Merit-Based
Financial Aid
Academic departments of Syracuse University and the Graduate
School grant merit-based graduate awards and appointments to their most outstanding
students. These awards, including fellowships, scholarships, and assistantships, are
highly competitive. They should not be confused with financial aid awards that are made in
cases of demonstrated financial need and not based solely on academic merit. (See the
Need-Based Financial Aid section.)
Prospective students may apply for merit-based University graduate fellowships, University
African American graduate fellowships, Graduate School scholarships, and graduate
assistantships and scholarships by checking the appropriate boxes on the admission
application form. A candidate’s complete application package of transcripts,
admission test scores, letters of recommendation, and application with statement of
purpose is carefully evaluated during the awards process. Applicants who believe they may
qualify for assistantships with academic units at the University other than the one to
which they are applying should contact those units directly.
Students are also encouraged to apply for the numerous scholarships and fellowships available from foundations and other privately endowed sources. State and federal awards are also available to students in various fields of graduate study. Sources frequently consulted can be found in most libraries and college placement offices and include the following:
• Annual Register of Grant Support;
• Peterson’s Grants for Graduate Study; and
• The Grants Register.
Deadlines
Students applying for graduate awards
are urged to submit complete admission applications as early as
possible. Applications received complete can be processed many times
faster than those received in separate mailings. Deadlines for various kinds
of awards vary by academic department, but the deadline for the Syracuse
University Graduate Fellowship competition and the University African
American Fellowship competition will be no later than January 10.
Applicants should consult the application instructions for further
information.
A limited number of awards are available and late applicants will be considered only if funds and appointments remain. All parts of the application package must be received by the University for a candidate to meet deadlines. Recipients of graduate awards will be notified as soon as possible by the Graduate School or the department to which they have applied.
Need-Based Financial Aid
Many graduate students who are U.S. citizens
rely on one or more forms of need-based financial aid from the U.S. government
to help meet the cost of their studies. Need-based aid at Syracuse consists of
loan programs and work-study assignments. Those students in professional
master’s degree programs, in particular, may find the investment made in their
education is returned in greater earning potential upon entering or returning to
the job market. Doctoral and other terminal-degree students may consider this
strategy as well.
Syracuse University encourages all graduate
students who are U.S. citizens to apply for any kind of aid for which they may
be eligible. Graduate students sometimes find they qualify for need-based aid
for which they had not previously been eligible.
Descriptions and guidelines for all need-based financial aid programs are
subject to change at any time as a result of new or amended federal or state
legislation or changes in University policies. To apply for need-based aid,
graduate applicants who are U.S. citizens must first file a Free Application for
Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). To obtain a FAFSA form directly from the U.S.
Department of Education contact them by phone: 800-433-3243 or through the
internet: www.fafsa.ed.gov. The FAFSA is
available from most college financial aid offices, as well as most high school
guidance offices. The FAFSA should be filed as soon as possible after
January 1 for summer or fall applicants. (The Syracuse University code
to enter on the FAFSA form is 002882.) Applicants should not wait for an
admission decision before filing. After financial information has been received
by the Office of Financial Aid,
further instructions will be sent to the applicant’s permanent address. Special
instructions for applying for summer aid will also be included. To access an
online scholarship search service, contact fastWEB at
www.studentservices.com/fastweb/.
Departmental
Graduate Assistantships
Graduate assistants help faculty members teach or
conduct research. They spend an average of 20 hours per week doing this and
devote the rest of their time to their courses of study. This combination of
service, study, and research is a full-time assignment.
Students holding a full graduate assistantship (20 hours of work per week) may not have another job and may have no award other than a scholarship. Graduate assistants are paid, but the amount varies according to the academic department and degree program. Students also receive a Graduate School tuition scholarship of up to 24 credits. The spouse of a graduate assistant may take up to six credits for free under the University’s remitted tuition program. Students must notify their own academic program if they seek a graduate assistantship in a different department.
Graduate assistants should register for no more than nine credits a semester during the academic year. The six remaining credits of the tuition scholarship may be used during the following summer semester. Assistants may also apply through their departments for a summer fellowship award to help support their summer study and research. The number of summer fellowship awards is very limited.
Students whose native language is not English and who wish to be considered for teaching assistantships must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
Teaching assistants (TAs) must participate in the Graduate School TA Program, a nationally recognized program that helps teaching assistants prepare for their teaching assignments. Universities throughout the United States have used Syracuse’s TA training program as a model. The program begins in the middle of August and consists of an intensive 10-day orientation for the 300 new TAs entering the University each year. The program continues to help all TAs throughout the year. (International students have a longer orientation of up to 15 days.)
Since 1992, the Graduate School has extended professional development opportunities for TAs through the Future Professoriate Project. Founded with nearly $1 million from the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Fund for Improvement of Postsecondary Education, this project offers training to faculty teaching mentors and special seminars and workshops for graduate students who plan careers in college teaching. Applicants may write to their academic department or program for information about graduate assistantships.
Maxwell Dean's Summer Assistantships
Each year the Maxwell School offers a small number of Dean’s
Summer Assistantships to outstanding new graduate students. These one-time
awards support students during their first summer in residence to assist Maxwell
faculty members who are engaged in research in areas of interest to these
students. The awards are made by the departments and programs.
Graduate
Traineeships
Some academic programs receive government grants
to train full-time matriculated graduate students. These traineeship positions
pay awards of various amounts and/or remitted tuition. The academic unit
associated with the grant chooses the recipients. Applicants interested in
traineeships should write to their academic department or program to inquire
about their availability.
