Kent State has more than 6,000 graduate students this year in its more than 50 graduate programs.

To help with the high cost of tuition, graduate students can participate in assistantships, which are programs that help pay for the student’s tuition. Kent State offers three different types of assistantships: administrative, teaching and research.

Graduate students can get involved on-campus in many different ways. One of the largest graduate student organizations is the Graduate Student Senate.

According to the Division of Graduate Studies, Graduate Student Senate is made up of representatives from different campus departments with graduate programs and seeks to improve graduate student experiences and research on campus.

Graduate Student Senate also hosts a graduate symposium, which has been held for about 30 years, said Kyle Reynolds, assistant director of Graduate Student Services. Graduate students host the program and present their research each year. This year, this symposium will be held on April 22, 2016.

Graduate Student Senate also hosts an event call GradFest, which is held a couple times a semester.

“It’s just an event where graduate students can connect and unwind,” Reynolds said. “It’s usually at a local restaurant or establishment in downtown Kent. It’s an opportunity for graduate students to meet one another and share their experiences.”

Graduate students can also get involved by participating in the Graduate Studies’ graduate socials. These socials are held in the Cartwright Hall atrium twice a semester. Students can connect and build relationships at these socials, Reynolds said.

When it comes to being a new graduate student, making connections is one of the best things students can do, Reynold said.

“Really communicate well with your faculty and really work with them to make this as good of an experience as you can,” Reynolds said. “Also step outside your department and get involved and see what other opportunities are out there to connect with other graduate students.”

Graduate student orientation will be August 25 and 26 for new graduate students. Graduate Studies expects this to be its largest orientation with more than 1,000 new graduate students.

Contact Alyse Rohloff at [email protected].