Tuition and Fees

Financial Support

A student’s basic expenses at the university will be for tuition, course-related fees, textbooks, other instructional supplies, room and board, and miscellaneous items.

Graduate Student Support Opportunities

Fellowships (AD 230) — 407-823-6497, Fax: 407-823-6442; e-mail address: graduate@mail.ucf.edu; website: http://www.graduate.ucf.edu

Student Financial Assistance Office (AD 120) — 407-823-2827; website: http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~finaid

Loans — Fax: 407-823-5241

Holds on records, graduate status — Fax: 407-823-6442

Some on-line financial aid information web pages are available for specific information concerning financial aid, grants, and fellowships:

Financial Aid Information: http://www.finaid.org

Non-degree-seeking students are not eligible for financial aid.

Tuition Waivers

Graduate Teaching and Research Assistants must be enrolled full-time (nine credit hours in the fall and spring terms and six credit hours in the summer) to receive a tuition waiver. Students taking only thesis or dissertation hours are required to be enrolled in at least one hour of thesis or three hours of dissertation to be considered full-time and receive a tuition waiver after all required course work and minimum thesis/dissertation hours are taken. Graduate Teaching and Research Assistants who are pursuing a non-thesis option and are in their graduating semester, as determined by their college may receive tuition payments paid by the college to Student Accounts. Full-time graduate teaching and research assistants and associates are eligible for FICA and FUTA exemptions if they are enrolled at least half time, regardless of the hours worked. This chapter has more details under “FICA/FUTA Exemption Guidelines”.

Rules that govern the use of tuition waiver monies for graduate students are:

1. Graduate students must be full-time students (defined above) and in good standing with a graduate GPA of 3.0 or higher. The student must be enrolled in classes full-time for the term in which they receive the waiver and employed as a graduate teaching or research assistant for at least 10 hours/week (0.25 FTE) on average, or receiving a fellowship in the amount of $3250 or higher for the academic year.
2. If more than one academic unit employs a student who creates the waiver, the waiver money generated by the student is credited to both units proportional to the contribution of the student stipend.
3. The units of those students on fellowships will receive credit for the waiver generated by the fellowship student.
4. Fee waiver money is to be allocated to the colleges and institutes, rather than administrative offices such as Academic Affairs, Student Development and Enrollment Services, etc. Graduate students who work in these offices should request tuition waiver support from the Office of Graduate Studies (AD 230).
5. If a student drops a course for which a fee waiver has been received but remains full-time, the waiver money received for the class must be returned to the University. Holds on student records will prevent students from registering for classes, receiving transcripts, or receiving grade reports until the money is returned.
6. If a student drops a course for which a fee waiver has been received and becomes part-time as a result, all waiver money must be returned to the University. Any such funds will be reallocated to the unit from which they originated. Holds on student records will prevent students from registering for classes, receiving transcripts, or receiving grade reports until the money is returned. (In extreme cases, a student may petition for an exception to this.)
7. If a graduate student assistant is dismissed or resigns at any point during the semester, tuition waiver funds received by the student must be returned to the University.
8. Waiver money is only provided for courses taken as necessary for progress toward a student’s graduate degree.
9. Waiver money is limited to 9 terms for master’s students, 12 terms for doctoral students beyond the master’s degree, or 21 terms for doctoral students without a master’s degree.

All graduate assistants and fellows (the fellowship pays at least $3,250 per academic year), regardless of their tax status, are eligible to receive tuition waivers and will generate tuition waiver authority according to Board of Regents guidelines.

Tuition Waivers for State of Florida Employees

Tuition Waivers for Senior Citizens

State Tuition Exempt Program (STEP)

Fellowships

Fellowship information is available from several sources. Program and graduate coordinators and other interested faculty may be contacted for specific opportunities related to their fields of study. Published fellowship deadlines are approximate and subject to change. A listing of fellowship opportunities and application materials offered by the university to graduate students is available on the Graduate Studies website: http://www.graduate.ucf.edu. Books, such as the Graduate Scholarship Directory, listing fellowship opportunities are available at the Reserve Desk of the Library for students to review.

