Graduate Tuition Fellowship FAQ

Yes. University Graduate Tuition Fellowships will pay for any Auburn University course for which regular tuition is charged (except outreach or distance courses) up to 15 hours per semester and up to the maximum allowed by fellowship guidelines.

No. Non-Resident Tuition Remission is awarded to any graduate assistant with an appointment of 25 percent or greater. Eligibility for this Tuition Remission is not connected to eligibility for Graduate Tuition Fellowships.

FOR GRADUATE ASSISTANTS APPOINTED BEFORE FALL 2013: Only graduate students holding assistantships that meet the eligibility conditions (.25 FTE, with stipend that meets or exceeds the Provost-specified minimum [$612/month in 2012-2013], from the 8^th class day to the last class day of the fall and spring semesters, and from the 5th class day during summer semester) and who are in good academic standing (cumulative graduate GPA of 3.0 or higher) receive the tuition fellowship. Assistantships and tuition fellowships, therefore, are disconnected under the following circumstances. Assistantships may exist that do not meet the eligibility conditions. Students with such assistantships will not receive the tuition fellowship. Students who do not maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 may not be required to relinquish their assistantship. These students, however, will not receive the tuition fellowship. Finally, there are limits to the number of hours of tuition fellowship support students may receive. Students who exceed these limits may continue to hold an assistantship, but they will not receive the tuition fellowship.

FOR GRADUATE ASSISTANTS APPOINTED FALL 2013 OR LATER: Only graduate students holding assistantships that meet the eligibility conditions (.33 FTE, with stipend that meets or exceeds the Provost-specified minimum [$808/month in 2019-2020], from the 8^th class day to the last class day of the fall and spring semesters, and from the 5th class day during summer semester) and who are in good academic standing (cumulative graduate GPA of 3.0 or higher) receive the tuition fellowship. Assistantships and tuition fellowships, therefore, are disconnected under the following circumstances. Assistantships may exist that do not meet the eligibility conditions. Students with such assistantships will not receive the tuition fellowship. Students who do not maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 may not be required to relinquish their assistantship. These students, however, will not receive the tuition fellowship. Finally, there are limits to the number of hours of tuition fellowship support students may receive. Students who exceed these limits may continue to hold an assistantship, but they will not receive the tuition fellowship.

The Graduate School has created GTUFS (Graduate Tuition Fellowship System) to help graduate students track their Non-Resident Tuition Remission and Graduate Tuition Fellowship activity. Please access GTUFS to see your University-paid tuition record.

There are several possibilities here. Your Graduate Tuition Fellowship record displays tuition payments that are made at the start of a semester while credit hours are not awarded until you complete your courses at the end of the semester. If you dropped a class after the 15th class day (fifth class day during summer terms), those hours will count as paid hours but not as credit hours on your transcript. If you failed a class, those hours will count as paid hours but not as credit hours on your transcript.

No. Auburn University will adjust the tuition charges for any courses dropped prior to the 15th class day (fifth class day during summer terms).

Auburn University charges full tuition for any courses dropped after the 15th class day (fifth class day during summer terms). The Graduate Tuition Fellowship Program must therefore pay for the class you dropped and those payments are reflected in your fellowship record.

Auburn University has “quality” hours, “attempted” hours, “credit” hours, and “earned” hours. For Graduate Tuition Fellowships, a paid-tuition hour is defined as any hour for which the university pays tuition or fees (i.e., the “attempted” hours), regardless of level (undergraduate or graduate) or grade type (graded, pass/fail, ungraded).

FOR GRADUATE ASSISTANTS APPOINTED BEFORE FALL 2013: The Tuition Fellowship Program will pay for a second master’s degree only if the two master’s degrees are part of a joint degree program recognized in the University Curriculum. If the student did not exhaust the hours available in the fellowship supporting the first degree, the remaining hours can be applied to a second master’s degree. For example, if a student completes his/her first degree in the minimum number of hours required by the degree, 10 hours of Graduate Tuition Fellowship support remain and can be tapped for a second master’s degree.

FOR GRADUATE ASSISTANTS APPOINTED FALL 2013 OR LATER: The Tuition Fellowship Program will pay for a second master’s degree only if the two master’s degrees are part of a joint degree program recognized in the University Curriculum.

Contingent upon continuing departmental support; continuing assistantship support; and satisfactory progress toward the degree, you will receive up to the full maximum for the doctoral program in which you are enrolled.

FOR GRADUATE ASSISTANTS APPOINTED BEFORE FALL 2013: Contingent upon continuing departmental support; continuing assistantship support; and satisfactory progress toward the degree, you will receive up to the full maximum for the doctoral program in which you are enrolled minus all hours paid for by tuition fellowship during your master’s degree.

FOR GRADUATE ASSISTANTS APPOINTED FALL 2013 OR LATER: Contingent upon continuing departmental support; continuing assistantship support; and satisfactory progress toward the degree, you will receive up to the full maximum for the doctoral program in which you are enrolled provided that the doctoral program is in the same or a complementary field as your master’s program.

FOR GRADUATE ASSISTANTS APPOINTED BEFORE FALL 2013: Every degree program specifies a minimum required program. Master’s students with ongoing qualifying assistantships who maintain good academic standing will be supported by tuition fellowship until the number of university-paid hours exceeds the minimum program plus 10 hours. Similar doctoral students will be supported by tuition fellowships until the number of university-paid hours exceeds the minimum doctoral program plus 20 hours (minus any hours already taken in another graduate program at Auburn University). Graduate Tuition Fellowships pay the resident tuition and enrollment fee. (Attempted hours are defined as any hours for which the university charges tuition or fees, regardless of level or grade type).

