All full-time graduate students are given four years of financial support that includes tuition, fees and stipend. The level of the stipend is set by the University and over the past several years has been comparable to that of equivalent institutions. For example, in 2006-2007 the annual stipend for Ph.D. students in the biomedical sciences is $27,000. The award of fellowships from national organizations and private foundations constitutes an important achievement and serves to document a high level of accomplishment; students in the Department are encouraged to apply for these awards. Training that extends beyond four years is supported by research grants to faculty and by individual pre doctoral fellowships.