对于属于服务性的奖学金，获得此类资助者每周担任12-20小时的辅助教学或研究工作。这种经济资助只提供给硕士或者博士申请者。绝大多数的美国高校研究生院都设置这种资助，然而并非所有的此类资助都能覆盖一年中的全部费用，但多数都在全部金额的2/3以上。不过很多学校提供这种奖学金的同时，还会给学生免学杂费，也就相当于申请到“全奖”。在这里有一点要说明：TA/RA所得是要纳税的。
实际上，Tuition Waiver并不属于奖学金的范畴，而是属于经济资助，它是中国学生拿的多的经济资助，也是非理工类申请人拿的最多的一类资助类型。它也是非服务性资助中发放最多的，最容易申请的一种。这里顺便说一句：如果你可以获得学费全部减免就是大学通常所说的“半奖”，如果再拿到RA/TA就属于“全奖”。
英文水平较好的学生，可以自己参考关于奖学金的英文介绍。
Graduate Assistantship
Teaching Assistantship (TA):A form of financial aid awarded to graduate students to help support their education. Teaching assistantships usually provide the graduate student with a waiver of all or part of tuition, plus a small stipend for living expenses. As the name implies, a TA is required to perform teaching-related duties.
Research Assistantship (RA): A form of financial aid awarded to graduate students to help support their education. Research assistantships usually provide the graduate student with a waiver of all or part of tuition, plus a small stipend for living expenses. As the name implies, an RA is required to perform research duties. Sometimes these duties are strongly tied to the student's eventual thesis topic.