FOR GRADUATE ASSISTANTS APPOINTED FALL 2013 OR LATER: Every degree program specifies a minimum required program. University funded in-state tuition support will be limited to 110% of the number of hours required for a graduate degree. This tuition support will be provided for one of the following: one Master’s degree or recognized dual-degree Master’s program; one PhD degree; or one Master’s degree plus one PhD degree within the same or a complementary field.

Yes. A fellowship is taken away when its benefits are exhausted, when the student’s cumulative GPA falls below 3.0 or when a qualifying assistantship is terminated. Such termination can occur if the department offering the assistantship determines that any of the following conditions apply to a graduate assistant: unsatisfactory academic performance; unsatisfactory performance as a graduate assistant; unsatisfactory progress toward the degree; or insufficient funds, inadequate enrollment, or changing research needs of the department or University.

Auburn University will charge you a student services fee for each semester you receive Graduate Tuition Fellowship payments. For academic year 2019-2020, this student services fee is $838. This fee will be waived by your tuition fellowship. Graduate students who receive a tuition fellowship waiver will also be charged a graduate enrollment fee, billed as Student Services Fee–GRA/GTA/GA. The fee for 2019-2020 is $680. This fee is not covered by the tuition fellowship program. In addition, you will pay parking fines, library fines, late payment fees, printing charges, housing, insurance, and similar charges and fees.

Tuition fellowships and Non-Resident Tuition Remission are Auburn University’s commitment to your graduate education in return for your service in support of the University’s instructional, research, and outreach missions. To qualify for tuition payments, you must be employed as a graduate assistant no later than the eighth class day (fifth class day in summer terms) through the last day of classes of the term. Resigning or being removed from your assistantship will require you to assume responsibility for all tuition and fees for the term.

FOR GRADUATE ASSISTANTS APPOINTED BEFORE FALL 2013: If a non-resident graduate student has held an assistantship for the previous two consecutive terms and received the non-resident tuition waiver, that student will automatically receive a waiver of the non-resident portion of tuition for the summer. If the waiver does not show up on the student’s account, the student should contact the Graduate School.

FOR GRADUATE ASSISTANTS APPOINTED FALL 2013 OR LATER: Graduate assistants who have received a 0.33 FTE or higher assistantship for both fall and spring semesters of a given academic year will automatically receive tuition support during the corresponding summer semester.

For graduate assistants who are appointed fall 2013 or later, Auburn University funded in-state tuition support will be limited to 110% of the number of hours required for a graduate degree. Exceptions to this limit can be provided with documentation of the academic need and demonstration of good stewardship of the support already provided, with the approval of the graduate dean. This tuition support will be provided for one of the following: one Master’s degree or recognized dual-degree Master’s program; one PhD degree; or one Master’s degree plus one PhD degree within the same or a complementary field. University funded full tuition support will only be provided to graduate assistants receiving a 0.33 or higher Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) assistantship for each semester during the academic year. Those with 0.25-0.32 FTE assistantships will receive 50% tuition support. Those with less than 0.25% FTE will not be provided tuition support.

No. You may continue to hold a graduate assistantship for as long as your department is willing to assign one to you. The University, however, will not pay your resident tuition. If you are a non-resident of Alabama for fee purposes, the University will continue to pay the non-resident portion of your tuition.

No application is necessary. Non-Resident Tuition Remission is automatic. If you are a graduate assistant holding at least a .25 FTE appointment, you will receive University payment of your non-resident tuition automatically. Graduate Tuition Fellowships are also automatic. If you are a graduate assistant holding a qualifying assistantship, you will receive University payment of your resident tuition automatically unless or until your eligibility is exceeded.

FOR GRADUATE ASSISTANTS APPOINTED BEFORE FALL 2013: The Graduate Tuition Fellowship Program and the Graduate Assistant Insurance Benefit both apply to graduate assistants who meet specific qualifying conditions (.25 FTE, with stipend that meets or exceeds the Provost-specified minimum [$612/month in 2012-2013], from the 8th to the last class day of the semester, in good academic standing at the end of the previous semester [cumulative graduate GPA 3.0 or higher]). However, where the fellowships are limited in the number of hours that will be supported, the insurance benefit is not limited. As long as graduate assistants hold their assistantship and maintain good academic standing, they will continue to be required to carry insurance coverage and will receive the insurance subsidy.

FOR GRADUATE ASSISTANTS APPOINTED FALL 2013 OR LATER: The Graduate Tuition Fellowship Program and the Graduate Assistant Insurance Benefit both apply to graduate assistants who meet specific qualifying conditions (.33 FTE, with stipend that meets or exceeds the Provost-specified minimum [$808/month in 2019-2020], from the 8th to the last class day of the semester, in good academic standing at the end of the previous semester [cumulative graduate GPA 3.0 or higher]). However, where the fellowships are limited in the number of hours that will be supported, the insurance benefit is not limited. As long as graduate assistants hold their assistantship and maintain good academic standing, they will continue to be required to carry insurance coverage and will receive the insurance subsidy.

No. Although students must be enrolled each semester they receive the Graduate Tuition Fellowship, they are not required to be enrolled full-time.

Yes. Provisional acceptance into a degree seeking program during a student’s initial semester has no effect on a Graduate Tuition Fellowship. A student must have cleared whatever provision qualified their acceptance, however, by the beginning of his/her second semester to remain qualified.

Yes. A number of departments have students supported on extra-mural fellowships. It is the practice of the Graduate School to treat these fellowships as assistantships for the purposes of the Graduate Tuition Fellowship Program. However, these students are not automatically included in the program. Therefore, each semester, each department with such fellowships must supply the list of fellows to the Graduate School so that they receive the Graduate Tuition Fellowship.