financial aid offered to a graduate student that is contingent on some kind of service, usually teaching or research support
An assistantship is not the same as a stipend or fellowship where service requirements must always have a direct connection to education – i.e., Emory graduate students in chemistry serve as a “Teaching Assistant” but this is not an assistantship because they are not paid specifically for that work. Rather, they receive their usual stipend and concurrent course credit during the time that they are required to complete two semesters of TA service as one part of their training.