Tuition / Financial Aid
Tuition
Tuition for graduate study in the 2007-2008 academic year is $304.00 per semester hour for Virginia residents (i.e., In-state tuition rate) and $761.00 per semester credit hour for non-residents (i.e., Out-of-state tuition rate).
Financial Aid
Various types of financial aid are available on a competitive basis for graduate students in Civil and Environmental Engineering. Teaching and research assistantships stipends range from $10,000 and above. Assistantship recipients are expected to engage in 20 hours of teaching and/or research activity per week. Summer stipends depend on the availability of departmental and research funding.
Master's degree students holding teaching or research assistantships eligible to pay only in-State tuition rates for out-State students and to pay 50% of in-State tuition for in-State students. Doctoral students holding these positions are eligible for complete tuition waiver. Types of financial aid are described below.
Assistantship / Scholarships / Fellowships
Graduate Teaching Assistantships
The appointee is expected to participate directly in teaching activities. The work load for a full-time appointment is normally 20 hours per week on average. The stipend for full-time appointment is $10,000 for Master's students, $12,000 for doctoral students. Part-time teaching Assistantships may be available also requiring teaching responsibilities less than 20 hours per week.
International teaching assistants whose duties require direct interaction with the students in the capacity of instructor must take and pass the SPEAK test administered by the Old Dominion University English Language Center. This test measures the oral proficiency in English.
All new teaching assistants whose duties require direct interaction with the students in the capacity of instructor must attend the Teaching Assistant Institute prior to their first semester of appointment.
Graduate Research Assistantship
Graduate Research Assistantships may be funded through the regular University budget process or from sponsored research projects. The appointee is expected to participate directly in research or support activities conducted by faculty members. The work load for a full-time appointment is normally 20 hours per week on average. The minimum stipend for full-time appointment is $10,000 for Master's students, $12,000 for doctoral students. Part-time research Assistantships may be available also.
Unfunded Tuition Scholarships
Unfunded tuition scholarships may be offered to graduate assistants. Students must hold the appointment for more than one-half of the semester to qualify for unfunded tuition scholarship(minimum of $2,500 appointment for Fall and Spring semesters and $1,334 for Summer semester).
At master's level, the unfunded tuition scholarship covers the difference between in-State and out-of-State tuition for out-of-State students. In other words, out-State master's level graduate assistants will be responsible for paying in-State tuition.
Doctoral graduate assistants do not pay any tuition regardless of their domicile.
Unfunded tuition scholarships can not be used for undergraduate courses nor courses taken as audit. Graduate assistants seeking unfunded tuition scholarships must consult with the Graduate Program Director two weeks before the beginning of each semester to prepare the necessary paper work.
University Fellowships
There are several university fellowships available through the college and the department. These highly competitive fellowships are offered for new doctoral students with $15,000 stipend and $5,000 toward tuition per academic year. The applicants for this award must be admitted to the programs by February 15.
Dissertation Fellowships
On competitive basis, the college selects several dissertation fellows each year for finishing doctoral students with $15,000 stipend plus $3,000 research allowance. Applicants shall be the doctoral candidates by March 15 and they are anticipated to complete their degrees during the following academic year.
Enrollment and Registration Requirements
Assistantship recipients are required to be enrolled each semester of their appointment. The minimum credit hour requirement for the recipient to register for and to complete is six hours both for master's and doctoral students during fall and spring semesters. The requirement is three hours in the summer both for master's and doctoral students. However, Ph.D. candidates who have completed all the requirements except dissertation can sign up for one hour in any semester. Undergraduate prerequisite courses and courses taken for audit are not counted toward the enrollment requirement.
Graduate assistants normally may not enroll for more than nine credit hours per semester. Enrollment for 10 to 12 credit hours requires the approval of the Graduate Program Director. No graduate assistant is permitted to enroll for more than 12 credit hours in any semester the appointment is held.