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Financial Aid and Related Information

There are no additional financial aid application forms necessary.

 

A Brief Outline of Assistantships

  • Awards are highly competitive.
  • Awards may carry an assignment (typically a grading duty) up to 20 hours per week.
  • Awards are for one-year.
  • A recommendation from the student’s advisor is needed to maintain the award after one year.

 

A Description of Assistantships and Scholarships

Research Assistantships

Research Assistantships are awarded directly to students by the department faculty. The sources for RA funding are derived from research grants and contracts awarded to the faculty. Typically, the faculty sponsor arranges to do research with a student who is pursuing a PhD or MS degree. It is the responsibility of all applicants to find a faculty member with whom he/she can conduct research projects. Research assistantships are usually given to students that the faculty member has had in class and with whom the faculty member or research group intends to do research.

Teaching Assistantships

Teaching Assistantships are awarded to applicants by the chair of the Department and are usually given to new graduate students for one year only.  The awards are based on the potential of the candidate to make an outstanding contribution to the ECE graduate program. Usually, students who have been given a TA for one year are expected to transition into being supported as an RA after their first year. 

Important note: Not all students recommended for a TA will receive one due to the limited available positions.

Presidential, Cullen Endowed, and Stella L. Ehrhardt Memorial Fellowships

In addition to the TA/RA financial support, exceptionally well qualified students will be eligible for the Presidential, Cullen Endowed, Houston Endowment, and Stella L. Ehrhardt Memorial Fellowships. These candidates must exhibit qualities listed below.

  • Desire to pursue a doctoral degree
  • Potential for academic excellence
  • Potential to make an outstanding contribution to the ECE research
  • Exceptional credentials as demonstrated by application materials including GPA, GRE, TOEFL, and reference letters
  • Recommendation and support from the potential advisor

For further information, please review this page, and University’s Graduate and Professional Studies website.

Scholarships

Scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis to students who do not have TA or RA support, but who are academically qualified. The recipients usually receive a $1000 scholarship. Students in thesis and non-thesis programs are eligible. Once again, it is desirable to have a positive recommendation from a faculty member.

Scholarships are not awarded simply on the basis that the student requires financial assistance.

Note: Non-thesis Master's candidates (MSCSE non-thesis option) are not eligible for RA or TA support, but may receive scholarships. Students with RA, TA, or scholarship support are eligible to pay in-state tuition, which is less costly than out-of-state tuition.

Most supported students typically have GRE scores that are considerably higher than the average. A typical profile of a supported student’s GRE scores is as follows: Verbal — 153(500); Quantitative — 161(770); Writing Assessment — 4.0. (Scores in parenthesis refer to the paper-based scores.)

Students who are not supported by the Department may be able to find various types of employment on campus, but such arrangements are up to the students to investigate if they so choose.

Scholarships awarded to students are depending on availability of funds received by the Department.

List of Scholarships
  • Dashiell Endowed Scholarship — This scholarship is used as a gift for graduate students; specifically for those involved in the electric power system research area.  It was created to develop a relationship between the Cullen College of Engineering and Dashiell, considering the industry need for engineers specializing in electric power.
  • Urvish Medh Memorial Endowment Scholarship