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FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR CHEMISTRY GRADUATE STUDENTS' BORIS MUSULIN Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois1
National Science Foundationz has recently published the result of its survey on federal aid to students a t the college and university levels, for the year 1951. The purpose of this paper is to present supplementary data concerning chemistry students in the school year 1956-57 and certain conclusions regarding support of graduate students based upon these data.
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cated that 18.6% of all graduate students in the physical sciences (excluding engineering) received government assistantships and fellowships. When all graduate students in all fields are considered, the percentage drops to 3.7%, indicating that this form of aid is primarily given to the physical sciences (excluding engineering).
THE SAMPLE
RESULTS OF THE SURVEY
A questionnaire was submitted to the department heads of the 98 chemistry departments listed by the A.C.S.= No mailing was made to the departments of chemical engineering nor to the departments granting only a master's degree. The questionnaire form was prepared on a selfaddressed postcard in order to encourage a higher percentage of returns. Six questions were asked: (1) Name of school; (2) number of graduate students; (3) number of teaching assistants; (4) number of research assistants and fellowships; (5) number of government supported assistants and fellows; and (6) estimate of additional teaching assistants that could he used in fall, 1956. A brief letter was enclosed to indicate that the survey was related to government aid to graduate students. The letter also indicated that item (5) was to show the total number of graduate research assistants who depended on some government agency, i.e., N.S.F., A.E.C., etc., for their financial aid. Replies were obtained from 76 schools, evenly distributed among public and private institutions of all size enrollments. This unusually high return (78%) indicates the concern of graduate chemistry departments in the financial support of graduate students and the government's role therein. The 1954 N.S.F. study indicated that whereas many undergraduates received support from the federal government by way of veterans' benefits (PL346, PL550 and PL63A for children of casualties), only a small percentage of support of graduate students came from this source. Assuming that this situation still exists, the present questionnaire also omitted any reference to veterans' benefits. The N.S.F. study indicated that a total of 1370 chemistry students received federal aid in the form of research assistantshi~sand fellowshias. It also iudi-
The replies to the questionnaire are summarized as follows: 1. Total number of graduate students in chemistry.. . 5211 2. Total number of Certohing assifitants.. ........ :. . . 2210 3. Total number of researoh assistants and fellows.. . 1938 4. Total number of eovernmen&suonorted research assistants and felbws. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 967
'Presented at the 131st Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Miami, April, 1957. ' "Federal S u ~ ~ aforr t Science Students in Hieher Education. 1954." N.S.F. '5'6-18, The United States ~overnmentprinting Office, Washington, D. C., 1956. "Xmerican Chemical Society Directory of Graduate Research," American Chemical Society, Washington 6, D. C., 1955.
VOLUME 34, NO. 12, DECEMBER, 1957
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5. Estimate of additional teaching assistants that could be used in fall, 1956. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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If the total number in item 4 is extrapolated to include 98 schools, it is found that there would be a total of 1250 government-supported assistants and fellows. Addition of the number of such fellows and assistants at other schools not included in the survey would give a figure comparable to the 1370 found by the N.S.F. study. That is, the total number of government assistants and fellows has not substantially changed in the two-year period from 1954 to 1956. The figures given above also indicate that 18.5% of all graduate students receive federal aid (excluding veterans1 benefits). This figure, too, is the same as the 18.6% found for physical science students in 1954. If one assumes that chemistry is not very different from the other fields of physical science, then again the conclusion is that the amount of government support has not been changed. In addition to federal aid, 18.6Y0 received other research assistantships and fellowships, and 42.4y0 received teaching assistantships. The remaining 20% are apparently without financial support. PROBLEMS AND CONCLUSIONS
The N.S.F. survey has suggested two problems that might be incurred in the future. First is the cessation of veterans' benefits. As pointed out in that survey, this problem would relate mainly to undergraduate science enrollment. The primary use of these funds in graduate school has been outside the sciences. The second major problem discussed is the possibility of a change in functional orientation of federal government support which in turn would affect the financial assistance to science students. Chemical and Engineering Newsqn reviewing the N.S.F. survey has stated this second problem in stronger language. "A marked de-
' Chemical and Engineering N m s , 34, 4872 (1956).
crease in government support of research in universities could have serious effects on the number of scientists that could complete their gvaduate training." The results of the present survey indicate that there has been no decrease in government aid in the two year period 1954.1956, The problem of decreased aid is still a possibility in the future. Continuance of the support at the present level would mean lower percentages with the advent of increased enrollment. The present study indicates that 5% of the present enrollment could be accommodated by additional teaching assistantships. That is to say that s3me of the problems in financial support could be alleviated by increased monies from the appropriate administratims. I t is inevitable that some increases will have to he mzde as undergraduate enrollments increase. Another view of these needs is that 27% of the government assistants could he given financial support in the form of teaching assistantships. This figure should not be interpreted to mean that the present federal aid is in excess but rather that some other financial aid could be given to graduate students in the future instead of the corresponding increase in federal aid. A recent symposium has discussed the value of the
teaching assistantships in the graduate program. Martins has discussed the value of the teaching assistantship experience for the student. I n order for more students to receive these benefits of the teaching experience, administrations should allot additional fmds for teaching assistantships. The present survey has indicated that there is an immediate need for such an allotment. Perhaps it is best to award government and industrial fellowships only to advanced students while the first-year students are given only teaching sssistantships. The typical first-year student then gains the benefits of teaching experience and a unified review of his basic chemistry, and the plan allows him to he hetter prepared to choose a research project. This study indicates that non-government research grants are about equal to the government grants. I t is ohvious that an increase in teaching assistantships will not suffice to serve all the additional students who will enter in the years of increased enrollment. Part of this 1oa.d should be offset by an additional number of research grants from non-government sources.
MARTIN, F. C., "Ab~tract~ of 129th Annual Meeting of the American Chemical Society," Dallas, 1956, p. 14F.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
