY)

• UW Emergency Aid assists current students who are experiencing unexpected financial hardships that may disrupt their education or prevent them from earning their UW degree.
• The School of Public Health has a Student Emergency Resource Fund to help current students with emergent, one-time needs. Students requesting these funds must also apply for UW Emergency Aid.
• FSNH maintains a Student Resource Fund to provide financial assistance to current students with one-time academic, professional development, Registered Student Organization (RSO), or emergency needs.

More

• Student Fiscal Services
• Satisfactory academic progress policy information for graduate and professional student financial aid