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Financial Aid Opportunities

Admissions Office
Phone: (931)393-7432
Toll Free: 1-888-822-UTSI ext. 432
FAX: (931)393-7346
e-mail: admit@utsi.edu

Students attending the University of Tennessee Space Institute (UTSI) have access to several types of financial aid. Awards are made primarily to full-time students and most are based on academic merit rather than demonstrated need. Although there are no deadlines for submitting assistantship/fellowship applications, awards will be made as opportunities become available. Therefore, early submission enhances a student's chance of receiving an offer. An application, which can be used for UTSI assistantships and/or fellowships will be mailed in response to clicking the information request form. Applications can be obtained from the Admissions office by calling one of the above numbers.

Graduate Research Assistantships

Research Assistantships (GRAs) are available to qualified students in engineering, aviation systems, applied math and applied physics to engage in challenging research and academic work leading to graduate degrees while earning compensation for performing research services which contribute to their thesis or dissertation. Because UTSI offers only graduate level programs, teaching assistantships are not available. Assistantships most often awarded to incoming full- time students, both US and international. Initial awards are made for a 12-month period, and may be renewed for 9-12 months based on satisfactory progress toward degree goals and research work, and the availability of funding. Students attending UTSI without an assistantship may be awarded one at any time during the academic year when a faculty member supports such action, and funds are available.

A 12-month initial research assistantship appointment provides tuition, maintenance fee and a stipend as follows (based on Fall 2007 rates):
 

 

*PhD stipend increases to $22,706 when student is admitted to candidacy.
**fee for non-residents

A limited number of these assistantships may be designated as Graduate Assistantships (GAs) if the work requirement is not primarily research oriented. Applicants must provide GRE scores (general test only) for research assistantships although no minimum scores are required. Normally, students will need a CUM GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale to be competitive for an award upon entry.

(Deadline: No deadline but students are strongly encouraged to apply as early as possible) (back to top)

Fellowships/Scholarships

Local Fellowships. Several endowments have been established in honor of individuals that have made a unique contribution to the Space Institute. These fellowships, ranging up to $3,000 per year are awarded to particularly outstanding U.S. students and are used to supplement assistantships or fellowship awards. Fellowships currently awarded include: Morris L. Simon Fellowship, Thomas Jefferson Fellowship, Jordan G. Ennis Fellowship, William R. Carter Fellowship, Lloyd W. Crawford Fellowship, Creation Per Sapientia Revelata Fellowship, and J. B. Dicks Scholarship. (Deadline: Applicants for an assistantship or fellowships received by February 15 for the next fall term, are automatically considered. Initial awards are made in early March.)

Minority Fellowships. To help promote diversity in the student body, the State of Tennessee provides funding to students from under represented minority lineage. To be eligible, an applicant must be a resident of Tennessee and a full-time student. The financial support provided to students is the same as that for a graduate research assistant at the same (MS or PhD) level. For the first year, the MS student has no work requirements but in the second year, he/she becomes a graduate research assistant and works on a research project for 20 hours per week. At the PhD level, the student has 2 years without a work requirement. (Deadline: No deadline but a limited number of fellowships are available).

GEM Fellowships. Applicants that have been awarded a GEM MS Fellowship by the National Consortium for Graduate Education for Minorities in Engineering will be considered for a UTSI Fellowship to supplement the GEM stipend, to make the total stipend equivalent to the GRA stipend at the MS level. GEM Fellows in the PhD program are normally supported according to funding levels for GRA students. These awards are available to U.S. students. (Deadline: GEM applications to headquarters at Notre Dame, by December 1; no deadline for UTSI Supplemental Fellowship).

If available, applications for various national fellowships, including the GEM Fellowship will be provided upon request by contacting the Admissions Office, UTSI (931) 393-7432 (admit@utsi.edu).

(Deadline: As determined for each fellowship/scholarship).

Student Loans

Student loans are administered by the Financial Aid Office at UT Knoxville. Free Application for Federal Student Aid Forms (FAFSA) are available in the UTSI Admissions and Student Affairs Office. The FAFSA can be filed electronically from the FAFSA website at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Students who file the FAFSA electronically and are awarded a loan should notify the Admissions and Student Affairs office. Submitting the FAFSA to the Federal Student Aid Programs starts the process of obtaining a Stafford, Supplemental, Perkins and/or Plus loan. A limited loan may also be available for emergencies. The Admissions and Student Affairs Office will assist students in applying for a loan and provide financial counseling. Students must be enrolled in a minimum of six semester hours to be eligible for a student loan. In general, international students do not qualify for student loans.

(Deadline: Applications should be submitted no later than June 30 for fall).

Federal Work Study Program

U.S. citizens and permanent residents may be eligible for a work study program which permits full-time students to work up to 20 hours per week. Applicants must have applied and be eligible for the federal student loan program. If interested, contact the Admissions and Student Affairs Office for further details.

(Deadline: No deadline but students should apply early or funding may not be available).