The University of Maryland recognizes the high cost of education today and makes every
effort to offer financial assistance to qualified students through a variety of programs.
Approximately seventy percent of all full-time graduate students receive financial
support, which may include remission of tuition fees, teaching and research
assistantships, work-study support, and university and other fellowships. Referrals for
on-campus or area employment opportunities for students and students' spouses are also
available in various graduate programs and in specific student service centers on campus.
Admission to a graduate degree program is a prerequisite for the award of a teaching or
research assistantship, a fellowship, a traineeship, a loan, or a work-study award. Please
be sure that all required documents for your application for admission, as well as the
application for financial support from your specific graduate program, have been submitted
to the appropriate offices. Some awards are made on the basis of the applicant's academic
merit, others on the basis of need.
There are three campus units that administer the primary forms of financial support:
the Graduate School, the individual programs, and the Office of Student Financial Aid. The
Graduate School Fellowship Office maintains information concerning fellowship
opportunities from government agencies, private foundations, and industry.
The individual graduate programs and departments award graduate teaching and research
assistantships (the priority application deadline is the preferred deadline stated in
the application) and nominate students for tuition scholarships and Graduate School
Fellowships To be considered for nomination, applicants for admission should submit their
admission applications before the "preferred" deadline specified in the graduate
application.
The Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA) exists to assist students in financing their
college or graduate education. To determine eligibility for financial aid, a student must
first apply for financial aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid
(FAFSA). These forms are available at any college or university, or by request from the
University of Maryland Office of Student Financial Aid in early December. Maryland
students need to complete only the FAFSA to be considered for federal, state (if Maryland
resident), and institutional aid programs. February 15th is Maryland's priority
application deadline each year. Completed FAFSA received at the processor by this date
will be considered for the widest array of aid options. Applications received after
February 15th will be considered for aid on a funds available basis. To ensure that
processed application materials are forwarded to the University, The University of
Maryland, College Park (#002103) must be included in the College Release section of the
FAFSA. These forms take approximately four week to process and need to be completed every
year, even if a student has applied for aid before. In addition, a financial transcript
(FAT) will be needed from each and every post-secondary institution the student has
attended, even if no aid was received. (Students may also apply for aid for the summer
sessions if they will be taking at least 6 credits, 24 units. To apply for summer aid,
students should contact OSFA in mid-February prior to the start of the summer sessions.)
Students may visit OFSA at 0110 Lee Building or contact OFSA by phone at 301-314-9305.
A more detailed description of the various forms of financial assistance is given
below.
Fellowships
A fellowship is an award bestowed on a student who displays academic merit and promise.
Fellowships are awarded only to students who are admitted to a degree program at Maryland
who are willing to work full-time toward their degree. All fellowship applicants must be
admitted to a degree program in the Graduate School on a full- time basis to be eligible.
Graduate programs nominate students for the various fellowships; students should submit
all material for admission well before the stated preferred deadline date for the graduate
program(s) to which they are applying since the Fellowship competition for new students is
held in February and March.
Graduate School Fellowships and Grants. The Graduate School awards approximately
350 fellowships to students with outstanding academic records. These fellowships are
awarded annually on a competitive basis. Students cannot apply directly for the award;
rather, they must be nominated by the graduate program in which they intend to enroll. The
minimum stipend is $10,550 for the 1999-2000 academic year; fellows also receive remission
of tuition of up to 12 credits per semester in the academic year.
The standard application for departmental financial support from will serve as an
application for this fellowship program and should be submitted directly to the graduate
program to which admission is sought. Awards are based solely on academic merit.
Fellowships may be awarded to any qualified in-state, out-of- state, or international
student.
Minority Awards. Minority students compete favorably for fellowships and
awards based on academic merit. The University of Maryland continues to promote
diversity and encourages minority applicants to apply for fellowships.
Private and Other Fellowships. Maryland has several government and
privately funded and endowed fellowships which are handled independently through the
graduate programs and colleges. Our graduate students are supported on Department of Defense Rotorcraft Fellowships, Ford
Foundation Fellowships, GEM Fellowships, National Needs Fellowships, National Science Foundation Fellowships, IBM Fellowships,
Martin Marietta Fellowships, and Woodrow Wilson Minority
Access Fellowships, to name just a few. In addition, there are joint fellowship
programs between several graduate programs and some of the federal agencies, such as the
National Institutes of Health, NASA, and the National Institute of Science and Technology.