Non-degree-seeking post-baccalaureate and graduate certificate students are not eligible for fellowships or financial aid.

International students receiving fellowships are subject to up to 14 percent withholding on their fellowship checks. International students must obtain either a Social Security Number (SSN) or an Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) prior to receipt of a fellowship. Further information on this issue can be obtained from International Student Services.

Need-based Fellowships

Students must have unmet need as determined by the FAFSA to be eligible for need-based awards. Graduate students who receive need-based awards (such as the Incentive Fellowship or Work Fellowship) should be aware that the amount they receive is dependent on their need. If tuition waivers, other fellowships, or assistantships are granted after being awarded a need-based fellowship, then the total financial package may have to be adjusted to satisfy federal requirements.

General Fellowship Requirements

• UCF fellowships are not awarded in conjunction with other fellowships, and students are eligible to receive a given fellowship only once (with the exception of the Work Fellowship).
• Students must be regularly admitted graduate students by the time the fellowship is awarded in order to receive the funds, except in the case of Summer Mentoring Fellowships, which can be awarded to provisionally admitted students.
• Academically, most fellowships require a GRE score of at least 1000 (or a GMAT score of at least 500) and/or a 3.0 grade point average in the last 60 attempted semester hours of undergraduate study.
• Each fellowship has different specific requirements.

Academic Progress for Fellowship Recipients

• Students must be fully accepted into a graduate degree program at UCF.
• Students must enroll and maintain nine graduate hours or three dissertation hours or one thesis hour each semester of the award.
• Students must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0 each term of the award.
• Students must receive a satisfactory progress report from their academic adviser each term of the award.
• Students cannot receive a grade of incomplete (“I”) and continue to receive the award.

Provost’s Graduate Fellowship

• New graduate students
• Undergraduate GPA of at least 3.5 and GRE score of at least 1200 (or GMAT of at least 600)
• Award $8,000 per year for two semesters ($4,000 each semester) from Graduate Studies
• Normal tuition waiver for up to 9 graduate hours of course work per semester provided by department
• Additional minimum $5,000 per year assistantship ($2,500 per semester) or fellowship from college/department
• U.S. citizens or international students are eligible

UCF Undergrad to Grad Fellowship

• UCF undergraduates who within one year of completing bachelor’s degree continue on to graduate studies
• Award $5,000 per year for four semesters ($2,500 each semester) from Graduate Studies
• Additional assistantship of 10 hours per week from college/department
• Normal tuition waiver for up to 9 graduate hours of course work per semester provided by department
• Two-year fellowship

Graduate Work Fellowship

• New and continuing students
• Award $6,500 per year for two semesters ($3,250 each semester)
• Must document financial need by filing FAFSA
• 20- hour-per-week assistantship in the department of study
• Tuition waiver can be given by department
• The fellowship is included in the student’s assistantship paychecks and does not defer tuition and fees.

Summer Mentoring Fellowship

• Award $3,250 per summer semester from Graduate Studies
• No tuition provided
• First-year graduate student; minority students preferred
• Expected to conduct research project under faculty direction
• Must present research paper at end of summer
• Must only enroll in 6 hours of independent study (XXX 6908) or directed research (XXX 6918) during summer
• U.S. citizen or permanent resident alien

UCF Foundation Minority Graduate Fellowship

• Award $3,250 per year for two semesters ($1,625 each semester) from Graduate Studies
• New graduate students who are of an ethnic minority
• U.S. citizens or permanent resident aliens
• Tuition waiver (in-state tuition only) for up to 9 graduate hours of course work per semester provided by Graduate Studies
• Application available at http://www.graduate.ucf.edu

Incentive Graduate Fellowship

• New and continuing graduate students
• Award $5,000 per year for two semesters ($2,500 each semester, depending on need) from Graduate Studies
• Must document financial need by filing FAFSA
• No tuition provided

Merit Fellowship

• New and continuing graduate students
• Award $5,000 per year for two semesters ($2,500 each semester) from Graduate Studies
• No tuition provided

Assistantship Enhancement

• New or continuing graduate students who have an assistantship
• Award $4000 or $2000, depending on department or college nomination, from Graduate Studies
• Awards are added to the normal assistantship amount and the PAF (appointment paperwork) is prepared for the total. Graduate Studies transfers the award funds to the college/department account on the student’s PAF.
• Tuition waiver can be given by department
• The award is included in the student’s paychecks and does not defer tuition and fees.

