Financial Aid
  
Application for Aid
University Fellowships
University Tuition Scholarships
Graduate Student Assistantships 
Residence Hall Assistantships
Industrial, Endowed, and Special Fellowships 
Folger Institute Seminars and Fellowships
 
 
UD­Hagley Fellowships 
Longwood Fellowships 
Winterthur Fellowships 
Delaware Nature Society Scholarships
Nature Education Internships 
Other Financial Aid
Campus and Other Employment
 


APPLICATION FOR AID

Of the approximately 1,700 full-time graduate students, nearly 1,200 students receive financial aid awards. Fellowships, tuition scholarships, assistantships, and traineeships are awarded on the basis of merit from nominations by the department and do not normally require an analysis of financial need. Awards are granted to full-time students in good academic standing with regular status.

The application deadline for financial aid is March 1. Applicants are encouraged to apply early. In some fields, funding from the University may be fully committed by March 15. 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. Admission application forms may be obtained either from the major instructional department or from the Office of Graduate Studies. Electronic application is possible using the WWW address: http://www.udel.edu/admissions/appinfo.html). Applicants are encouraged to contact the major instructional department for additional application information and for deadlines earlier than March 1.



UNIVERSITY FELLOWSHIPS
General Description
Block Fellowships
 
Competitive Fellowships
President's 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 covered by the University's Accident and Sickness Insurance Plan. (Coverage and student costs are subject to review each year by the insurance company and the University. Refer to "A Guide to Student Health Services" for current details.) Master's students who receive fellowships and those doctoral students who have not been admitted to candidacy 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 Graduate Office 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. 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 three categories of University fellowships: block fellowships, competitive fellowships, and President's fellowships.


Block Fellowships. The Office of Graduate Studies distributes these fellowships to graduate departments and programs for their distribution to graduate students who meet the criteria stated above. The department or program may petition the Office of Graduate Studies to convert block fellowships into a teaching, research, or graduate assistantship.


Competitive Fellowships. Departments and programs are invited to submit names and dossiers of their nominees to the Faculty Senate Committee on Graduate Studies for the annual competition for these awards.


President's Fellowships. Departments and programs are invited to submit names and dossiers of minority student nominees to the selection committee. These awards are initially made for one year but may be renewed for one additional year to students in good standing. With the concurrence of a fellowship holder, his or her department or program may petition the Office of Graduate Studies to convert that student's President's Fellowship into a teaching or research assistantship.


UNIVERSITY TUITION SCHOLARSHIPS

Tuition scholarships provide full tuition but do not pay a stipend. They are awarded according to the same rules that govern eligibility for University fellowships. Tuition scholars can meet the requirement to maintain full-time status by enrolling in a minimum of six graduate credit hours per semester. Tuition scholars may accept remuneration for employment inside or outside of the University. Tuition scholars are covered by the University's graduate student Accident and Sickness Insurance Plan. (Coverage and student costs are subject to review each year by the insurance company and the University. Refer to "A Guide to Student Health Services" for current details.)



GRADUATE STUDENT ASSISTANTSHIPS
General Description
Teaching Assistantships
Research Assistantships
 
Graduate Assistantships
Tuition Assistantships
 
The University of Delaware offers assistantships to students with regular, full-time status and high academic standing in exchange for professional services. All assistantships carry a stipend and must provide tuition. Assistants are covered by the University's graduate student Accident and Sickness Insurance Plan. (Coverage and student costs are subject to review each year by the insurance company and the University. Refer to "A Guide to Student Health Services" for current details.)

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. 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 Graduate Office for permission to maintain the student on an assistantship. A full-time assistant is normally employed up to twenty hours a week and may not engage in any additional remunerative employment either inside or outside of the University during months when the student is working as an assistant.

Assistantships may be offered on a part-time basis with the appropriate prorated compensation (stipend and tuition). There are four categories of assistantships: teaching assistantships, research assistantships, graduate assistantships, and tuition 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 up to 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 work 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 employed.


Graduate Assistantships. Graduate assistantships are awarded by academic departments and other University offices to students in exchange for work. Graduate assistants are employed for twenty hours a week in a variety of capacities as administrative assistants to University faculty and administrators.


Tuition Assistantships. Tuition assistantships provide tuition but do not pay a stipend. They are awarded according to the same rules that govern all graduate student assistantships, except for the following: full-time tuition assistants are required to work no more than ten hours per week.


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.



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.



UD­HAGLEY FELLOWSHIPS

UD­Hagley Fellowships are offered to students enrolled in the UD­Hagley 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 leading to the degree of Master of Science in public horticulture administration. A stipend of $11,385 for the first year may be renewed for a second year at $11,385 upon evidence of satisfactory progress toward the degree. In addition, the program pays tuition for four semesters and reasonable research and field trip expenses.



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 full tuition, 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, 304 Old College, 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.



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
General Description
Federal Perkins Loans
Federal Direct Subsidized Loans
Federal Work-Study Program
Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan
 
Emergency Loans
Loan Revisions
Financial Aid Procedures for Failure to Withdraw Officially
Satisfactory Academic Progress
 
Several sources of financial aid are available to graduate students through the assistance of the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (at (302) 831-8761). 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 March 15 so that the processed application will be returned to the University by May 1. 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 $30,000. 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 variable with a cap at 8.25 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 interest rate is variable with a cap at 8.25 percent. Aid that is received through one's department can affect one's total loan eligibility.


Emergency Loans. 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 at (302) 831-8761. for further information regarding emergency loans.


Loan Revisions. If your enrollment terminates through official withdrawal and you are a recipient of Federal financial aid funds, your financial aid award may be revised. (Federal financial aid funds include the following: Federal Work-Study, Federal Perkins Loans, and Federal Direct Loans.)

Your financial aid eligibility is based upon your cost of education (e.g., tuition, mandatory fees, room, board, books, and miscellaneous expenses). This cost of education represents actual costs incurred for the entire semester and is contingent upon completing that semester. When you officially withdraw, your cost of education must be analyzed. A Student Refund refers to the reduced cost of education that may result from your withdrawal from the institution prior to your completion of the given academic term. If a student refund is due to you, a portion of that refund must be returned to the student financial aid programs. The amount to be returned is determined by specific formulas. This computation may result in a reduction of your financial aid.

In accordance with the Higher Education Amendments of 1992, the University of Delaware has instituted a pro-rata refund policy for students who are in their first semester of study and are recipients of Federal Title IV financial assistance. Pro-rata refunds are extended to those who qualify and who officially withdraw prior to the tenth week of class. For further information regarding the refund policy at the University of Delaware, contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid at (302) 831-8761.



Financial Aid Procedures for Failure to Withdraw Officially. If your enrollment terminates before the end of the semester and you do not adhere to the University's official withdrawal policy, then you are ineligible for any Federal financial aid program funds previously awarded to you for that term. Therefore, in accordance with Federal regulations, all financial monies received for that semester will be considered an overpayment. These funds must be returned to the Federal program accounts. You will be billed for semester charges. For further details contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid at (302) 831-8761.


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.  
  3. a cumulative grade point average consistent with the requirements of the graduate division, and

  4.  
  5. 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 at (302) 831-8761. 


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 Office through the Student Employment Service or on-line (http://www.udel.edu/CSC/career.html). 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.


Questions about the Graduate Catalog?

Back to  Home Page | Back to  Catalog Contents 
UD Catalog Webmaster:  mww@udel.edu