Graduate Program - Financial Aid



The above link will let you register to receive information about the Graduate Program in the ECE Department.


Financial assistance for ECE graduate students is funded by a variety of sources - the department itself, the College of Engineering, the University of Utah, private scholarships and fellowships, and even cooperatively-funded assistantships in teaching and research.

General fellowship and scholarship information is available through the central graduate school financial services website located at http://www.gradschool.utah.edu/tbp/finassist.php.

Research Assistant and Fellowship Opportunities

  • ECE Graduate Assistantship Availability

  • Resume Website for Research Assistant Opportunities

  • Graduate Research Supplements

  • College Opportunities

  • University Opportunities

  • Other Financial Aid Links

Teaching Assistant Information

  • Teaching Assistant/Grader Applications

  • Teaching Assistant/Grader Application Deadlines

  • Forms required for the assigned TA/Grader or RA

  • FICA (Social Security) taxes

Tuition Benefit Program

  • Minimum Support Schedule

  • Changes to the Tuition Benefit Program

  • Establishing Utah Residency for Tuition Purposes

  • Summer Support

Summer Support Options

International Teaching Assistants (ITA) Program

Graduate Student Health Insurance Benefit Program

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. Please contact string(72) "Smarty error: mailto: 'encode' parameter must be none, javascript or hex" 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

University of Utah Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships

General Sources

Specific Disciplines

For Women

For Women and Minorities

Teaching Assistant Information

Teaching assistants are needed for many ECE classes. Both graduate and undergraduate students are encouraged to apply. Interested students can print, fill out, and submit a copy of the application 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 semester TA Application forms (available online approximately 1 month before the semester begins)

  • Current transcript

  • Current resume

Teaching Assistant/Grader Application Deadlines

  • Fall Semester - July 15th

  • Spring Semester - December 1st

  • Summer Semester - May 1st

Upon being appointed as a TA, the student will have employment, tax, and insurance forms to fill out with the ECE office, 3280 MEB.

Tuition Benefit Program

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 requires students to register for 11 credit hours instead of 12 credit hours if they are eligible to receive a 100% Tuition Benefit. 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 for the school term 2009-2010 is:

  • 100% - $5,500

  • 75% - $4,125

  • 50% - $2,750

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:

  • RA tuition benefit for 3 credit hours in summer semesters (see Summer Support)

  • RA tuition benefit for a minimum of 9 and a maximum of 11 credit hours in Fall and Spring semesters for all students with full or partial RA assignment

  • A new policy that resident (in-state) tuition only is included in the TBP for RAs once the accumulated credit hours as a graduate student exceed 84. This condition will be implemented in the semester that cumulative registration exceeds 84 CH as a University of Utah graduate student.

  • This new policy on in-state residency is to ensure that U.S. citizens apply for Utah residency once 40 graduate credit hours are reached.

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 that they are employed as a Research Assistant, being paid on a project, and earning the minimum dollar amount for the semester.

International students have two options for the Summer Semester.

  • Take a vacation semester. You can work full time (over .50 FTE) and have the option to register for 3 hours coursework (only);
  • 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:

1. 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.

2. The Tuition Benefit for Summer Semester does not count against the semesters a graduate student is eligible forduring their graduate career.

International Teaching Assistants (ITAs)

Department Registration Deadline: June 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.  More information on the ITA Workskhop is available online.

Graduate Student Health Insurance Benefit Program

The Graduate School 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.