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Programs of Study, 1997-1999
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Financial Aid
Financial aid is available in the form of fellowships, teaching and research assistantships, tuition and service fee waivers, federal work-study programs, and loans.
Application Procedures
All students who apply for admission to graduate study receive consideration for fellowships (except those awarded in national competitions), teaching and research assistantships, and tuition and service fee waivers; there are no separate financial aid applications for applicants. Currently enrolled students seeking consideration for these awards should submit the Application for Graduate Appointment, available from departments or the Graduate College, to their major departments. Financial need is not a factor in awarding fellowships, waivers, or assistantships administered by the University.
Continuing or new students should file the appropriate application, whether for admission or graduate appointment, with their major department no later than February 15, and preferably earlier. (Some departments in high demand have deadlines earlier than February 1; prospective students are advised to make sure of the departmental deadline before applying.) While departments may, at their discretion, accept applications after the February 15 deadline, most departments attempt to make their financial aid decisions in February and March; thus, applications arriving later may not receive financial aid consideration. Departmental committees recommend students for fellowships to the Graduate College, which makes the final selections. Each department appoints its own teaching or research assistants with the approval of the Office of Academic Human Resources. Fellowships can be awarded only to students who are enrolled in or have applied for admission to the Graduate College as degree candidates. The first list of fellowship awards is usually announced in mid-March.
Fellowships
The Graduate College Fellowship Board has the responsibility for establishing and maintaining policies regarding fellowships funded by the Graduate College as well as awarding fellowships. Departments nominate students for one of the programs described below, and the Board awards at its discretion.
University Fellowships
University fellowships are awarded on the basis of academic and scholarly achievement. Each department sets its own stipend level, and may supplement the fellowship with a teaching or research assistantship. Students should consult their departments about available support.
UIUC Distinguished Fellowships
UIUC fellowships are a signal honor, as they are very limited in number and are awarded to students whose academic records reveal only the highest scholarly achievement. Graduate departments may nominate incoming students in every field for the fellowships which provide a stipend of $15,000 per year and a tuition waiver, and may be renewed for an additional two years, pending satisfactory progress in the fellow's academic program.
Graduate College Fellowships
These fellowships are part of the Graduate College's effort to increase the enrollment of students from certain underrepresented and disadvantaged groups. Graduate College fellowships are generally awarded to students who are beginning graduate work so that they can devote their first year entirely to study.
Most Graduate College fellows are given support in the form of other fellowships and assistantships to continue their studies in subsequent years, provided their progress is satisfactory; however, continued support cannot be guaranteed in advance. Graduate College permission is required for concurrent employment of any type.
Dissertation Travel Grants
In some disciplines, students may experience delays in selecting a research topic or in completing their Ph.D. dissertation because they lack the discretionary funds to consult sources that lie in other parts of the country or abroad. The dissertation travel grants are designed to assist Ph.D. students whose dissertations would benefit substantially from domestic or foreign travel. Both travel for purposes of identifying a thesis topic and travel for completing dissertation research are within the scope of this program. Grants will vary in amount, but the maximum award is $5,000.
Dissertation Completion Fellowships
Dissertation Completion Fellowships. These fellowships are intended for the top-flight doctoral students who have passed the preliminary examination but, because of financial limitations, are unable to work full-time toward their degree. The fellowships provide $15,000 and a tuition waiver for one year to enable students to spend full time writing their dissertations. It is expected that the dissertation fellows will graduate by the end of the fellowship year.
On-Campus Dissertation Research Grants
On-Campus Dissertation Research Grants. These are small grants of up to $750 for doctoral dissertation research expenses that do not involve travel. Students apply to their departments, who can nominate up to three for the all-campus competition.
Industrial, Endowed, and Special Fellowships and Traineeships
Industrial, Endowed, and Special Fellowships and Traineeships. A number of firms, foundations, and individuals support fellowship awards for graduate students. The stipends and supplemental allowances for these fellowships vary, and most of them are restricted to students in particular areas of study. In almost all cases, these awards provide tuition and most fees. Students should consult their departments about the availability of these fellowships.
Federal Fellowships
These fellowships, such as the U.S. Public Health Service traineeships in the biomedical sciences and the Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships, are awarded as grants to institutions, which then select the recipients. Students should consult their departments as to the availability of these awards. Applicants for most federal fellowships must be U.S. citizens or permanent resident aliens; some programs are restricted to U.S. citizens.
