Graduate Funding and Support
Support for graduate students is available from Teaching Assistantships, Research Assistantships, and Fellowships. Students seeking Fall admission should apply by February 15. For Spring admission, apply by October 1.
Teaching Assistantships (TA's)
A TA is a nine-month appointment paying $11,352 per year (M.S.) or $14,750 (Ph.D.), and a waiver of full-time tuition (up to 12 credit hours per semester). The value of the stipend plus fee waiver is $21,218 for out-of-state M.S. students and $24,316 for Ph.D. In return, the student works about 20 hours per week (half time) teaching and/or assisting in undergraduate labs and classes. Summer tuition is waived for students who held a TA or RA during the preceding two semesters. Health insurance coverage is required of all students as are library, computer use, and recreation fees. A few TA positions are available in summer.
TA awards are highly competitive, and normally only tendered to strong students without substantial undergraduate deficiencies. Students hoping to obtain a TA are encouraged to visit the WVU campus during fall or winter of the year prior to intended entry and to meet with WVU faculty in areas of their research interests.
The TA review process starts in late February, with first offers issued in early March. Positions are normally filled by April 15. While most TA's start in Fall, there is from time to time a TA vacancy for Spring.
Approximately 10 TAs are awarded to entering graduate students each year.
Research Assistantships (RA's)
Research Assistantships support graduate students under supervision of a faculty members with funded research grants. RA's commonly provide up a twelve months of support and pay approximately $13,000-$16,000 per 12 months, plus a full waiver of tuition. It is not uncommon for students to divide their time between RAs and TAs.The research performed is frequently for a student's thesis or project. Students interested in obtaining RA support should contact faculty working in their field.
Meritorious Tuition Waivers
Students without a TA or RA may apply for meritorious tuition waiver credits.
Stipends from local and University research units
The Morgantown Energy Technology Center (METC), the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey (WVGES), and the National Research Center for Coal and Energy (NRCCE) sponsor research assistant positions that provide hourly wage positions for some students. These positions may in some cases include tuition waivers.
Fellowships
Fellowships from a number of sources, including NSF (www.ehr.nsf.gov/dge/programs/grf/ ), NASA (www.nasajobs.nasa.gov/jobs/student_opportunities/fellowships.htm), and WVU, support graduate students. The following WVU fellowships are available. The application deadlines are February 15.
- Swiger Fellowship (http://www.as.wvu.edu/engl01/www/grad/handbook/gradhandbook6_5.html)
The Swiger Fellowship provides doctoral candidates $12,000 per year with waiver of tuition and most fees for three years ($36,000 total). Each student is expected to study full time and to carry 15 credit hours per semester during each of the three years. The Fellowship is extremely competitive, and applicants should have an undergraduate GPA of 3.5 or better, GRE verbal/quantitative scores totaling 1300 or better, and strong professional references.
- Dubois Fellowship (http://www.as.wvu.edu/engl01/www/grad/handbook/gradhandbook6_7.html)
The W.E. Dubois Fellowship, administered by the University, provides minority Ph.D. candidates with $15,000 per year for up to three years. Each student is expected to study full time and to carry 15 credit hours per semester during each of the three years. The Fellowship is extremely competitive, and applicants should have an undergraduate GPA of 3.5 or better, GRE verbal/quantitative scores totaling 1300 or better, and strong professional references.
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