An opportunity to earn at least $4,200 each summer is usually included in the student’s four-year financial-assistance package. In order to earn this stipend, the student works half time for two months as a research assistant or as a teacher. A student who accepts this half-time summer employment is expected to spend the other half of his or her time on academic work and not to accept other employment.
The criteria for evaluating the performance of teaching assistants also apply to summer employment. Students who fail to perform summer work adequately are not entitled to renewal of summer support in later years.
Many summer assignments are in research, but some students are asked to teach in their first summer, sometimes in fields other than their specialty. Teaching assistants who are not prepared to teach on their own by the end of their second year cannot count on summer support for the second summer.