Graduate Travel Fellowship

• Full-time (see Graduate Studies website for current definition or call 407-823-6497), degree-seeking graduate students in good academic standing. Only one application per person may be funded for a 12-month period.
• Award $100 for local or regional travel; $250 for national or international travel from Graduate Studies
• Travel must be for the documented purpose of delivering a research paper or comparable creative activity at a professional meeting (does not include displays or exhibits), with preference being given to those presenting at national and international meetings. Students must be the primary author and presenter.
• Application due dates:
  Period I—June 15 (For travel completed July-October)
  Period II—October 15 (For travel completed November-February)
  Period III—February 15 (For travel completed March-June)
• The fellowship is paid by check, which is mailed to the student.
• Application available at http://www.graduate.ucf.edu

UCF also participates in these programs:

Florida A&M University Feeder Program

• Graduate of FAMU
• Master’s award $10,000 per year ($5,000 fellowship each semester) from Graduate Studies
• Doctoral award $15,000 per year ($7,500 fellowship each semester) from Graduate Studies
• Two-year award
• Tuition waiver (in-state tuition only) for up to 9 graduate hours of course work per semester provided by Graduate Studies
• Nomination form from FAMU
• E-mail notification of intent to attend UCF (send e-mail to gradfaid@mail.ucf.edu)

Delores A. Auzenne Fellowship

• Award $5,000 per year for two semesters ($2,500 each semester)
• New and continuing graduate minority students
• Resident of the State of Florida for minimum of two years
• U.S. citizens or permanent resident aliens
• Must reapply each year
• No tuition provided
• Application available at http://www.graduate.ucf.edu

McKnight Doctoral Fellowship

• Award $11,000 per year for two semesters ($5,500 each semester)
• Five-year award; three years from Florida Education Fund and remaining two years from UCF
• Tuition waiver (in-state tuition only) for up to 9 graduate hours of course work per semester provided by Graduate Studies
• New and continuing African American doctoral students
• U.S. citizens or permanent resident aliens
• McKnight application available online (http://www.fl-educ-fd.org/) or from the Graduate Studies Fellowships Office

FGAMP Graduate Fellowship

• Minority students in engineering, computer science, physics, and math
• Award $4,000 per year for two semesters ($2,000 each semester)
• Tuition waiver for up to 9 graduate hours of course work per semester provided by department
• 20-hour-per-week assistantship (mentoring activities) provided by department
• U.S. citizen or permanent resident who is an ethnic minority
• Application available at http://www.graduate.ucf.edu

Siemens-Westinghouse Graduate Fellowship

• New master’s or doctoral students interested in the areas of heat transfer, thermodynamics, combustion, and turbomachinery
• For more information, contact the Graduate Studies Fellowships Office or Dr. Alain Kassab, Graduate Program Coordinator, Department of Mechanical, Materials, and Aerospace Engineering: kassab@mail.ucf.edu or 407-823-5778. Website: http://www.mmae.engr.ucf.edu.

GEM Fellowship

• Under-represented minority graduate students selected by GEM as a GEM scholar
• GEM provides support in engineering and natural science disciplines (see the GEM website for details)
• Admitted to a degree program as a regular graduate student and enrolled for at least 9 graduate hours of course work each term
• The GEM website includes an on-line application and detailed information about eligibility and awards.

Schwartz Electro-Optics Graduate Fellowship in Industrial Mathematics

• New or continuing graduate student interested in research of mutual interest to Schwartz Electro-Optics
• Minimum of 3.25 GPA (last 60 attempted semester hours of baccalaureate degree) on a 4.0 scale and at least 1000 on the combined verbal-quantitative portions of the GRE
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and strong leadership ability
• For more information, contact Dr. Ahmed Zayed, Graduate Program Coordinator, Department of Mathematics: zayed@pegasus.cc.ucf.edu or 407-823-5989. Department website: http://www.cas.ucf.edu/mathematics/.

