Changes coming to UA Graduate Assistant financial aid policy
02/24/2017
Dear Graduate Assistant,
Thank you for choosing The University of Akron for your master’s degree education. I hope your experience here has been a positive one.
I want to inform you that several important clarifications will be made this year to our graduate assistant (GA) policies. Like many universities across the country, we face financial challenges that require us to identify savings throughout the institutional enterprise. As part of this exercise we reviewed policies for the granting of tuition remission and stipends to graduate assistants. The Graduate Council and Faculty Senate have recommended four clarifications of our graduate assistant policies. These changes will better align our GA policies with those of most other Ohio public universities, and help improve the institution’s financial health. Deans have been informed of the recommendations and are making preparations to implement them.
I want to call to your attention the most significant of these changes. Effective 2017 Fall Semester, graduate students who have sufficient credits to graduate from their respective master’s program will no longer be eligible to receive tuition remission and/or stipends. (e.g. if your degree program requires only 30 credits to graduate, then GA financial assistance will be limited to 30 credits). A very limited number of exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis, but if you surpass the credit requirements for your degree by the end of this summer, tuition remission and/or stipends will no longer be available after summer semester.
I strongly encourage you to assess your current credit status as the University can no longer fund your graduate assistantship beyond the number of credits required for your degree. You may be surprised at how close you are to completion. Please discuss your options with your faculty advisor and college.
We strive to make your master’s candidacy a productive and empowering experience that culminates in a degree that opens career opportunities of your choosing. Thank you again for being an important part of our academic community.
Thank you for choosing The University of Akron for your master’s degree education. I hope your experience here has been a positive one.
I want to inform you that several important clarifications will be made this year to our graduate assistant (GA) policies. Like many universities across the country, we face financial challenges that require us to identify savings throughout the institutional enterprise. As part of this exercise we reviewed policies for the granting of tuition remission and stipends to graduate assistants. The Graduate Council and Faculty Senate have recommended four clarifications of our graduate assistant policies. These changes will better align our GA policies with those of most other Ohio public universities, and help improve the institution’s financial health. Deans have been informed of the recommendations and are making preparations to implement them.
I want to call to your attention the most significant of these changes. Effective 2017 Fall Semester, graduate students who have sufficient credits to graduate from their respective master’s program will no longer be eligible to receive tuition remission and/or stipends. (e.g. if your degree program requires only 30 credits to graduate, then GA financial assistance will be limited to 30 credits). A very limited number of exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis, but if you surpass the credit requirements for your degree by the end of this summer, tuition remission and/or stipends will no longer be available after summer semester.
I strongly encourage you to assess your current credit status as the University can no longer fund your graduate assistantship beyond the number of credits required for your degree. You may be surprised at how close you are to completion. Please discuss your options with your faculty advisor and college.
We strive to make your master’s candidacy a productive and empowering experience that culminates in a degree that opens career opportunities of your choosing. Thank you again for being an important part of our academic community.
Sincerely,
Matthew J. Wilson
President
The University of Akron