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Also see Graduate Scholarships and Fellowships
ECE Graduate Assistantship Availability
Resume Website for Research Assistant Opportunities
Graduate Research Supplements
College Opportunities
University Opportunities
Other Financial Aid Links
Teaching Assistant/Grader Applications
Teaching Assistant/Grader Application Deadlines
Forms required for the assigned TA/Grader or RA
FICA (Social Security) taxes
Minimum Support Schedule
Changes to the Tuition Benefit Program
Establishing Utah Residency for Tuition Purposes
Summer Support
Research Assistant and Fellowship Opportunities
Department Graduate Assistantship Availability
A few applicants are selected each Fall as graduate research assistants or teaching assistants. If you were not among those selected for these assistantships, you must plan on financing your studies on your own. Graduate student support is contingent upon satisfactory progress toward degree completion.
Resume Website for Research Assistant Opportunities
For those students who are interested in research assistantships, we have created a website for posting student resumes. Faculty members across campus have access to the website, and are able to determine which students fit well with their areas of research. Information regarding the format of the resumes is also available. Please contact the Graduate Secretary about having your resume posted on this website. Even though we encourage you to submit your resume prior to your arrival, it will be posted on our website only after you have arrived in Salt Lake City. You might also want to contact a specific faculty member if you are confident that you are qualified to work in his/her area of interest. We urge you not to contact a large number of faculty members on campus, and not to send out global e-mail messages asking for financial assistance.
Graduate Research Supplements
Graduate Research Supplements (GRS) represent a new opportunity to broaden participation of women and minority students in Ph.D. programs in electrical engineering and biomedical/biochemical/environmental engineering through supplements to current research grants funded by the Electrical and Communications Systems Division (ECS) and Bioengineering and Environmental Systems Division (BES) in the Directorate for Engineering at the National Science Foundation. The supplements are nontransferable and may include graduate student stipend and tuition support consistent with academic institutional practices. GRS candidates must be United States citizens or nationals, or permanent resident aliens of the United States majoring in electrical engineering or biomedical/biochemical/environmental engineering toward the Ph.D. degree.
College Opportunities
The Wayne Brown Fellowship will provide up to ten awards per year in the amount of a $20,000 stipend each. Only new Ph.D. applicants are eligible, with priority given to new graduate students not currently enrolled in a College of Engineering program. The candidate must be a U.S. citizen or a long-time resident of the United States. Master of Engineering students and those in the Combined BS/MS Program do not qualify for this program. Each department in the College may submit up to five nominations, ranked according to department priority, by February 15.
The College of Engineering offers two loan programs for the purpose of providing promising graduate engineering students assistance in their pursuit of an engineering degree.
University Opportunities
The Graduate Research Fellowship provides $15,000 plus tuition for full-time graduate students who are conducting research or creative projects and who are pursuing a Ph.D. All qualifying examinations must be successfully passed prior to the beginning of the academic year of the award. Both domestic and international graduate students are eligible. Application Deadline: January 18, 2008
The Garr Cutler Energy Award provides $2,000 for a University student who is enrolled and officially working toward a graduate degree at the University of Utah. The award recognizes that academic year's judged best paper on energy. The student must be the paper's sole or principal author. Award is announced at Spring Commencement. Application Deadline: February 1, 2008
Other Financial Aid Links
Teaching Assistant Information
Teaching assistants are needed for many ECE classes. Both graduate and undergraduate students are encouraged to apply. Interested students can either complete the form online or print, fill out, and submit a copy to the TA Coordinator before the posted deadline. Applications received after the deadline will only be reviewed on an as-needed basis. THE APPLICATION AND PAPERWORK PROCESS IS REPEATED EACH SEMESTER. Non-native speaking students must successfully complete the ITA Program to be eligible to apply. See comments below for further information.
Required documents for Teaching Assistant/Grader Applications:
Current transcript
Current resume
Teaching Assistant/Grader Application Deadlines
Fall Semester - July 15th
Spring Semester - December 1st
Summer Semester - May 1st
The following forms must be reviewed, completed, and filed with the TA Coordinator, due within 3 days of notification of assignment:
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(for first-time payroll submission) All non-resident aliens (NRA) need to contact the Tax Services office at 581-5414 to make an appointment to talk with Laura Howat. The appointment should take about 15 minutes. Read the information found on the web at www.tax.utah.edu before you meet with Laura. If you are eligible for a treaty exemption from taxes, you MUST have a social security number or taxpayer identification number. The SSN or TIN is mandatory information on the IRS paperwork.
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I-9 form. FILL OUT ONLY SECTION 1 (bring in your identification originals so they may be copied). International students will need to bring in their I-20, International Work Authorization letter, and their passport to be copied for their first-time payroll documentation.
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Completed
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Completed
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Review only
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Review only
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Completed
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Declaration to Accept or Decline Subsidized Student Health
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Proof of insurance form will also need to be filed with the Student Health Department (for International Students only).
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FICA (Social Security) taxes
Full-time students who are employed by the University are exempt from FICA (Social Security) taxes and should file a form to this effect. Students who are funded as RAs and TAs during the summer must register for the minimum of 3 required hours in order to be eligible for FICA exemptions. This form is available from the Payroll Office in 103 Park Building. A form must be filled each semester to keep the exemption in effect.
Graduate Students receiving the tuition benefit must meet minimum financial support and registration requirements through the University of Utah for each semester that the benefit is received. It is the responsibility of the student to become familiar with the rules and regulations regarding the Tuition Benefit Program. Review the Guidelines for the Tuition Benefit Program for a full explanation of the program. Please note that the ECE Department will now require students to register for 11 credit hours instead of 12 credit hours if they are eligible to receive a 100% Tuition Benefit, starting Fall 2006. If you will be receiving a 75% or 50% Tuition Benefit, you are only required to register for a minimum of 9 credit hours. The Tuition Benefit you will be eligible for is determined by the amount of income you receive during the semester. Fall semester is from August 16 to December 31; Spring semester is from January 1 to May 15; Summer is from May 16 to August 15.