Lucent Florida Universities Fellowship Program (LFFP)

• New master’s or doctoral students in chemistry, computer science/engineering, electrical engineering, industrial engineering, materials science, mechanical engineering, operations research, optics, physics, or statistics
• U.S. citizens or permanent resident aliens
• Details and application forms are on the LFFP website.
• Completed application forms should be turned in to the Graduate Studies Fellowships Office.

Graduate Student Assistantships

Eligibility and application guidelines for graduate assistants are established by the colleges and departments, as are pay scales. To apply for an assistantship, contact the program coordinator for your individual program of study. It is important to complete the Request for Assistantship Information form in the Graduate Application for Admission packet if desiring an assistantship and include on the form any special abilities, particularly computing or teaching experiences. All graduate assistants must be employed at more than minimum wage ($10.00 per hour), for a minimum of 10 hours per week and a maximum of 20 hours per week.

Part-time students (those registered for less than nine hours in the fall and spring terms, less than six hours in the summer term, or less than one hour of thesis or three hours of dissertation during any term) and non-degree students are not eligible to receive assistantships.

Graduate students who want to work more than twenty hours per week must complete a Multiple Employment/Excess Hours form with the University. Students should consult their program coordinators for more information.

Each college has guidelines for determining pay rates for graduate students. Factors included are the stage of the student’s graduate studies, discipline, and prior educational or research experience. Graduate assistantships funded using state monies are limited to 9 terms for master’s students, 12 terms for doctoral students beyond the master’s degree, or 21 terms for doctoral students without a master’s degree.

Graduate Research Assistants (GRAs) and Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) must be registered as full-time degree-seeking students, and may work between 10 and 20 hours per week regardless of the number of departments in which they have assistantship support. They may be assigned to professors to assist with research activity, or they may be assigned as graders, lab assistants, or classroom teachers. Only those graduate students who have satisfactorily completed and passed more than 18 credit hours of graduate course work in the major may be classroom teachers of record. All graduate teaching and research assistants must sign a contract with the University for employment. Graduate Assistants (GAs) will complete a time card to record their hourly work for payment.

The appropriate title to be used for students, i.e., Graduate Teaching Assistant, Graduate Research Assistant, or Graduate Assistant, will be determined by the employer hiring the student (Vice President, Dean, Director, etc.) on the basis of the duties to be performed.

To be employed, students must be classified as graduate students by the end of the add/drop period for that term. Nondegree students may be employed but must be classified as Student Assistants (not Graduate Assistants). Students receiving graduate assistantships may not be simultaneously employed as a student assistant or adjunct faculty. Graduate Assistants are not faculty and are not able to receive faculty parking privileges or faculty ID cards.

Employment of International Students

On-campus employment is limited to no more than 20 hours per week while school is in session. Such employment may be full-time during vacation periods for students who are eligible and intend to register for the subsequent academic term.

International students on an F-1 visa are eligible to apply for one year of optional practical training after completion of their program.

For additional information, students should contact the International Student Services at (407) 823-2526.

Requirements for Graduate Teaching Assistants

Graduate Teaching Assistants and Graduate Assistants with access to student records must maintain the confidentiality of all student records and information. Any violation of this confidentiality results in immediate dismissal.

English Competency for Graduate Teaching Assistants
All graduate students involved in classroom instruction who received their undergraduate degrees from foreign institutions must take the Test of Spoken English (TSE) or the Foreign Service Institute Language Proficiency Interview (LPI). Spoken English language competence of graduate students involved in classroom instruction is covered in Board of Regents rule 6C-6.0091, as follows.

A. Presently Involved in Classroom Instruction:
The spoken English language competence of all graduate students involved in classroom instruction, other than in courses conducted primarily in a foreign language, shall be ascertained by the respective department or college during the annual evaluation. Graduate students found to be potentially deficient in oral language skills shall be required to achieve a score of 220 on the TSE or a 3 on the LPI. If the score is within the range of 190-210 on the TSE or a 2+ on the LPI, the student may teach one semester while enrolled in appropriate English language instruction, beyond which time the score of 220 on the TSE or 3 on the LPI shall be required before the teaching assignment can be continued.

