The more than 2,900 graduate students on campus play a vital role in the University of Delaware's research and teaching missions, and they are receiving an unprecedented level of support as the 21st century dawns.

Of all full-time graduate students, nearly 80 percent receive merit-based financial aid through fellowships, tuition scholarships, assistantships and traineeships.

The total amount of support for those graduate students rose from $20.3 million in 1990 to more than $36 million in 1999.

In addition, a further increase in support for graduate students is an important goal of the Campaign for Delaware.

The funds are needed because today's graduate students are tomorrow's scientific, business and professional leaders, and fellowships provide UD a powerful tool with which to recruit the most talented and promising graduate students.

The University's goal is to increase the level of financial aid provided through merit-based fellowships. Officials expect to raise $10 million toward fellowships through the Campaign for Delaware.

The minimum level to endow a named graduate fellowship is $50,000 and, as with undergraduate scholarships, gifts may be targeted to a particular college or field of endeavor or left unrestricted.

The total number of UD graduate assistants–graduate assistants, research assistants, teaching assistants and graduate fellows–has risen by more than 300 through the decade. There were 1,111 such assistants in fall 1990 and 1,469 in 2000.

At UD, graduate programs leading to a master's degree have been available since before the turn of the 20th century, and doctoral programs have been offered since the 1940s.

Currently, the University offers more than 80 different programs leading to a master's degree and more than 40 different programs leading to a doctoral degree. Those degree programs are offered through 46 departments in the seven colleges.