This qualitative study explored the professional socialization experiences of doctoral students enrolled in the school of education at a public research university with emphasis on the graduate assistantship as a mechanism for doctoral students' professional socialization, and the effect of financial concerns on graduate students' socialization were addressed. The study analyzed a variety of data including students' written personal reflections about their experiences as graduate students, interviews with three students, a focus group discussion with six students, participant observation, and a review of written documents. The study identified certain benefits received by doctoral students with research assistantships such as the provision of structurally-based opportunities for doctoral students to interact with and learn from faculty and of a ready-made peer group and associated informal socialization experiences. Research assistantships were also found to reduce students' financial concerns. (Contains 71 references.) (PRW)