Graduate Programs
Graduate Fellowships and Assistantships
(Catalog pages 241-244)

Of full-time graduate students, nearly 80% receive merit-based financial awards. Fellowships, tuition scholarships, assistantships, and traineeships are awarded on the basis of merit from nominations by the department. Awards are granted to full-time students in good academic standing with regular status. The university-wide application deadline for these merit-based awards is February 1. Applicants are encouraged to apply early and contact the major instructional department for additional application information and for deadlines earlier than February 1. The award is valid only for the term designated. Application for fellowship, tuition scholarship, or assistantship financial aid is a part of the admission application form and is made at the time of application. Electronic application is required using the web address: http://www.udel.edu/gradoffice/applicants U.S. applicants are strongly encouraged to complete a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form.

UNIVERSITY FELLOWSHIPS

University Fellowships are awarded on the basis of nominations by the graduate departments and programs to students with regular, full-time status and high academic standing. Fellowships usually provide full tuition and a stipend. In addition, students on fellowship are eligible for coverage by the University’s Accident and Sickness Insurance Plan at a reduced cost. The “policy term” is for one year at a time and students must apply for insurance coverage at the beginning of each academic year. (Coverage and student costs are subject to review each year by the insurance company and the University. A booklet, “A Guide to Student Health Services,” is available from Student Health Services.) Master’s students who receive fellowships and those doctoral students who have not been admitted to candidacy and who receive fellowships must be enrolled for a minimum of nine credit hours of graduate level courses per semester. Occasionally a fellowship holder may need fewer than nine credits to complete his or her program. In such cases the department must petition the Office of Graduate Studies for permission to assign a fellowship to that student.

Fellows are expected to give their full-time attention to graduate study and may not engage in any remunerative employment while holding the fellowship. Any request for an exception to this policy must be sent in writing as a petition to the Office of Graduate Studies.

Fellowships are awarded for up to one year at a time and fellows must be in good standing which means maintaining a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00 (B average) each semester to continue to be eligible to hold the fellowship award. There are two categories of University fellowships: block/departmental fellowships and competitive fellowships and scholars awards.

GRADUATE STIPEND AWARDS
The Office of Graduate Studies distributes stipend awards to graduate departments and programs for their distribution to graduate students who meet the criteria stated above. The department or program may use the stipend awards as fellowships, or teaching, research, or graduate assistantships.

UNIVERSITY GRADUATE FELLOWS
Departments and programs are invited to submit names and dossiers of their nominees to the Office of Graduate Studies that will be assisted by a faculty review committee in the selection of fellows. Nominees for these awards must have completed at least one year of graduate study at the University. Awards are competitive and are based on academic achievement and professional commitment and potential. Awards are granted for one year. Students may be nominated for the award in subsequent years.

UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOLARS
Departments and programs are invited to submit names and dossiers of their nominees to the Office of Graduate Studies that will be assisted by a faculty review committee in the selection of scholars. Nominations are open to both newly admitted students and graduate students currently enrolled. Awards are competitive and are based on many criteria including, challenging social, economic, educational, cultural or other life circumstances; academic achievements; first-generation graduate student status; and/or need as determined by federal income guidelines (FAFSA). University Graduate Scholars awards may be administered either as graduate fellowships or graduate assistantships. Awards are granted for one year. Students may be nominated for the award in subsequent years.

UNIVERSITY DISSERTATION FELLOWS AWARD
The University Dissertation Fellows award is established by the Office of the Provost to enable and support Ph.D. students to devote full attention to the completion of their doctoral dissertation. The Office of Graduate Studies is responsible for the administration of this competitive award and will be assisted by a faculty review committee in the selection of University Dissertation Fellows.

GRADUATE TRAVEL FUND AWARD
The Graduate Student Travel Fund is established by the Office of the Provost to help University of Delaware graduate students attend and participate in professional conferences pertaining to their field of study. Conference travel plays an essential role in the academic growth and development of graduate students by providing opportunities for presentation of student work in a professional setting, as well as opportunities for networking and exposure to the latest academic research.

