Financial Aid for Graduate Students

Many financial aid grant programs are only available to undergraduate students, but graduate students still qualify for different types of financial aid. A graduate degree is an investment in your future, and student loans may be a good financing option. You should also apply for scholarships, many of which are available with one single application: ScholarMine.

Depending on your college, you may receive a departmental award or qualify for fellowships and assistantships.

• A fellowship is a competitive merit-based award, provided to students with exceptional academic work or previous or proposed research in the student’s field of study. Recipients must maintain a 3.0 cumulative grade point average and must meet minimum enrollment requirements to maintain award eligibility.
• Teaching and Research Assistantships are considered a form of employment and are based on merit qualifications. Teaching assistants perform assigned instructional duties under the supervision of a faculty member. Research assistantships vary and may involve assisting a faculty member in the accomplishment of certain research projects.

For more information about these awards, contact the Graduate School.

Students pursuing certain programs may qualify for tuition remission as a benefit of their employment as a teaching assistant or research assistant. Tuition remission covers tuition and fees not already paid for by other scholarships, fellowships, or external resources.

To qualify, you must be employed as a TA or RA for a minimum of 20 hours per week for the entire duration of the semester, and you must be pursuing a Master's in Creative Writing or a PhD, with some exceptions:

• Students in the College of Nursing or School of Pharmacy don't qualify.
• Students pursuing a PhD in International Business don't qualify.
• Students pursuing a PhD in Business Administration only qualify if they are Texas residents.
• Students in the College of Education only qualify if they are pursuing the PhD in Teaching, Learning, and Culture.

You must also maintain a cumulative GPA in your program of 3.0 or higher, and be enrolled full-time in courses that are part of your degree plan. Keep in mind that thesis and dissertation courses are considered full-time enrollment. In addition to meeting the eligibility criteria, you will also need to complete other requirements, like confirming your Selective Service registration status in the student portal. 

If you are not a Texas resident and are employed as a TA or RA, you may also qualify for a tuition waiver to pay the in-state tuition rate.