<p>I was reading about the masters degree in Biology when I came across this:
"Substantial student teaching assistantship stipends are available. Students who are eligible for stipends receive full financial support and tuition waivers as payment for teaching undergraduate laboratories and assisting in undergraduate lectures on a part time basis. As a result, students also gain valuable professional experience in teaching that furthers their professional development and credentials towards future academic careers." </p>
<p>Bare in mind that your stipend will be quite low. You'll make more if you find a FT job after graduation. Don't forget, doing research at the graduate level is very time consuming, so you might make below minimum wage.</p>
<p>Yeah, as others have said.. you'll get paid for being a teacher's assistant in lab classes. It sound's great - tuition covered + $$. </p>
<p>The money you get to cover your rent, food, etc... is barely enough to live on, and differs depending on the cost of living in your area and your department. At Davis, chemistry grad students make ~$1600/month (The average 1-bedroom apt costs $900+/month). If you plan well, you'll be fine.</p>
<p>In all sciences you don't pay for grad school. You either get it paid for through grant money or TAing. Most grad students in the sciences will actually make money each year (PhD candidates especially), although often less than 20k a year.</p>
<p>This may be different in direct MS programs, but for hte most part, getting an MS in a science area means you start off towards the PhD, and after a couple of years getting through all your course work, you decide not to stay, wrap up your research (which may not coincide with finishing your course work, may require another semester), and present a thesis for the MS (MA is just courses), as a substitute for presenting your PhD candidacy proposal to continue your research for the next 2-3 years without course requirements towards earning a PhD.</p>