UNIVERSITY TUITION SCHOLARSHIPS

Tuition scholarships provide full-time tuition but do not pay a stipend. Tuition scholarships are awarded on the basis of nominations to students with regular, full-time status and high academic standing. Tuition scholars are required to register in a minimum of six graduate credit hours each semester. Tuition scholars may accept remuneration for employment inside or outside of the University. Tuition scholars are eligible for coverage by the University’s graduate student Accident and Sickness Insurance Plan at a reduced cost. The “policy term” is for one year at a time and students must apply for insurance coverage at the beginning of each academic year. (Coverage and student costs are subject to review each year by the insurance company and the University. The booklet, “A Guide to Student Health Services,” is available from Student Health Services.)

GRADUATE STUDENT ASSISTANTSHIPS

The University of Delaware offers assistantships to students with regular, full-time status and high academic standing. All assistantships provide a stipend and tuition. Assistants are eligible for coverage by the University’s graduate student Accident and Sickness Insurance Plan at a reduced cost. The “policy term” is for one year at a time and students must apply for insurance coverage at the beginning of each academic year. (Coverage and student costs are subject to review each year by the insurance company and the University. The booklet, “A Guide to Student Health Services,” is available from Student Health Services.)

Assistants must be in good standing (maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00 each semester) to retain the assistantship. To qualify for full-time status, assistants must enroll for at least six graduate credit hours each semester or as specified on the Contractual Agreement form. Occasionally a graduate student assistant may have fewer than six credits outstanding to complete his or her program. In such a case, the department must petition the Office of Graduate Studies for permission to maintain the student on an assistantship. A full-time assistant is normally appointed for twenty hours a week. Assistantships may be offered by departments for 10 hours a week with the appropriate prorated compensation (stipend and tuition). Students holding assistantships are expected to give their full-time attention to graduate study and their assigned assistantship. Any request for an exception to this policy must be sent in writing as a petition to the Office of Graduate Studies. There are three categories of assistantships: teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and graduate assistantships. The definition of these categories is provided below. In cases where a student’s time and funding are divided between or among these categories, the student’s classification will be determined on the basis of how the student is spending the preponderance of his or her time.

TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIPS
Teaching assistantships are awarded through the individual departments. Teaching assistants are required to perform teaching and other instructional activities for twenty hours each week during the fall and spring semesters.

RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIPS
Research assistantships are generally funded by research grants and contracts provided by external funding agencies. Research assistantships require twenty hours of service or research a week. Research assistants are expected to work on their assigned research projects during winter session and may be required to conduct research during summer as well. The amount of each student’s stipend will be calculated in accordance with the number of months that the student is appointed as a research assistant.

GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS
Graduate assistantships are awarded by academic departments and other University offices to students in exchange for specialized tasks. Graduate assistants are appointed for twenty hours a week in a variety of capacities as administrative assistants to University faculty and administrators.

RESIDENCE HALL ASSISTANTSHIPS

Students may apply for positions as hall directors in student residence halls. These assistantships are available to men and women who are full-time graduate students with regular status. Both single-hall and double-hall positions are available. Experience working in residence halls or significant leadership or supervisory experience is required.

Personal interviews with Residence Life staff are required for applicants for these positions. These interviews usually begin in early April. Students interested in residence hall assistantships should contact the Office of Residence Life, 5 Courtney Street, Newark, Delaware 19716 or call (302) 831-1201.

UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE PRESS AWARDS

The University of Delaware Press publishes books in many scholarly fields and disciplines. Presently its major strengths are in literary studies, art, art history, and history, including Delaware and the Eastern Shore. The Press offers internships to qualified graduate students who work with the Chair of the Board of Editors and the in-house editor, learning the day-to-day operations of a scholarly press. Interns typically work 5-10 hours a week, as the budget allows, and may also represent the Press at annual conventions and meetings of scholars and academics. Interested graduate students should contact the Chair of the Board of Editors at 326 Hullihen Hall, telephone (302) 831-1149 for further information.

INDUSTRIAL, ENDOWED, AND SPECIAL FELLOWSHIPS

Funds for industrial, endowed, and special fellowships are derived from sources outside the University. Industry, foundations, and private individuals have generously donated funds to support these special fellowships for graduate students at the University of Delaware. The stipends and supplemental allowances of these fellowships are not uniform but are based on the provisions specified by the donor. The holder of these fellowships may be required to pay tuition and fees depending on the terms of the fellowship.

