The Department of Statistics awards teaching and research assistantships each year. Stipends vary slightly, but a typical student assistant working 20 hours/week received $19,000 during the 2016-17 academic year. Students are responsible for paying student fees, which amount to approximately $1500/year. However, health insurance is free, and it’s worth about $1500/year. Students on assistantship usually take nine credit hours of coursework per semester. A number of assistantships are available for the summer terms for current students who wish to continue their work through the summer months. The Department of Statistics has about 50 graduate students, nearly all of whom are receiving some form of financial support. Graduate students whose native language is not English must take the SPEAK exam to be eligible for a teaching assignment. See the Department’s Graduate Student Handbook for details. All graduate students admitted as nonFlorida residents and receiving an out-of-state tuition payment are encouraged to apply for Florida residency when they become eligible. Some fellowships and supplemental awards are also available for exceptionally qualified students. These include the Graduate School Funding Award and departmental awards such as the Joan S. Mendenhall Fellowship, the Kenneth and Janet Keene Fellowship and the Annette Kendall Katzoff Fellowship.