Fellowships Awarded in National Competition
The National Science Foundation awards approximately 1,000 fellowships nationwide each year to exceptional students in science and engineering, the social sciences, and the history and philosophy of science. The fellowships provide $14,400 per year and tuition and may be held at any graduate school. Students who have completed not more than one semester of graduate study are eligible. The fellowship will be continued for up to three years if progress is satisfactory. Applications are available in October from the Graduate College Fellowship Office, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute Doctoral Fellowships in the Biological Sciences provide three years of support at $14,400 annually, plus tuition. Applications are available in September in the Graduate College Fellowship Office, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The Department of Defense awards three-year fellowships to outstanding students in certain fields in the sciences and engineering. U.S. citizens studying at Ph.D.-granting institutions are eligible. Applications are available in October in the Graduate College Fellowship Office, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
A few other foundations and agencies also hold fellowship competitions but on a smaller scale and usually restricted to specific groups, such as the Ford Foundation fellowships for minority students or the American Association of University Women fellowships. Information on these and other fellowships is available early each fall in the Graduate College Fellowship Office.
ASSISTANTSHIPS
General Information. The various departments of the University appoint graduate students as teaching or research assistants. Application should be made directly to the appropriate department by using the Application for Graduate Appointment. Students holding assistantships must be registered during the semesters of appointment and, in the case of assistantships requiring the performance of classroom teaching, must be proficient in oral English as determined by current University verification standards. Assistantship appointments ranging from 25 through 67 percent time for three-quarters of the semester provide waivers of either the full tuition or the base-rate tuition, depending on the graduate program of enrollment. The service fee is also waived. Students who held such waivers during the spring semester, and who have no appointments the following summer, are also entitled to the same tuition waiver for the summer term.
Part-time appointments as student residence hall advisers are also available. These appointments provide room and board only. The student affairs coordinator for staff development in the Housing Division has applications for residence hall adviser appointments.
Students who resign their appointments, or whose appointments are cancelled before rendering service for at least three-fourths of the term, become subject to the full amount of the tuition and fees unless they withdraw from University classes at the same time or before the appointment becomes void, or they deposit their thesis with the Graduate College within one week following the resignation date. A term is defined as running from the first day of instruction through the last day of final examinations.
FEDERAL WORK-STUDY ASSISTANTSHIPS
The Graduate College operates a small program of research and administrative assistantships funded by the Federal Work Study program. Prospective applicants must have obtained the promise of assistantship appointment for the next academic year at the time of application, which should take place before January 31 of each year. To apply, the applicant should fill out a screening questionnaire in the Fellowship Office, 209 Coble Hall. If eligible, he or she must use the need-based financial aid procedure described below.
TUITION AND SERVICE FEE WAIVERS
At their discretion, departments or colleges may waive payment of the tuition and service fee for certain students. Applicants are advised to check with their prospective departments for further information.
RESEARCH GRANTS
A great number of organizations and foundations offer grants to support research in specialized fields. Information on these grants can be obtained from the Graduate College Fellowship Office, the Illinois Researcher Information Service (IRIS), and departmental offices. Some schools and colleges publish additional materials concerning research grants and contracts.
LOANS AND OTHER NEED-BASED FINANCIAL AID
The Office of Student Financial Aid awards Federal Direct Student Loans, federal work-study and limited scholarships to graduate and professional students. To be eligible to receive this aid, a student must complete and file the Free Application for Federal Student Financial Aid (FAFSA). Filing the FAFSA between January 1 and March 15 will ensure priority consideration. Information about need-based assistance and application packets containing the FAFSA, as well as information on alternative non-need-based loans, are available from the Office of Student Financial Aid, 610 East John Street, Champaign (217/333-0100). Application for need-based assistance is made separately from an application for fellowships and assistantships.
If certification for full-time status is required (for example, for loans, immigration, or fellowships), a student must register for at least three units or the equivalent, regardless of the existence of an assistantship. The Office of Admissions and Records does not take assistantships into account when assessing for enrollment certifications.
VETERANS' ASSISTANCE
Veterans who believe they may be eligible for educational benefits should contact the veterans' counselor in the Office of Student Financial Aid. Application for benefits should be made annually.
EMPLOYMENT
Part-time job opportunities, both on and off campus, are posted in the Office of Student Financial Aid. Students are not required to apply for need-based assistance to use employment staff services.
EMERGENCY LOANS
In addition to major educational loans, the University makes special funds available. Graduate students with financial problems should go to the Office of the Dean of Students. Staff members in that office can determine the eligibility of these students for emergency loans.
Students may also apply for Federal Direct Loans through lenders
in their hometowns who participate in one of the various educational loan programs.
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