B. New Students:
The college or department will make an assessment during evaluation of an applicant’s credentials of graduate students seeking assignment as a classroom instructor. If found to be potentially deficient in oral language skills, the applicant shall be required to achieve a score of 220 on the TSE or 3 on the LPI either taken at the university upon arrival or in the country of origin in accordance with a special agreement between the university and the country of origin.

FICA and FUTA Exemption Guidelines

The University provides assistantships for graduate students to gain research and/or teaching experience as part of their education toward a graduate degree. Graduate students are defined as those with pay classifications of 9181-9185.

To be eligible for this IRS exemption, a graduate assistant must:

• Be enrolled at least half time at UCF
• Attend classes regularly

Criteria for FICA/FUTA Exemption Eligibility

• Graduate students are eligible for the FICA and FUTA exemptions only if they are enrolled at least half time. Graduate students are considered half-time when they are registered for at least five hours in fall or spring terms, at least three hours in summer terms, or enrolled in at least one hour of thesis or three hours of dissertation during any term.
• Generally, students who are on sole fellowship support are not subject to FICA and FUTA taxes, since they do not have to account for hours of employment per week.
• Graduate students will be exempt from FICA/Medicare taxes during pay periods that overlap with the academic term and during breaks of less than five weeks. Graduate students who are not enrolled for longer than five weeks and employed by the university are subject to FICA/FUTA.

Student Loans

In order to be eligible for a Federal Stafford Loan, graduate students must be degree-seeking, enrolled at least half-time at UCF, and maintain academic progress. The maximum subsidized loan amount for graduate students is $8,500. An Entrance Interview is required of first-time borrowers at UCF.

To obtain a loan, students must not be in default on any educational loan or owe repayment on a grant at this or any other institution. If you are a student transferring to UCF after the Fall term (Spring or Summer), you must provide the UCF Office of Student Financial Assistance with a financial aid transcript from the school attended during the previous term(s), either Fall and/or Spring. Only U.S. citizens or eligible noncitizens (e.g., resident aliens) are eligible for Stafford Loans. In order to be eligible for Perkins Loans, students must be enrolled at least half-time at UCF.

Short-term loans are available to cover books and supplies, or for unexpected emergencies. This loan is not for tuition and fees. These funds are normally available within 3-4 working days after application processing once classes have begun. Students may request up to $600; more may be obtained for graduate students only under special conditions that generally are recommended by Graduate Studies.

Non-degree-seeking students are not eligible for student loans. However, “5B” students are eligible. “5B” students are non-degree students who are seeking first-time teacher certification in the College of Education.

Federal Work Study Program

The Office of Student Financial Assistance is responsible for administering student employment under the Federal Work Study (FWS) program.

Federal Work Study is available to graduate students who demonstrate financial need. Graduate students must be enrolled at least half-time, be U.S. citizens, and maintain satisfactory academic progress to be eligible for the Federal Work Study Program.

Scholarships

Student Rights and Responsibilities Concerning Financial Aid

• Students have the right to full information about the financial aid programs available at UCF, application procedures and deadlines, and the criteria used to determine a financial package.
• Students have the right to appeal decisions made by the Office of Student Financial Assistance.
• Students have the right to equitable treatment of their financial assistance applications. Although each student’s case is analyzed individually, eligibility standards are applied uniformly without regard to race, gender, religion, creed, national origin, or physical handicap.
• All student records are confidential.
• It is the student’s responsibility to review and understand all information and instructions, meet all deadlines, and provide all information and documentation accurately. Errors and omissions can cause delays and prevent students from receiving assistance. Misrepresentation is a violation of the law.
• It is the student’s responsibility to periodically check their financial assistance progress on POLARIS (Personal On-Line Access to Restricted Information Systems) for application status, Short-Term Loan status, deferment status, and disbursement information. Disbursement information is also available on the student’s Z-TEL line (linked to the student’s UCF Smart Card).

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