Depending on your residential status and the number of hours that you attempt each semester, the cost of attendance varies. To get an estimation of the cost, visit the Student Business Services’s Tuition Estimator page
Funding Opportunities
Generally, about 60% of our graduate students receive some level of funding for their graduate studies. Assistantships can be found within the Department, as well as in other offices and departments on campus. There are a number of fellowship and scholarship opportunities that are available to graduate students. The following is a summary of some of the major funding opportunities currently available. Most provide a non-resident tuition waiver. A call for applications will be issued for some awards, while others are by nomination.
Graduate Student Scholarship Opportunities
Graduate Assistantships
All assistantships are awarded on a competitive basis. Approximately 15 departmental teaching assistantships and numerous research assistantships fund both current and incoming graduate students each semester. There is no application for assistantships; we consider all qualified students.
Teaching assistantship positions are assigned by the Associate Head for Graduate Programs. Research assistants are hired by individual faculty to work on specific research projects for which they have received funding through grants or contracts. Typically about 30% our our students are funded on assistantships at any given time.
Department Programs
Robert G. Cherry Fellowship
The student receiving this fellowship must be enrolled as a PhD or a Master of Science student in Agricultural Economics. The maximum award is $3,000 per year for three years. It is available to a student awarded a half-time assistantship by the Department. Preference is given to students who are Texas residents, employees of the Texas Cooperative Extension (TCE) with demonstrated potential for advancement, or have an interest in employment with TCE and plan to pursue dissertation or thesis research on an economic problem relevant to Texas agriculture, agribusiness, or related food and fiber concerns.
Tyrus Timm Fellowship
The student receiving this fellowship must be enrolled as a Master’s student in Agricultural Economics. The recipient must also be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States, have a strong academic record and a clear conduct record. The stipend paid by this fellowship varies with the income available from the endowment. The recipient’s name is also added to the plaque displayed in the Department.
Rod Ziemer Scholarship
The Rod Ziemer Scholarship is a travel scholarship for graduate students in the College of Agriculture and Life Science who are presenting papers at the annual AAEA meetings. Requests for applications will be announced and distributed through the Department. This award is based on need, and may not be awarded every year.
Hopkin Scholarship
The Hopkin Scholarship is awarded through the Department of Agricultural Economics to assist in recruitment of outstanding graduate students specializing in Agricultural Finance. Requests for applications will be announced and distributed through the Department. This scholarship may not be awarded every year.
Industry Partners Scholarships
The Master of Agribusiness program may offer a limited number of competitive scholarships provided by our Industry Partners for the support of MAB students. Recipients of such scholarships are eligible for a waiver of non-resident tuition.
Competitive Scholarships
The Department may offer a limited number of competitive scholarships based on merit and financial need. Recipients of such scholarships are eligible for a waiver of non-resident tuition.
University Programs
Pathways to the Doctorate Fellowship
Only students in their first semester, beginning in the fall are eligible for this fellowship. Through the Pathways to the Doctorate program, several institutions in the Texas A&M University System are making assistantships or scholarships available to students from within the Texas A&M University System wishing to pursue graduate study at Texas A&M University in College Station. To qualify, students must be from a different institution within the Texas A&M University System. Interested students must have a faculty member within the Department of Agricultural Economics who will apply for the fellowship funding in the student’s behalf.
National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowships
The NSF awards these fellowships and the money is administered through the Office of Graduate Studies. Applications can be obtained from the Office of Graduate Studies during September and October and sent directly to the NSF.
Tom Slick Fellowship
The Tom Slick Graduate Research Fellowship Program in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences provides support for dissertation research of exceptional PhD students regardless of their nationality. Fellows must have completed all preliminary exams and a dissertation proposal prior to the beginning of the fellowship. The topic of the research conducted by the student should be relevant to Texas agriculture. Recipients are selected twice yearly with fellowships beginning January 1st and September 1st.
These need-based grants are for graduate students who are Texas residents. Each student may receive up to $1,500 per semester, with a maximum of $3,000 per year.
Presentation and Research Grants
The Graduate Student Presentation and Research Grant Program is supported by funds from the Office of the Vice President for Research and Associate Provost of Former Students. Primarily, the program supports graduate student research for which the maximum dollar amount awarded is $500, but exceptional cases will be considered. Secondly, it helps defray travel expenses of students attending professional meetings to present research papers. Travel support is limited to $400.