FOLGER INSTITUTE SEMINARS AND FELLOWSHIPS

As an associate member of the Folger Institute of Renaissance and Eighteenth-Century Studies, the University of Delaware offers qualified graduate students in the humanities an opportunity to enroll in seminars and workshops at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C. at no cost. These seminars, each limited to about twelve students from various institutions, continue for an entire semester and include such topics as “Milton and the Politics of the English Revolution,” “Restoration and Eighteenth-Century Drama,” “Medieval and Renaissance Origins of the Scientific Revolution,” “Dante: A Reading of the Commedia,” as well as studies in Shakespeare and the Elizabethans. They are offered by experts in the field from member institutions and by internationally known scholars from the United States and abroad especially invited by the Folger. Financial assistance each year is available to graduate students from Delaware to support travel to the seminars and to do research at the Library. A member of the University faculty serves on the Central Executive Committee that selects seminar members and awards the fellowships.

UD - HAGLEY FELLOWSHIPS

UD - Hagley Fellowships are offered to students enrolled in the UD - Hagley Program in the history of industrialization, broadly defined to include economic, labor and social history as well as the history of technology. Students prepare for careers either in college teaching or public history. In addition to tuition and fees, each full fellowship provides an annual stipend. All students receiving such fellowships will teach two, three, or four semesters of their stay in the program, based upon the level at which a Fellow enters the program.

LONGWOOD FELLOWSHIPS

Longwood Fellowships are provided under a grant from the Longwood Foundation, Inc. for up to a two-year period of study in the Longwood Graduate Program in public horticulture leading to the degree of Master of Science. The Fellowship may be renewed for a second year upon evidence of satisfactory progress toward the degree. In addition, the program pays tuition for four semesters and reasonable research and field trip expenses. Detailed information about the Fellowship program can be found at http://ag.udel.edu/longwoodgrad/

WINTERTHUR FELLOWSHIPS

Graduate fellowships have been established under the auspices of the Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum and the University for study in the Winterthur Program in Early American Culture. All admitted students receive a fellowship which provides a full tuition scholarship, an annual stipend, and a travel allowance. Application for the program and these fellowships can only be made by applying to the program through the Director’s office, 207 Mechanical Hall, Newark, Delaware 19716. In order to be considered, all application materials, including the GRE scores, must be received no later than January 15 of the year for which admission is desired. Admission is by fellowship only.

DELAWARE NATURE SOCIETY SCHOLARSHIPS

Scholarships are available on a competitive basis toward the University of Delaware Environmental Institution Management Course offered in winter session at the Delaware Nature Society’s Ashland Nature Center. The 6-credit graduate course is open to graduate and advanced undergraduate students and postgraduate environmental science professionals. Course content includes budgeting and financial development, goal definition and long-range planning, personnel, public relations, building and grounds management, programming and teaching, and the conservation and preservation roles. For more information and scholarship applications, contact the Environmental Institution Management Coordinator, Delaware Nature Society, P.O. Box 700, Hockessin, Delaware 19707; www.delawarenaturesociety.org.

NATURE EDUCATION INTERNSHIPS

The Delaware Nature Society offers graduate student internships. Training is offered in leadership, teaching, program design and coordination, and administration. With the approval of the major department, academic credits may be earned. The internship may also be continued for up to one year. To apply, a resume and college transcript should be sent to the Assistant Director for Education, Delaware Nature Society, P.O. Box 700, Hockessin, Delaware 19707.

OTHER FINANCIAL AID

Several sources of financial aid are available to graduate students through the assistance of the Financial Aid Office. In order to be eligible for participation in the need-based programs (Federal Perkins Loans, Federal Work Study, and Federal Direct Loans), students must file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students should begin the application procedure in January or February for the fall semester. The completed FAFSA application is sent off campus for analysis and should be mailed by February 15 so that the processed application will be returned to the University by May 1 or go to www.fafsa.ed.gov to file online. To be eligible for federal assistance, a graduate student must be enrolled for a minimum of 5 credit hours per semester. Foreign students are not eligible for these programs.

FEDERAL PERKINS LOANS
Graduate students may borrow up to $40,000. This total includes any amount previously borrowed under Federal Perkins Loans for undergraduate study. Repayment for new borrowers begins nine months after the student graduates or leaves school. Eligibility for such a loan is based on demonstrated financial need. Perkins Loans average $1,000 per annum.

