Finances and Funding
Graduate tuition and fees vary depending on your department, your residence status, your graduate level, and the courses you’re taking. Estimate your tuition and fees using this tuition calculator.
There are multiple methods by which you can fund your education. Graduate funding is available in the form of assistantships, scholarships and fellowship. In addition, there are numerous external resources available for students to obtain funding for their respective programs.
Assistantships
Graduate assistantships encompass the positions of teaching fellow, teaching assistant, instructional assistant, research assistant, and graduate assistant. Graduate students must meet minimal university requirements to be eligible for a graduate assistantship.
MS students
In UH Computer Science, MS students are typically not considered for assistantships. However, departments outside of Computer Science occasionally hire MS Computer Science students for various assistantship roles. MS students can seek such opportunities upon their arrival to campus and via CougarPathway.
PhD students
At the time of admissions, PhD students can be approved with or without an assistantship. Most assistantships in the department are also eligible for the non-resident tuition waiver, which waives the out-of-state portion of a student’s tuition. In addition to the non-resident tuition waiver, PhD students who hold assistantships are also automatically eligible for the Graduate Tuition Fellowship (GTF) which covers the in-state tuition as well as mandatory fees. For international students, a 12-month assistantship offer typically covers the entire amount required by an I-20, whereas 9-month offers will require a small financial backing amount.
Scholarships/Fellowships
A variety of graduate scholarships/fellowships exist such those offered by the university, college and department. Scholarships/fellowships also exist external to the university such as those provided by corporations, non-profits, and professional organizations.
UH Department of Computer Science
SFS Scholarship
This is a full scholarship for M.S. or Ph.D. students interested in pursuing education and research in any computing-related discipline with Cyber Security focus. The SFS program will also offer all students education, training and opportunities to become cyber security professionals capable of advancing America’s economic prosperity and national security in the 21st Century. Visit the SFS website for details and application.
Master's Thesis Scholarship
This is a partial scholarship for masters thesis applicants. A partial scholarship consists of $1,000/year for two years and includes a non-resident tuition waiver (i.e., the out of state portion of tuition is waived). This is not a need-based scholarship. All masters thesis applications that are COMPLETE by the application deadline are automatically considered (not guranteed) during the admission review. No separate scholarship application required. The applicant must be thesis option to be eligible and considered. Pursuing the thesis option does not gurantee you will receive a scholarship.
UH College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (NSM)
Graduate Tuition Fellowship
The Graduate Tuition Fellowship (GTF) program encourages students to complete their graduate studies in a timely manner. This fellowship covers the cost of in-state tuition and mandatory fees for qualified Ph.D. students. Visit the NSM graduate scholarships page for details
Presidential Fellowship
The Presidential Fellowship assists departments or programs in the recruitment of outstanding students. The fellowship program provides funds to match or exceed financial assistance packages offered by other institutions. Only students of exceptional caliber who represent extraordinary recruitment opportunities will receive these fellowships. Visit the NSM graduate scholarships page for details.
External Scholarships and Fellowships
- International Student Scholarships List (maintained by UH ISSSSO)
- NSF Graduate Research Fellowship: the National Science Foundation - Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) helps ensure the vitality of the human resource base of science and engineering in the United States and reinforces its diversity. The program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based master's and doctoral degrees at accredited United States institutions.
- SMART Fellowship - The Science, Mathematics And Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship for Service Program has been established by the Department of Defense (DoD) to support undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. The program aims to increase the number of civilian scientists and engineers working at DoD laboratories.
- National GEM Consortium Fellowship: GEM is a network of leading corporations, government laboratories, top universities, and top research institutions that enables qualified students from underrepresented communities to pursue graduate education in applied science and engineering. GEM offers M.S. and Ph.D. level students an outstanding opportunity and access to dozens of the top Engineering and Science firms and Universities in the nation. The GEM Fellowship was designed to focus on promoting opportunities for individuals to enter industry at the graduate level in areas such as research and development, product development, and other high level technical careers. GEM also offers exposure opportunities to a number of opportunities in academe.