Graduate Program Handbook :: Financial Support
Assistantships
Teaching and research assistantships may be available to qualified graduate students. Assistantships are renewable if
the student shows satisfactory performance, as determined by the Graduate Council, in coursework, research, and previous
instruction (for teaching assistants). Application forms for the assistantships are available in the Chemistry Graduate
Office and are for nine-month appointments, with the possibility of summer assistantships. Applicants applying for a
teaching assistantship, whose native language is not English, must submit a TSE score of 50 or better.
Students must be enrolled for a minimum of 9 hours each academic semester (6 hours in the summer) in which an
assistantship is granted. During a student’s last anticipated semester at USF, an exception to this requirement can be
made. For one semester only, a student who holds an assistantship and is engaged in writing and/or defending their
thesis or dissertation may enroll for a minimum of two (2) hours. If the student does not graduate and requires an
assistantship in a subsequent semester, the minimum enrollment requirement will revert to 9 hours.
Fellowships, Grants, and Awards
There are numerous funding sources available for pursuing
graduate studies. Links to current funding opportunities are
available through the USF Graduate Studies web site. Several fellowships and awards are described below. To receive
full consideration for a fellowship, grant or award, it is recommended that all application materials be received by the
Department of Chemistry before January 15.
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University Graduate Fellowships, Foundation
Graduate Fellowships, and Presidential
Doctoral Fellowships.
These fellowships provide generous stipends of up to $20,000 per
year along with a partial tuition waiver. Eligibility criteria include a GPA of 3.20 or better in courses for the last
two years of undergraduate study and a GRE score of at least 1200 (verbal plus quantitative). Students are nominated by
the Department of Chemistry based upon their application materials.
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Patricia Roberts Harris Graduate Fellowship
These fellowships are federally funded and provide opportunities for qualified students, particularly minorities and
women, who wish to enroll in areas of graduate study in which minorities and women are underrepresented.
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Graduate Educational Opportunity Grants (GEOG)
These are limited to Black graduate students and provide stipends of $6000 for the academic year (Fall and Spring
Semesters). The student must be admitted to a graduate program and be nominated by the Chair of that program, and the
Dean of the college in which the program is administered, to the Dean of the Graduate School. Nominees must be new
students, have a GPA of 3.0 or better in the last two years of undergraduate work, and a general test GRE score of at
least 900 (verbal plus quantitative). The annual nomination deadline is June 30. Nomination forms are available in the
Chemistry Graduate Office.
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McKnight Foundation Black Doctoral Fellowship Program
This fellowship program provides full tuition plus a stipend of at least $10,000 for Black Americans pursuing Ph.D.
degrees at the University of South Florida and nine other universities in the State of Florida. Applicants must be U.S.
citizens who hold or will receive a bachelor's or a master's degree. The application process usually begins in the fall
with a deadline of January 15. Contact the Graduate School for application procedures and forms. Eligible fields of
study include, but are not limited to the following academic areas: Basic Medical Sciences, Biology, Chemistry, Computer
Science, Engineering, Marine Science, Mathematics, Physics, and Psychology. Professional degree programs and graduate
programs in education are not covered by the program.
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Alumni Graduate Award
This award is given to an academically talented student and is awarded by the University Alumni Club of the University
of South Florida Alumni Association. The award provides $1500 for an academic year (2 semesters). The purpose of the
award is to help provide support for those graduate students who, though deserving, may not meet the criteria for other
awards. The selection criteria include a minimum GRE score of 1000 (verbal and quantitative) and a 3.0 GPA for the last
two years of undergraduate work. Candidates must have completed at least 8 hours of graduate course work prior to the
fall of the year in which application is made. No student may receive this award for more than 1 year.
In addition, the Department of Chemistry offers several internal fellowships and awards:
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Ashford Fellowship
The Theodore and Venette Askones-Ashford Fellowship ($1000) is given in memory of the first Professor of Chemistry at
USF. It is awarded annually to a graduate student in Chemistry who has shown exemplary performance in research and who
will be at USF for more than one year.
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Alexiou Award in Environmental Chemistry
This award (currently $500) comes from the interest on an endowment created by Nicholas G. Alexiou, M.D., M.P.H., and
will be awarded annually starting in 2002 to a deserving student doing research in Environmental Chemistry.
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Bursa Award
The George Bursa Award ($500), supported by an endowment as a memorial ro Mrs. Barbara B. Martin’s father, is given
annually to a deserving graduate student in Chemistry, who has demonstrated notable professional dedication and
consideration of others.
Loans
Information about Federal and State sponsored student loans can be obtained from the Office of Financial Aid located in the Student Services Building
(813-974-4700). Available programs include:
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The Guaranteed Student Loan and National Direct Student Loan
You should read all regulations and conditions regarding these loans as your eligibility can be affected by the amount
of a teaching or research assistantship.
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Holloway Loan Fund
Short term, interest-free loans for chemistry graduate students can be arranged through the Chemistry Graduate Office
with approval of the Department Chair.
Tuition Waivers
Graduate students with assistantships are typically awarded tuition waivers. Check the
USF Graduate Studies web site or contact the Chemistry Graduate Coordinator for
details.
Fees
Tuition and other required fees must be paid at the time of registration or up to the fifth day of class at the
cashier's office (Administration Building, ADM 131).
If you are the recipient of a tuition waiver, you must first register and bring a copy of your registration form to the
Chemistry Graduate Office. Your tuition waiver will be processed and a copy will be provided for your use in
paying your fees.
The Office of Financial Aid has information on the cost of
attendance. The current graduate student tuition fees can be found on the
USF website. In Fall 2002, the fees were $166.25 per credit hour
for Florida residents and $573.41 for non-residents. A student is classified as a Florida resident if they are a
permanent resident of the United States and has resided and been domiciled in the state for at least 12 months
immediately preceding the first day of registration for a particular term. Teaching assistants in the Department of
Chemistry who do not immediately qualify as Florida residents are usually granted both in-state and out-of-state tuition
waivers so they pay only the remaining, modest activity and service fees.
Time Limit on Support
Candidates may be offered a departmental TA position in year five given satisfactory progress in research as judged by
the supervisory committee and approval of the Department Chair, TA's are not normally awarded beyond the fifth
year. RA's are only permitted beyond year six in exceptional cases with the written approval of the Department Chair.
There are currently limits on the maximum number of hours for graduate assistant tuition waivers, determined as follows:
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Master’s students - the minimum hours required for the degree.
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Doctoral students entering at the bachelor’s level or with an advanced degree not relevant to the discipline - a maximum
of 120 waiver hours.
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Doctoral students entering at the Master’s level in the discipline - a maximum of 90 waiver hours.
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No more than 120 waiver hours in any combination of graduate degree programs.
Students completing their Master’s program with less than the maximum hours of waiver eligibility, may carry over their
unused waiver eligibility into a Ph.D. program. Exceptions to this policy must be approved by the Dean of the student’s
college and the Dean of Graduate Studies.
Outside Employment
Graduate Assistantships are offered as a means of assisting students in the completion of their graduate programs. The
teaching or research assistantship is a half-time appointment, and it is provided with the clear expectation that the
remainder of the student's time will be devoted to research or course work related to the degree program in chemistry.
Because outside employment may impede the academic progress of the student, a graduate student who accepts substantial
outside employment will jeopardize his/her eligibility for a Graduate Assistantship.
