Doctoral Student Tuition Fellowships

This fellowship is designed to encourage students to complete PhD degrees in a timely manner. It replaces the GATF (Graduate Assistant teaching Fellowship) and is to be used to provide fellowships covering the cost of in-state tuition (up to 9 credit hours per long semester, 6 credit hours in the summer), as described below, for qualified doctoral students.

Requirements:

1. Recipients must have an undergraduate degree or its equivalent and be admitted to a UH graduate or professional program.
2. Recipients must be enrolled full time (9 credit hours per long semester and six hours during the summer, the latter if approved by department) in a PhD program or, in certain college approved cases, a terminal degree program.
3. Continuing students must have shown satisfactory progress in the degree program as defined by the department.
4. Students who enter the doctoral program with a master’s degree may hold the fellowship for no more than four academic years.
5. Doctoral degree-seeking students who enter the doctoral program directly from a baccalaureate program may hold the fellowship for no more than six academic years.
6. Graduate students holding the fellowship must agree not to be employed (on or off-campus) for no more than 20 hours per week (50% FTE). Violation of this provision will result in withdrawal of funding during the semester in which the violation occurs.

The Graduate Admissions Committee will make such nominations based on the following:

• Applicant’s academic record in previous undergraduate and/or graduate programs.
• Applicant’s letters of recommendation and the qualifications of the letter writers.
• Applicant’s demonstrated interest in obtaining a doctoral degree as evidenced by his/her statement of purpose.
• Applicant’s preparation to succeed in the doctoral program, for instance, a relevant prior Master’s degree, a record of previous courses in applicant’s desired field of study, or relevant background in government or politics.
• Applicant’s performance on exams such as the Graduate Record Exam and the TOEFL.