Academic Policy  1500.30 

Tuition Adjustments for Eligible Graduate Students

I.  Tuition Adjustments – Graduate Assistants.

A.  Per Board of Trustees Policy 520.5, any graduate student appointed to a Graduate Assistantship whose appointment is equal to or greater than fifty percent will be classified as an in-state resident for tuition purposes and have their in-state resident tuition paid according to guidelines set by the Graduate School.

B. Any graduate student appointed to a Graduate Assistantship whose percent appointment is equal to or greater than twenty-five percent shall be classified as an in-state resident for tuition purposes.

II. Tuition Adjustments – Full Graduate Fellowships.

Any graduate student receiving a full graduate fellowship shall be classified as an in-state resident for tuition purposes after review and approval by the Graduate School.  The University of Arkansas defines “full graduate fellowship” as a fellowship that meets all of the following requirements:

A.  The fellowship is for the benefit of a graduate student and aids them in their pursuit of academic study or research and is not related to the performance of services for the University or another employer.

B.  The fellowship funding may be from either the University or an external competitive source (governmental/non-profit/private organization); and

C.  The fellowship funding, at a minimum, must be equivalent to the base pay rate for a twenty-five percent graduate assistantship on a nine-month appointment and also support a minimum of nine hours of resident graduate tuition per semester.

III.  Deadlines for Submission.

A.  For graduate students continuing on a Graduate Assistantship from a prior semester, Department/program/unit online submission of paperwork to the Graduate School to initiate the payment of tuition or waiver of out-of-state tuition must be completed no later than the first day of the intersession in any semester, including summer.

B.  For graduate students newly beginning a Graduate Assistantship, online submission of paperwork to the Graduate School must be completed no later than the first day of the full spring or fall term or, for summer waivers, the first day of the summer first five-week term.   

C.  For graduate students receiving a full graduate fellowship, online submission of paperwork to the Graduate School must be completed no later than six weeks prior to the beginning of the first day of the full spring or fall term. For summer, online submission must be completed no later than three weeks prior to the first day of the summer first five-week term.

D.  Failure to meet these deadlines may result in penalties (such as late fees, forfeiture of future graduate assistantships, etc.) to the department/program.