These awards support graduate training for African American students (US citizens) with outstanding qualifications and are made by the Dean of the Graduate School upon recommendation of the African American Fellowship Committee. These awards are intended for individuals whose graduate study involves the integration of African America/Pan African Studies into their respective field of study. Holders of these fellowships must be full-time matriculated graduate students who have been formally accepted into a graduate degree program of their choice. Each fellowship includes a substantial stipend plus tuition for 30 credits per academic year. Each Fellow is required to choose one three-credit graduate course per semester from the offerings of the Department of African American Studies. AAS Fellows are required to participate in a Fellows Forum in the spring.

Teaching assistantships in the Department of African American Studies carry a substantial stipend and remitted tuition of 24 credits (6 of which can be used during the summer). Teaching assistants work within the Department of African American Studies for up to 20 hours per week. All full-time matriculated graduate students are eligible to hold assistantships, except those holding other appointments. Appointments to assistantships are made by the Department of African American Studies with the concurrence of the Graduate School. Fellows and Graduate Assistants are required to participate in the life of the department including attending scholarly presentations by guest speakers, exhibits at the Community Folk Art Gallery and performances given by the Paul Robeson Performing Arts Company.

Funding for the External Experience is the responsibility of the individual student. Some students have funded their experience by seeking travel grant support from the foundations/organizers of the sites where they were interested in doing project work. Other students decide to take out small student loans to fund their External Experience. While the externship is a requirement of the Pan African Studies graduate program and the African American Studies department tries diligently to help students find funding; ultimately, it is the student's responsibility to find funding for this requirement. There are many sources of possible funding.