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Fully Funded PhDs Decoded: The Difference Between Scholarships, Fellowships, and Assistantships

A PhD offer is only as good as its funding package. For international researchers, the terminology can often be deliberately vague.

February 10, 2026
2 min read

A PhD offer is only as good as its funding package. For international researchers, the terminology can often be deliberately vague. "Fully Funded" does not always mean the same thing across different universities or countries. Before you sign an offer, you need to understand the financial strings attached to your stipend.

1. The "Free Money": Fellowships & Scholarships

This is the gold standard of PhD funding.

  • What it is: A grant based purely on merit (your GPA, publications, or research potential).
  • The Catch: None. You are generally not required to work for the university to receive this money.
  • Pros: You have 100% freedom to focus on your research. You are not beholden to a specific lab's schedule or teaching duties.
  • Examples: NSF GRFP (USA), Rhodes Scholarship (UK), HKPFS (Hong Kong).

2. The "Job": Assistantships (GRA & GTA)

Most PhD students in the US and STEM fields fall into this category. Technically, you are an employee of the university, and your tuition waiver is a benefit of your employment.

Graduate Research Assistantship (GRA)

  • Role: You are paid to do research for a specific Principal Investigator (PI).
  • Pros: Your "work" is often your thesis topic, so you kill two birds with one stone.
  • Cons: If the grant money runs out, your funding might be at risk. You are strictly tied to that specific lab's output.

Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA)

  • Role: You teach undergraduates, grade papers, or run lab sessions.
  • Pros: Guaranteed funding from the department, regardless of your professor's grant status.
  • Cons: It consumes time (10-20 hours/week) that could be spent on your own research.

3. The "Stipend Gap": Is it Enough to Live On?

A $30,000 stipend in rural Indiana goes a lot further than £18,000 in central London.

  • Tuition Waiver: Ensure your offer includes a full tuition waiver. If you have to pay tuition out of your stipend, it is not a full scholarship.
  • Cost of Living: Do not look at the raw number. Look at the Purchasing Power.