Some of these fellowships are won independently by students in national competitions;
others are awarded directly to the colleges or graduate programs, which then select
student recipients. Students submitting applications for admission to graduate programs
will be considered for such awards as appropriate; no additional application forms are
required. Some special campus-wide awards are made by the Graduate Council Committee on
Fellowships.
Graduate School Tuition Scholarships
First-time graduate students who are admitted to degree programs, are residents of the
state of Maryland, and have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.75 or better from
accredited American colleges or universities may ask their graduate programs to nominate
them for a Graduate Tuition Scholarship. Students who believe they qualify for the
scholarship should mark the appropriate space on the graduate program financial aid form.
Graduate programs may have additional criteria, e.g., full-time status, for nomination of
students in their program. Tuition scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served
basis for as long as funds are available.
Assistantships
Offers of assistantships, which are made by the individual graduate programs, are
contingent upon the applicant's admission into a graduate degree program by the Graduate
School. Graduate programs may set additional criteria. In addition to remission of tuition
of ten credits per semester, assistantships carry 9.5 or 12-month stipends ranging from
$10,475 to $20,211 during the 1999-2000 academic year. For more information on finding
graduate assistantships, visit the Fellowship Office.
Graduate assistants pay tuition at the in-state rate only for those semesters when they
hold a graduate assistant position on campus. Once the assistantship ends, the student
will be charged tuition at the out-of-state rate unless the students original admission
status was in-state or a petition is filed for in- status. Students with 9.5 month
assistantships do not receive summer tuition and will be billed out-of-state rates for
summer classes even during years they hold assistantships. See Residency
Classification Office in the Services
section of this catalog.
Graduate Teaching Assistantships are available to qualified graduate students in many
graduate programs. Applications for assistantships should be made directly to the graduate
program in which the applicant will study.
Graduate Research Assistantships, with comparable stipends, are available in some
graduate programs on a 9.5 or 12-month basis. For information, contact the individual graduate program.
Resident Graduate Assistantships are also available in limited numbers. These
assistantships include a 12 month stipend and tuition remission in exchange for part-time
work in undergraduate residence halls as Residence Hall staff members. Applications for a
Resident Graduate Assistantship should be made to the Office of Human Resources, Graduate
Program of Resident Life, Cumberland Hall, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742.
Administrative Assistantships. Many offices on campus currently offer graduate
assistant positions. For further information, contact the Fellowship Office, the
individual offices, the graduate program, or check employment announcements in the
Stamp Student Union. These employment announcements can also be found posted on the
second floor of the Lee Building and on inforM
(the Maryland web site).
All Graduate Assistants should have a copy of The Handbook for
Graduate Assistants and Graduate Fellows. This handbook contains most important
information relating to assistants.
Loans and Part-Time Employment
Federal Perkins Loan: This is a low interest rate (5 percent) loan for
undergraduate and graduate students with exceptional financial need who attend at least
three-quarter time. This is a loan borrowed from the school, and it must be paid back. To
be eligible, you must meet OSFA's priority application deadline of February 15. The amount
of the award will depend upon the student's need, and may range from $200 to $1,200,
depending on the amount of Federal Perkins funds Maryland receives from the government to
divide among deserving students. New borrowers (those who first receive a Federal Perkins
Loan after July 1, 1988) have a grace period of 9 months after graduating or leaving
school before they must begin repaying their Federal Perkins Loans. Interest will begin
accruing at the time of repayment. You are not responsible for paying the interest on the
loan while you are attending school.
Federal Stafford Loan: This is a low interest rate loan for undergraduate
students who attend at least half-time. Application is made first through the school
financial aid office via the FAFSA, then through the lending institution of your choice
(bank or credit union). Eligibility for this loan is based on need, not credit history.
