Financial Assistance

The School of Engineering and Applied Science offers financial aid to graduate students through fellowships and assistantships. Students must be nominated by their department to be considered for a fellowship or assistantship. Most superior students can expect to receive aid of some kind throughout their graduate careers.

Students receiving financial aid from the School of Engineering and Applied Science must be registered as full-time students, defined as at least 12 credits of lecture-laboratory courses and/or research during the academic year, must maintain a grade point average of 3.0 and also maintain satisfactory progress toward a degree. Graduate research assistants must register for a minimum of 6 credits of research during the summer term. Students receiving financial aid are not permitted to have other employment without approval of the Office of Assistant Dean for Graduate Programs. Students are awarded financial assistance to enable them to devote maximum effort to graduate studies.

Fellowships

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Fellowships are intended to allow graduate students to devote full time to learning opportunities in the classroom and laboratory. No work duties, in a pay for service sense, are required, but good academic progress, including research for the thesis or dissertation, is essential. Some programs, during fellowship support, will include research and teaching duties as part of the usual academic requirements for the degree.

Graduate Research Assistantships

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Graduate Research Assistants are assigned to work with a faculty member on a specific research project which should culminate in a project report, thesis, or dissertation. Full-time graduate research assistants may not carry a load of more than 9 credits of lecture-laboratory courses but must register each semester for enough additional credits of teaching/research to maintain full-time student status.

Graduate Teaching Assistantships

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Graduate Teaching Assistants are assigned to assist a faculty member teaching a specific lecture/laboratory course. The assigned duties will depend on the course and instructor. Graduate teaching assistants may not carry a load of more than 9 credits of lecture-laboratory courses but must register each semester for enough teaching/research credit to maintain full-time student status.

Special Fellowships

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The ARCS Fellowship was established in 1984 as an annual gift from the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Chapter of the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists Foundation. The recipients are chosen from enrolled students nominated by the departments.

The Virginia Engineering Foundation Fellowship is provided through gifts from alumni and friends of the School of Engineering and Applied Science. The recipient is chosen from enrolled students nominated by the departments.

L. William Ballard, Jr. Fellowship is offered to a graduate student who has demonstrated academic excellence, leadership qualities, and financial need.

Carlos and Esther Farrar Fellowship provides fellowships to deserving students at the University of Virginia studying in disciplines and programs pertaining to scientific investigation of the universe (i.e., aerospace engineering, astrophysics, mathematics). This fellowship is awarded on the basis of scholastic merit and financial need.

John H. and Dorothy W. Sidebottom Fellowship is offered to graduate students majoring in aerospace engineering.

GEM Fellowships The University of Virginia is a member of the National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering, Inc. While attending one of the member universities for graduate study leading to a master’s degree in engineering, a minority student accepted into the GEM program receives a stipend of $6,000 plus full tuition and fees. The School of Engineering and Applied Science supplements the stipend to equal, at a minimum, the total of the fellowships normally awarded to entering students. Application material can be obtained by contacting Executive Director, GEM, Box 537, Notre Dame, IN 46556, (219) 239-7183.

The Dean’s Fellows Award was established in 1984 to recognize outstanding entering graduate students. This award provides a stipend of $2,000 per year for up to three years, in addition to the financial aid offered by the departments.