Graduate Handbook
2008 - 2009
III. Financial Aid
International students MUST take the TSE test BEFORE
applying for a teaching assistant position. It will probably be necessary
to take the TSE in the applicants home country in order to meet the February
1st deadline for the financial aid application.
An EAS Financial Aid Application Form MUST be completed and
submitted to the Administrative Office by February 1 each year for
consideration by the Financial Aid Committee for awards in the following year.
The form must be submitted regardless of the funding source or the student’s
home department. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain
the forms and submit them along with the necessary letters of recommendation
by the deadline.
Financial aid includes teaching assistant positions, Graduate Tuition Scholarships,
Graduate Registration Scholarships and Unrestricted Fellowships. Waivers and
fellowships are subject to Graduate College approval.
A. Types of Financial Aid Available
- Teaching Assistant Positions (GAT) A limited number of
teaching assistant positions are funded each year. Under ordinary circumstances
GATs in EAS will be funded at .25, .33 or .50 FTE. The GAT salary is determined
by the Dean’s Office. The GAT award includes a GTS. In order
to obtain a GAT position, international students must pass the TSE or SPEAK
test. The TSE should be taken in the country of origin as soon
as possible so that the score can be included on the Financial Aid Application
form.
- Graduate Tuition Scholarships (GTS) A specific number
of GTS waivers are provided to the department each year for awarding in
the next academic year (7 GTS waivers for the China program and 7 for the
Japan program were available in 1999/2000) The GTS waives non-resident tuition
only; students are still responsible for paying registration fees. Eligibility
requires the student to be admitted to regular graduate status in a graduate
degree program, have a minimum GPA of 3.2, be in good academic standing,
and be enrolled in 3 or more graduate units per semester.
- Graduate Registration Scholarships (GRS) A limited number
of GRS waivers are provided to the department each year for awarding in
the next academic year (1 GRS waiver for the China program and 1 for the
Japan program were available in 1999/2000) The GRS waives registration fees
only. Eligibility requires the student to be admitted to regular graduate
status in a graduate degree program, have a minimum GPA of 3.5, be in good
academic standing, and be enrolled in 3 or more graduate units per semester.
- Graduate Fellowships (Unrestricted Fellowships) One Graduate
Fellowship has generally been available to EAS in past years. A fellowship
carries a waiver of non-resident tuition (GTS). The award is normally divided
between the China and Japan program and the GTS is divided as well. Eligibility
?requires the student to be admitted to regular graduate status in a graduate
degree program, have a minimum GPA of 3.2, be in good academic standing,
and be enrolled in 9 or more graduate units each semester during the fellowship
period.
- The Graduate College Thesis/Dissertation Waiver provides
a waiver of up to 6 units of non-resident tuition for students who are in
good academic standing, are enrolled in a minimum of 3 and a maximum of
6 900-level units (thesis or dissertation), and will not be using university
resources such as libraries, computer laboratories, and faculty time to
any extent during the period covered by the waiver. The application form
is available from the EAS Graduate Coordinator.
- The Graduate and Professional Student Travel Fund provides
funds to graduate and professional students in academic programs under the
aegis of the Graduate College, to present invited papers, posters, or presentations
at professional meetings, conferences, and symposia directly related to
their educational development. Contact the Graduate College to obtain information
about this fund.
B. Financial Aid Policies
- Acceptance of Financial Aid: Students who have been offered
financial aid are expected to accept or decline as specified in the letter
of offer. If the offer is not accepted by the deadline stated in the offer
letter, the award will be withdrawn and awarded to another student on the
financial aid list.
- Length of Department Support: Ordinarily doctoral students
will not be supported for more than three years. Students who do receive
support in the doctoral program for four years are expected to have passed
the preliminary examinations by the end of the fourth year. Master’s
students ordinarily are not supported for more than two years.
- Teaching Assistant Awards: Under ordinary circumstances
GATs in EAS will be funded at .25, .33 or .50 FTE. The chart below indicates
the Graduate College regulations regarding the maximum and minimums for
these appointments:
| |
FTE |
Hrs/Week |
Max. Units |
Min. Units |
| |
.25 |
10 |
16 |
6 |
| |
.33 |
13.3 |
14 |
6 |
| |
.50 |
20 |
12 |
6 |
Generally, Chinese Humanities/Chinese Civilization GAT appointments at .33
teach 2 or 3 discussion sections and .50 appointments teach 3 or 4 discussion
sections. This may vary however depending upon the supervising instructor.
Language GAT appointments vary by program. For the Japan program the norm
is 3 hours for a .25 appointment, 4 hours for a .33 appointment and 5 hours
for a .50 appointment. EAS GATs funded at .5 are not permitted to have other
jobs in addition to their GAT responsibilities. All language GATs
are required to enroll in EAS 579, Issues/Methods in Post-Secondary Foreign
Language Teaching/Learning, no later than their first semester as a
GAT.
- Non-native speakers must demonstrate English
proficiency by taking and passing the TSE or SPEAK test. This regulation
is firm. A GAT position will not be awarded unless the TSE or SPEAK test
score has been submitted to EAS along with the financial aid application.
- Evaluations: GATs will be evaluated each semester by
the faculty supervisor as required by the Graduate College. GATs are rated
on their performance in teaching. Students may examine these evaluations.
Return to the Graduate Handbook Table of Contents
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The University
of Arizona, Department of East Asian Studies
