PhD Funding and Tuition

The Information School is committed to providing any admitted PhD student who requests it during the application process a four year financial support package. This applies to international and domestic students. Financial support includes a tuition waiver and a stipend that comes from a variety of sources including Teaching Assistantship (TA) and Research Assistantship (RA) positions, as well as student grants funded by both the UW and the Information School. You must be a full-time enrolled student (10 credits) to receive financial support.

RA/TA Match for Incoming PhD Students

In general, matching of a student to an RA or TA position takes place anytime from July-August for incoming phd students. The process normally includes the following steps:

1. Faculty with RA positions write a brief description of the project and position requirements.
2. The Informatics Program Chair, with the assistance of Informatics faculty, prepare list of courses needing TA positions for the upcoming academic year with TA skill requirements.
3. Incoming students rank their top preferences among research projects and TA positions.
4. Faculty with RA positions/Informatics Chair rank their preferences of incoming students. Faculty rank only students they would actually hire for their positions. If no incoming student has the skill set for a particular RA position, or all incoming students with the appropriate skill set have been assigned to other positions, that position may be posted following normal UW RA posting guidelines.
5. The PhD Program Chair, with the assistance of Human Resources, matches students with RA/TA slots - highest priority matching being 1-1 (student first preference- faculty first preference).

UW Grants and Funding Information Service

PhD Tuition and Fees

A student’s status as a resident or nonresident of the State of Washington determines the amount of tuition and fees required. The University will assume that an applicant is a nonresident unless available information clearly indicates legal residency in the State of Washington. Because rules and regulations governing residency versus non-residency frequently change, it is recommended that all appropriate questions be addressed directly to the University of Washington, Residence Classification Office, 264 Schmitz Hall, Box 355850, Seattle, Washington 98195-5850, or call (206) 543-4188. Any student believing that he or she fulfills the qualifications for paying resident fees may obtain an application form or Residence Questionnaire at the Residence Classification Office. Learn about Washington State Residency requirements.

View graduate tuition rates. There is an additional charge made per credit for over 18 credits. The University of Washington reserves the right to change tuition and fees without prior notice, and tuition is expected to increase in the future. Current tuition rates can also be obtained by contacting the Student Accounts Office by phone at 206-543-4694.