Most graduate students are supported through either teaching or research assistantships; a few students receive scholarships or other types of aid.  Because funding sources vary from year to year, financial assistance is usually not guaranteed for four years of graduate work.  However, the faculty make every effort to secure support for each student.  In the last twenty years, all students who have desired it and who have been eligible for support have received some form of financial support for four years or more. 

In addition to the sources of funding supplied through the MSU I/O program, several other funding opportunities are available.  Students are encouraged to apply for funding from external sources and have been successful in obtaining a number of fellowships, including one from the National Science Foundation.

As part of the University's assistantship / fellowship program, tuition is waived for up to nine hours per regular semester, and four hours in the summer (although some fellowships do not automatically include summer support).  Six hours is usually about what a graduate I/O student will take each semester.  Although required I/O graduate classes are not taught in summer, it is usually a good time to enroll for thesis credits, and perhaps teach a summer course as part of an assistantship.  In addition, the University automatically enrolls the assistant / fellow in their generous health care program.