The School of Art is able to offer a limited number of fee waivers, fellowships and graduate assistantships for graduate students in good standing. These awards, as described below, are usually assigned during the Spring semester. The staff posts announcements on departmental bulletin boards as they occur, so it is a good idea to read the information posted. Student employment is also available in some areas and described below. Staying in touch with the program director of your area is always recommended. Unfortunately, the School of Art has no funds available at this time for temporary loans.
A limited number of Graduate Tuition Scholarships (waiver of out-of-state tuition only) and Graduate Registration Scholarships (waiver of in-state registration fees) are allocated annually to departmental areas. Area program directors recommend a graduate student for each GTS and/or GRS available. This process usually occurs during the latter part of the Spring semester and frequently the GTS/GRS's are used as recruitment tools. A GPA of 3.5 is required for a GRS and 3.2 is required for a GTS.
In the past, the School of Art has received at least one graduate fellowship annually in the amount of $10,000. The School of Art also makes recommendations for minority fellowships to the Graduate College. Minority fellowships are awarded to deserving students who are U.S. Citizens or permanent residents and classified as minorities-Asian, Black, Hispanic, Native American or Pacific Islander-and show financial need as well as exceptional ability in their chosen field. These fellowship awards are determined by recommendations from Program Directors and the final decision is made by the department head. Fellowships are based on need and ability.
Graduate assistantships are available through the area program director. The responsibilities of a graduate assistant could include teaching, providing technical assistance or grading in an area. Graduate assistants must register for a minimum of 6 units per semester, with a maximum of 16 units. Graduate assistants must also maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA. Graduate teaching assistants must attend the Graduate College Orientation prior to teaching a class and the assigned class must meet minimum enrollment requirements.
Wages for student employment are allocated to most departmental areas during August. Existing positions include darkroom monitors, office assistants, gallery attendants, slide room attendants and studio technicians. Students who have received a College Work-Study Award through the Office of Student Financial aid are preferred because only 30% of the student's wage is paid by the department. (Apply for College Work-Study with an Application for Federal Student Aid, described below.) However, student who are not "work-study" are also hired as needed by Program Directors. Student positions may be applied for by directly contacting the area program director or by completing a Student Employment Interest Sheet available in Room 101.
Current Free Applications for Federal Student Aid are available in the main office of the School of Art - Room 101, (these applications are also available at any local university, college, community college and most high schools). The applications must be submitted in order to receive departmental scholarships. They should be submitted as early in the calendar year as possible to receive priority processing. These applications are used for the following federal student financial aid programs: Pell Grants, Stafford Loans, SEOG, Perkins Loans and College Work-Study. For more information on student financial aid, please call the Office of Student Financial Aid at (520) 621-1858.
Submission of a Free Application for Federal Student Aid is strongly encouraged for everyone. Submission of this form is required for all students who are recommended for scholarships. These forms are available through your local high school, community college or university.