New Addition for 2021: A Part Time Doctoral Students Program

Doctoral students are a vital part of AERA, representing 25% of the total membership of 25,000. Institutions that participate in the AERA Doctoral Student Cohort Program collaborate with AERA to allow full time and part time students in the doctoral program to join AERA at reduced dues.  Full time doctoral program students, who are not employed full time, who pay the Graduate Student dues of $65, pay $29 in this program.  Part time doctoral program students, who would pay the Regular Member dues of $215, pay $115 in this program.  This is a one-year introductory program to AERA membership. The participating school/department pays $18 per student.

Benefits for AERA Doctoral Student Cohort Program members:

• Receive reduced member dues:  $29 for full time doctoral students, who are not employed full time, and $115 for part time doctoral students.
• Select free membership in an AERA Division and additional Division memberships for just $5 each.
• Join Special Interest Groups (SIGs) by paying their annual dues; the $7 SIG administrative fee is waived.
• Receive complimentary subscriptions to Educational Researcher (ER) and one of 5 additional top-ranked AERA journal of choice.
• Subscribe to additional AERA journals at the special student rate of $10 each.
• Attend the 2021 AERA Annual Meeting offering many programs for graduate students and pay the discounted member registration fee.            
• Receive timely notice of announcements of AERA’s numerous calls for fellowships, awards, abstracts, grants, nominations, and much more.
• Take advantage of valuable networking opportunities through Divisions, SIGs, and the AERA Graduate Student Council (GSC).
• Receive the AERA GSC’s newsletter, Connections, published three times a year and be a member of the GSC's listserv.

What students qualify for this program?
This is an institutional program.  We find that the most common participant is a university or college with a school of education. Once an institution signs up, it offers this program to qualified doctoral students. In order to ensure a vibrant doctoral student program, AERA asks that the school actively promotes the program and recruits the entire first year doctoral student cohort to join, thus the name “Cohort.”  The program has been expanded to allow full time students or part time students who have not been prior AERA members and are in the doctoral program no more than an 8 chronological year period to participate. 

How does the AERA Doctoral Student Cohort Program work?
The program is a partnership between AERA and graduate schools of education or other university schools/departments with an interest in providing their doctoral students an introductory discounted year of AERA membership.  Once the school/department  fills out a short online form indicating its interest in the AERA Doctoral Student Cohort Program, the designated Program Coordinator receives an announcement to distribute to qualified students.  

Schools are given initial notice to join in September and students can enroll once the school has signed up.  Schools can sign up anytime through March and once the school signs up students can sign up.  The program ends March 31, 2021.  

Membership is for 2021 but the sooner a student signs up in 2020, the sooner the student can receive emails, announcements, and access digital journals. Full time students, who are not employed full time, pay $29 because they would pay Graduate Student dues of $65, if not for this program. Part time students pay $115 because they would pay Regular Member dues of $215, if not for this program.  The schools are billed $18 per participating student in April-May 2021.

What is required of the institution?
AERA asks that a program coordinator be appointed who will be responsible for reaching out to students and encourage faculty to explain to students how AERA membership can enhance their scholarship, help them build a network, and hear of more opportunities.

To make this as easy as possible for the school, AERA provides an announcement that the program coordinator can distribute by email through March 2021 to students and post in the department. The announcement will provide the website and passcode for students to join and pay their portion of the dues with a credit card. Program coordinators or a designated billing contact will receive an invoice for the participating students in April-May 2021. 

What is the first step?
If a School/Department is interested in the AERA Doctoral Student Cohort Program, please contact members@aera.net or call 202-238-3200.