Financial Aid and Costs

Financial

Tuition and Fees

Tuition and fees for graduate students at the University of Arkansas may be broadly categorized into the following groups: registration fees, activity fees, non‑resident fees, special fees and engineering fees. Every student is responsible for ensuring that his or her tuition and fees are paid. Graduate assistants on 50% appointment have their tuition paid from one of the sponsored research projects of their faculty advisor. Fulltime employees may take graduate courses for a charge of 10% of the usual tuition. Special fees include charges for items such as late registration, transcripts and drop‑add procedures and are paid by the student. Many of the special fees are related to the processing of degree applications and are charged during the semester in which the student graduates.

A complete explanation of costs involved in attending the University of Arkansas is provided on the UA Office of the Treasurer web site.

Financial Assistance

Graduate Assistantships – In the department, available graduate assistantships that are funded by state appropriations are awarded by the department head to qualified applicants. Considerations include academic record, needs of the departmental faculty, interest of the student, and timeliness of the application. Applicants will be notified as soon as the selection process is complete.

For graduate students with a half-time graduate assistantships or greater, costs for tuition are waived and will be paid by the department. Current stipends quoted below for graduate assistantships are in addition to the tuition waiver and are as follows:

  • M.S. candidates - $15,450 per year.
  • Ph.D. Candidates - $20,000 per year.

For particularly outstanding candidates for the PhD, supplemental funding is available in the form of Walton Fellowships as described below. Depending upon funding available through the research project on which the student will be working, the Distinguished Doctoral Fellowship may range from $30,000/yr up to $38,000/yr, plus waiver of tuition, for up to 4 years. The Doctoral Academy Fellowship may range from $20,000/yr up to $28,000/yr, plus waiver of tuition, for up to 4 years. See further information on the Walton Fellowships.

If the Graduate Assistantship is funded through a grant, the faculty member serving as the grant’s principal investigator will make the decision as who will receive the assistantship in accordance with University of Arkansas policy.

Information on other financial aid (loans and jobs) can be obtained from the Student Financial Aid Office