Below you will find several frequently asked questions regarding current graduate student funding:
What are the types of funding available to graduate students at UNC Charlotte?
- Tuition and Health Insurance Support - Funding administered by the Graduate School that covers the cost of tuition and the student health insurance plan (doctoral students only).
- Assistantships and Employment - Graduate assistantships provide a stipend salary for teaching (teaching assistantship) or research (research assistantship).
- Philanthropic Awards - Admitted and continuing UNC Charlotte graduate students may apply for awards through the University Scholarship Office.
- External Funding - Sources of funding that are not affiliated with UNC Charlotte, such as local, state, federal, private, and institutional sources.
- Financial Aid - Federal student loans, based on financial need and the estimated cost of attendance, are available from the Federal government.
- Research Funding - The Office of Research and Economic Development provides a list of funding resources for graduate students broken down by field.
- Graduate School Fellowships, Awards and Competitions - Fellowships are service-free awards that may include a stipend for living expenses and tuition and fees.
What types of tuition and fee funding are available to graduate students at UNC Charlotte?
- For research doctoral students:
- Students holding an eligible teaching assistantship (TA) or research assistantship (RA) are eligible for the Graduate Assistant Support Plan (GASP), a program that provides full resident and nonresident tuition and a small scholarship to help offset increased costs for up to 10 consecutive semesters. Students are nominated for GASP by their program director, and requirements and policies are on the Graduate School website.
- For master’s degree students:
- Your Graduate Program Director (GPD) can nominate you for a Graduate School Grant, which is $3,000 for one academic year and is applied directly to the student account.
- Some students hired on eligible assistantships, regardless of residency classification, may be provided in-state tuition, up to the North Carolina resident rate for 9 hours (non-resident students will be billed for the remainder of the nonresident tuition cost).
How do I obtain a graduate teaching or research assistantship?
Assistantships provide a salary for teaching or research (TA or RA). Your department and graduate program director can help you identify assistantship opportunities, and some assistantships are also posted on Hire-a-Niner.
Are all graduate students eligible for federal financial aid?
Domestic students may submit a FAFSA to be considered for unsubsidized loans from the Federal Direct Loan Program. Graduate students may borrow up to $20,500 in Federal Direct Loans each academic year, depending on their cost of attendance.
Graduate students may also be eligible for a Graduate PLUS Loan after they have exhausted Federal Direct Loans.
International students can explore student loans from reputable providers.
Where can I find the funding and support that I have been awarded?
- eGPS is the system where you can accept your assistantship and view funding offers/awards.
- MyCharlotte is the platform where you can view and accept any financial aid.
With the recent policy changes around Uniform Guidance, what does this mean for my funding?
The total amount of funding, tuition, stipend, and allowable fees is called your “compensation package”. Compensation packages for each graduate program and academic year are determined annually by the academic colleges and graduate programs and are listed on the Graduate School website. If a doctoral student’s stipend (salary) is paid by a faculty member’s grant, the grant can pay tuition (up to $6,000 or $8,000, depending on the academic year, for 9 credit hours), health insurance and the E&T and health services fees. Doctoral students who are not North Carolina residents will also have the rest of the tuition bill paid by GASP. If a master’s student’s stipend (salary) is paid by a faculty member’s grant, the grant can pay tuition up to the cost of the North Carolina rate. Fees and the remainder of non-resident tuition are not provided.
Do I have to be enrolled full-time to receive benefits?
Am I eligible to receive health benefits?
Doctoral students on GASP are provided the health insurance premium to pay for Student Blue. Students enrolled in three hours (domestic) or one hour (international) are offered the Student Blue health insurance plan.