FEDERAL DIRECT SUBSIDIZED LOANS
The Direct Loan program enables the student to borrow a low-interest loan for educational expenses. All students are required to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) before a promissory note can be processed. A graduate or professional student may borrow up to $8,500 per year. The interest rate for first- time borrowers is fixed at 6.8 percent. The total amount outstanding that a graduate or professional student may borrow is $65,500, including loans previously made at the undergraduate level.

FEDERAL WORK-STUDY PROGRAM
Eligibility is based on demonstrated financial need. Graduate students may apply if enrolled at least half-time. Jobs may be arranged either on campus or off campus with a public or private nonprofit agency such as a hospital. If eligible, a student may be employed for as many as 15 hours a week during regular academic sessions and 40 hours per week during vacation periods. In general, the salary received is based on the current minimum wage, but it is also related to the type of work performed and the proficiency required of the student.

FEDERAL DIRECT UNSUBSIDIZED LOAN
Graduate and professional students are eligible to borrow through the Unsubsidized Loan program. A Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is required. Graduate students are entitled to borrow $10,000 per year in addition to the amounts that they may borrow under the Federal Direct Subsidized Loan Program. The total amount that a student may borrow through the subsidized and unsubsidized programs is $138,500. This includes loans received during undergraduate study. The interest rate is fixed at 6.8 percent. Aid that is received through one’s department, such as a graduate assistantship, can affect one’s total loan eligibility.

FEDERAL DIRECT PLUS LOANS
Graduate and professional students may borrow on their own behalf, up to the cost of attendance. The interest rate for PLUS loans is fixed at 8.5 percent. It is necessary to file the FAFSA to apply for the PLUS loan.

EMERGENCY LOANS
Undergraduate and graduate students may have difficulty with temporary, unanticipated expenses. The Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid offers a 30-day, no-interest loan to assist with such temporary difficulties. Contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid for further information regarding emergency loans.

FINANCIAL AID RECIPIENT WITHDRAWALS
If you are a recipient of Title IV federal financial aid funds (Examples: Direct/Stafford Student Loans, Perkins Loan, Nursing Student Loan is also a federal financial aid program, Direct/Parent Loan) and your enrollment terminates through official withdrawal, your financial aid award must be reviewed for possible adjustment.

Financial aid eligibility is based on the cost of education (tuition, mandatory fees, housing, meal plan, books, etc.) incurred for the entire semester and is contingent upon completion of that semester. When you withdraw, federal regulations mandate that any unearned aid be returned to the federal aid programs. The percent of aid earned is based on the date of withdrawal divided by the total number of days in the semester. Title IV recipients are governed by federal policy if they withdraw prior to completing 60% of the semester.

If your institutional charges are reduced or recalculated, this change may result in the reduction of recipients’ other sources of financial aid.

FAILURE TO WITHDRAW OFFICIALLY
Students are required to adhere to the University’s official withdrawal policy when terminating their enrollment prior to the end of a given term. Failure to officially withdraw will result in the cancellation of any Federal financial aid program funds previously awarded for that term. Federal regulations require that funds for ineligible recipients be returned to the financial aid program accounts. Students will be billed for semester charges.

SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS
For financial aid purposes, the federal Title IV assistance programs require students to maintain progress toward a degree. The federal programs include Federal Work-Study, Federal Direct Loans, Federal Family Education Loans (Stafford), and Federal Perkins Loans. Satisfactory progress for financial aid purposes requires:

  1. Completion of a graduate degree within five years of full-time attendance or its equivalent (a seven-year limit is provided for doctoral students entering without a master’s degree),
  2. A cumulative grade point average consistent with the requirements of the graduate division, and
  3. Successful completion of 67% of credit hours attempted.

Academic records will be reviewed at the end of each spring semester. Students who fail to make satisfactory progress will be ineligible for federal financial assistance. Additional information concerning this policy may be obtained from the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid.

CAMPUS AND OTHER EMPLOYMENT
Information on summer and part-time jobs both on campus and in the surrounding community is available in the Career Services Center through the Student Employment Service or on-line (http://www.udel.edu/CSC/). Jobs that are federally funded through the College Work-Study Program are listed in the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid at (302) 831-8761.