This loan is borrowed by you and must be paid back by you. There are two types of Federal
Stafford Loans, subsidized and unsubsidized. You must demonstrate financial need to
receive a subsidized loan and you do not have to pay the interest on it while you are in
school. Students who do not demonstrate financial need, or who do not demonstrate
sufficient need to borrow a subsidized loan, may borrow an unsubsidized Stafford Loan. If
you borrow with an unsubsidized loan you will be responsible for paying the interest which
accrues during school attendance. You may elect to pay the interest as you go through
school or you may have it capitalized, which means it will be added to the original amount
of the loan. Be aware, however, that capitalized interest adds up fast; four years of
capitalized interest can increase your loan amount by 50%.
For loans made on or after July 1, 1994, the rate will be the T- bill plus 3.10% with a
cap of 8.25%. Repayment will begin at the end of the 6 month grace period granted to you
after graduation, or from the date you first drop below half-time credit status. The
maximum loan amount for graduate students is $8,500 with an aggregate limit of $65,500
that includes any Stafford Loans received at the undergraduate level. The aggregate limit
for the additional unsubsidized eligibility is $73,000. If you do not demonstrate need to
borrow the maximum through the subsidized Federal Stafford Loan, you may borrow the
difference in a Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Loan.
In addition, the Senate has passed the Student Loan Reform Act of 1993 that will
abolish the Federal Supplemental Loan for Students (SLS) program. As a result, the annual
limits for the unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loan will be increased to $10,000 for
graduate students.
The proceeds of these loans must be disbursed in two or more disbursements regardless
of the dollar amount or length of the period of enrollment or which the loan is made. None
of these installments may exceed more than one-half of the loan amount. The second
installment may not be disbursed until at least one- half the loan period has elapsed.
Lenders will send the loan checks to the Office of the Bursar for release to students. If
you are borrowing your first Federal Stafford Loan at University of Maryland you will not
be permitted to receive your first check until you have attended an "Entrance
Interview" in which you will learn about your rights and responsibilities as a
borrower. Origination and guarantee fees, now totaling no more than 3 percent as a result
of the 1993 Loan Reform Act, will automatically be deducted by the lender and guarantee
agency from each semester's disbursement amount. Students may, however, experience charges
up to 1 percent for insurance premiums on their loans. By signing the loan check, the
borrower agrees to pay these fees.
The Free Applications for Federal Student Aid and the Stafford Loan application can be
obtained at the Public Inquiry counter of the Office of Student Financial Aid, Room 0110
Lee Building. For more detailed information, please contact OSFA at (301)
314-8313.
Federal Work-Study (FWS) Student Employment Program
The Office of Student Financial Aid offers unique opportunities for employment through
the Federal Work-Study (FWS) student employment program. Through this program, any degree
seeking graduate student eligible for financial aid may work in a specialized student
employment position in exchange for a FWS award. Students may use a FWS award to assist
them in defraying educational and living expenses while attending an institution of higher
education.
As a FWS participant, the student will be given a unique opportunity to finance his or
her education while gaining valuable employment experience necessary for todays workforce.
Through FWS, students benefit from a competitive hourly wage, flexible work schedule, and
rewarding work experience complimentary to their academic and career goals. Employment
opportunities include a wide variety of positions in on-campus departments, and in
off-campus community service and federal government agencies.
To apply for participation in the FWS program, students must complete the FAFSA and
file this application with the federal processor for each academic year. Once received, a
students eligibility for financial aid will be determined and the student will be notified
accordingly. All students eligible for financial aid may then contact OFSA to request a
FWS award and discuss placement in the program.
For more information on the FWS program, please contact the Office of Student Financial
Aid by phone or in person.
In addition to the FWS program, the University of Maryland offers many opportunities
for part-time, internship, cooperative, and full-time student employment. To view listings
on available positions of for more information on career development services, please
contact the Career Center at 301-314-7225 (see also the Career Center entry in this
catalog).
Veterans Benefits
Students who attend the University of Maryland under the Veteran's Education Assistance
Act may receive assistance and enrollment certification at the Office of Registration,
Special Programs Office in Room 1118 Mitchell Building. The staff is available to help
with monthly educational assistance checks as well as other benefits such as tutoring
assistance. Telephone (301) 314-8237.