Syracuse
University Graduate Fellowships
Graduate Fellowships support
graduate training for those with truly outstanding qualifications and the
potential to make significant contributions in their future professions. The
dean of the Graduate School selects
University Fellows based on the recommendation of a faculty advisory committee.
Very few awards are available each year. Graduate students in all academic
fields are eligible for Syracuse University Graduate Fellowships if they have
the necessary qualifications.
Fellowships consist of an academic year award of $18,000 for 2004-05, plus a full-tuition scholarship of up to 30 credits for the academic year. Fellowships are usually awarded for more than one year. A typical fellowship includes a year of study, followed by a year of teaching or a research appointment, followed by a third year of tuition support. University Fellows must pursue graduate study and research full time. They are not required to work or teach on campus and may not work for pay elsewhere while on fellowship.
Applicants should write to the graduate awards coordinator at the Graduate Enrollment Management Center for information about Graduate Fellowships.
Public
Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Fellowships
The Maxwell School is a member of the Public
Policy and International Affairs Fellowship Consortium. The PPIA program offers
graduate training and fellowships to encourage undergraduate students from
underrepresented groups to enter careers in public policy and international
service. Applicants who are PPIA fellows and are admitted to Syracuse University
receive a guaranteed minimum cash award of $5000 and special consideration for
full and partial tuition scholarships covering as many as 40 credits and
mandatory fees. Fellows are able to complete the M.P.A. or M.A. in international
relations in 16 or 12 months, respectively.
For further information, contact the
Public Administration Program, 215 Eggers Hall, Syracuse University,
Syracuse NY 13244–1090, USA.
Snow Fellowships in Nonprofit Management
Public Administration annually awards the John Ben
Snow and Vernon Snow Fellowships in Nonprofit Management to two qualified,
entering M.P.A. students seeking careers in nonprofit management. The stipend of
$12,000 is accompanied by a 40-credit tuition scholarship. Application deadline
is January 15.
Applications should be sent to the Department of Public Administration, 215
Eggers Hall, Syracuse University, Syracuse NY 13244–1090, USA
Tuition
Scholarships
Graduate scholarships support
graduate education for students with superior qualifications. Academic
departments recommend students to receive these scholarships. In most cases the
awards provide full tuition for the academic year. Scholarship recipients study
full time and may not hold another academic appointment except, in some
instances, an assistantship, associateship, or internship related to the program
of study. Awards are given for one academic year. Applicants should write to
their academic department or program for information about graduate
scholarships.
Other
Fellowship and Scholarship Programs
The University often gives tuition awards to
students who have won grants from programs such as Graduate Assistance in Areas
of National Need (GAANN), Jacob K. Javits Graduate Fellowships, National Science
Foundation Fellowships, and Harry S. Truman Scholarships.
Awards for
International Students
The following are some agencies to which
international students may apply to receive money for graduate study:
• Institute for International Education (Fulbright Fellowship recipients)
• Study Abroad Programs Division, Institute for International Education, 809 United Nations Plaza, New York NY 10017, USA; telephone 212–883–8200; cable INTERED; telex ITT–422207, RCA–223363
• Institute for International Education (Black South African students)
• South African Education Program, Institute for International Education, 809 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017, USA
• African American Institute (African students), 833 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017, USA; telephone 212–949–5666; cable AFRAM; telex 666–565
• Latin American Scholarship Program of American Universities (Latin American students), 25 Mount Auburn Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; telephone 617–495–5255
Employment
Some students find paid positions
on-campus to help cover the cost of their studies.
These positions usually offer a stipend or salary and may offer some form of
tuition benefit or tuition scholarship. The
Office of Residence Life, for
example, currently employs a number of graduate students in various
positions. Students interested in these opportunities may write to the Office of
Residence Life, 304 Steele Hall, Syracuse University, Syracuse NY 13244-1220,
USA.
A number of offices on campus hire administrative graduate assistants from a number of programs. Holding such a position, if related to the student’s area of academic interest, can enhance the graduate learning experience significantly. Applicants who wish to explore such options should contact their academic departments to determine whether there are particular offices offering these opportunities.
The Office of Human Resources publishes a weekly listing of positions available at all levels on campus. Spouses of prospective graduate students may wish to write to the office or consult its website, www.sujobopps.com, if they plan to seek employment in the area. The address is Office of Human Resources, Skytop Office Building, Syracuse University, Syracuse NY 13244–5300, USA.
Immigration regulations limit part-time employment opportunities for international students. Students with an F-1 visa may work on campus without permission from U.S. immigration. They must get a statement from the Office of International Services indicating they are able to work part time on campus during the academic year and full time during holidays and summers. This statement is used by the University’s payroll department.
Normally, international students with F-1 visas may not be employed off campus during the first calendar year in the United States. After the first 12 months, they may apply to U.S. immigration for permission to work off campus if they can prove an unexpected political or monetary crisis has caused changes in their financial circumstances. If approved, the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service issues an Employment Authorization Document as proof of employment eligibility.
Students on an exchange-visitor (J-1) visa may be given permission to work on or off campus by their sponsor. Such students must request a letter of permission from their sponsors to be used by employers to authorize employment. Summer job opportunities are very few, and it is unusual for U.S. immigration to give permission for summer employment. International students should make arrangements for summer financial support before coming to the United States.
To ask about permission for employment, either on or off campus, and to find out current regulations about proof of employability, students should contact the The Lillian and Emanuel Slutzker Center for International Services, 310 Walnut Place, Syracuse NY 13244–2380, USA; telephone +315–443–2457; fax +315–443–3091; international.syr.edu; email lescis@syr.edu.
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