Funding Details & Requirements
The Academic Student Employee (ASE) salary for first-year Ph.D. students in the Allen School is currently $3,855 per month or $34,695 for the 9-month academic year (September through June), and all but approximately $277 per quarter in required student fees (for both Washington residents and non-residents) is waived. Tuition, salary, and fees are typically adjusted in July of each year. The salary is increased for Ph.D. students when passing the Ph.D. General Examination.
The Allen School Ph.D. student salary is based on 20 hours of ASE work per week. ASEs in the Allen School typically hold research assistantships (RAs) or teaching assistantships (TAs). Many of our students hold RAs and become active contributors to a research project in collaboration with their advisor. TAs hold office hours, grade homework and programming assignments, sometimes teach “quiz sections,” etc.
Beyond the first three years of guaranteed support, ongoing ASE funding is contingent on availability of school or faculty advisor funding and satisfactory academic progress and performance of duties. Summer quarter ASE positions are not guaranteed to be available, therefore the funding guarantee does not cover summers.
All Academic Student Employee (ASE) appointments are contingent upon the completion of any pre-employment offer inquiries or procedures required under University policy or the law, including a sexual misconduct declaration as will be communicated separately.
Support in the form of internal or external fellowships may displace ASE positions.
The Allen School’s full funding policies can be found in the Funding section of the Ph.D. Handbook.
Full-time Enrollment Requirement
Most funding requires students to enroll full-time (10 -18 credits) in order to maintain employment eligibility and receive benefits. As such, satisfactory progress is expected to be consistent with a full-time focus on research and education work. It is also expected that students attend any orientations and/or training sessions required for positions offered either by our program or by other units. These sessions are typically held in mid-September.
Teaching Requirement
Because we value teaching, all students are required to complete two (2) quarters of TA prior to graduation; however some students may complete more depending on their interests, teaching opportunities, and availability of funding in their area.
Please note that the Graduate School requires a demonstration of English language skills in order to hold a teaching assistantship. See UW Graduate School Policy 5.2: Conditions of Appointment for TAs who are not Native Speakers of English.
First-year Supplemental Fellowship
The Allen School additionally provides a first-year supplemental fellowship of $3,000 to support the beginning of a student’s graduate career. This unrestricted fellowship is provided as a one-time addition to existing funding. The award will be disbursed directly to the student by the start of their first quarter in the doctoral program.
Tax Information
It is important to note that scholarships and fellowships may not be tax free and the individual receiving it may have to pay taxes to the IRS when they file their income tax return. Please keep in mind that UW employees cannot give tax advice. Therefore, in order to determine if all or part of a scholarship/fellowship income is taxable please consult your tax advisor or IRS Publication 970. Estimated quarterly tax payments may need to be remitted on the taxable amount.
GAIP
In addition, student health insurance is automatically provided for all funded students; for funded students wishing to insure dependents, 65% of the incremental cost is also covered automatically for dependents. Your funding will provide you and your dependents with medical, dental and vision coverage under the Graduate Appointee Insurance Plan (GAIP), described in the enclosure and in the GAIP section of the UW Human Resources website. At present, the University provides full coverage for employees and contributes 65% of the cost of premiums for dependents.
Academic Student Employee (ASE) Union Contract
In any quarter students have an RA or TA position, they are classified as an Academic Student Employee (ASE) and are governed by a contract between the University of Washington and UAW. Students will be offered an opportunity to join UAW and, as a member, will pay dues each pay period.
Computing Hardware & Facilities
All entering graduate students receive a new computer (desktop or laptop; Mac, Windows or Linux). Each student also receives a desk in a shared office or lab. The Allen School is located in two outstanding facilities – the Paul G. Allen Center for Computer Science & Engineering and the Bill & Melinda Gates Center for Computer Science & Engineering. Together, the Allen Center and the Bill & Melinda Gates Center enable us to provide an unparalleled education and research experience to students, and to engage in even more robust collaborations across the campus, the region, and the globe.
Response Deadline
Our offer of admission expires April 15, 2026, in accordance with the Council of Graduate School’s resolution regarding acceptance of offers of admission with financial support. Please note that students are under no obligation to respond to offers of financial support from graduate programs included in the CGS resolution prior to April 15.