The Tuition Benefit minimum support schedule starting Fall 2007 is:
100% $5,000
75% $3,750
50% $2,500
NOTE: Any students that will be receiving a Tuition Benefit must sign the Graduate Benefits Agreement Form in the TA Coordinator's office before the last day to drop classes. This is a required signature showing you acknowledge and accept responsibility for being aware of the Tuition Benefit and Health Insurance Benefit Plan guidelines, and to verify your information has been entered into the database correctly.
Changes to the Tuition Benefit
The Graduate School has made changes to the Research Assistant part of the Tuition Benefit Program, starting Summer 2006 as follows:
This modification to the existing TBP accomplishes the following:
- Encourages US citizens to obtain Utah resident status when eligible, and encourages all RAs to qualify for in-state tuition after accumulating 84 CH by registering for research hours only (coursework should be completed within the first 84 CH);
- Qualifies RAs for summer FICA exemption;
- Allows RAs to take qualifying exams or defend theses/dissertations during the summer without tuition burden;
- Avoids international RAs having to take a formal “vacation semester” to maintain visa status; and
- Qualifies RAs for summer use of campus recreation facilities without paying the recreation/activity fee.
As is currently the case, non-resident students who qualify for the TBP can take additional credit hours above the TBP limit at in-state rates. This may be helpful for some students who are disadvantaged by the new, 11 credit-hour limit in the fall and spring. See "Establishing Utah Residency for Tuition Purposes" at this link for more information on this issue.
Summer Support
Faculty members who are conducting research projects often hire students as research assistants from a half to a full-time basis during the summer. Students that have Research Assistant positions that are interested in summer employment should make arrangements directly with the appropriate faculty member. The summer Tuition Benefit Program applies to Research Assistants only. There are a few teaching assistantships available during the Summer Semester, but TAs are not eligible for the Tuition Benefit. The same process of application for teaching assistantships apply for Summer Semester.
Domestic students are asked to register for 3 credit hours of Thesis or Faculty Consultation during the summer semester if they are eligible to receive a Tuition Benefit. The requirements are if they are a Research Assistant, being paid on a project, and earning the minimum dollar amount.
International students have several options for the Summer Semester.
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Take a vacation semester (see this link for details on SEVIS regulations). You can work full time (over .50 FTE) and have the option to register for 3 hours coursework (only);
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Do not take a vacation semester, and register for 3 hours Thesis or Faculty Consultation. This option is for Research Assistants that are being paid on a project, receiving a minimum dollar amount, and are not working full-time (.50 FTE or less). This option would make you eligible for the Tuition Benefit Program in the summer semester.
NOTE: The Graduate School will ONLY pay for 3 credit hours. If you choose to register for more than that, you are responsible for the remainder of the costs.
International Teaching Assistants (ITAs)
Department Registration Deadline: June 15
ITA Workshop Waiver Deadline: July 15*
International students who are interested in working as teaching assistants and whose first language is not English are required to attend and be certified through the two-week International Teaching Assistant (ITA) Workshop prior to beginning their teaching assignment. The workshop is held in August each year, typically two weeks prior to the start of the semester. This workshop is offered by the Graduate School and includes a training course designed to facilitate ITAs' acquisition of skills in language, teaching, and cultural awareness. Detailed information about the workshop is available on the Graduate ITA Workshop website.
Registration for the workshop is done through the ECE Department; therefore you must submit the application form to the ITA Coordinator to be considered for enrollment in the workshop. The deadline to be entered on the waiting list for enrollment is June 15. Please note that seating is limited for the workshop, and not all applicants will be registered. There are a limited number of openings for teaching assistants, so that even if you successfully complete the workshop, we can't guarantee that you will receive a teaching assistant position. You will be required to take the SET (Spoken English Test) exam at the beginning of the workshop, which will help assess your English skills. There is a fee of $35.00 for the SET exam, which must be paid to the department ITA Coordinator before the workshop begins.
If you feel your English and teaching skills are good, and you would like to request a waiver for the workshop, you will need to follow the ITA Workshop link for the form and the required documents needed for submission. PLEASE NOTE: You must register for the ITA workshop with the ITA Coordinator before you can submit your waiver application. This insures that if you submit your paperwork too late for a waiver, at least you can take the workshop.
* Check ITA website to verify this has not changed.
Graduate Student Health Insurance Benefit Program
The Graduate is coordinating a subsidized health insurance benefit for Teaching Assistants and Research Assistants. The University will subsidize 80 percent of the health insurance premium for a basic $50,000 maximum benefit policy for full time TAs and RAs that are eligible and entered into the Tuition Benefit Program. The enrollment qualifications must be met and paperwork must be submitted each semester (Fall and Spring). Summer is included if you participated both Fall and Spring. Students may increase their maximum benefit or add spouse and/or children at the student's own expense. The graduate student health insurance plan is also available for all students who are not TAs or RAs at the student's own expense without subsidy. Eligibility rules for this health insurance subsidy parallel rules and restrictions for the Tuition Benefit Program. The student's portion of the premium is paid in two payments, due Fall and Spring semesters at the time tuition is due. For more information, the guidelines and the question-and-answer websites are available on the Graduate School website. A form must be filled out and submitted to the Tuition Benefit Coordinator to verify whether or not you wish to be included in the program. School
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