Financial Aid

Bauer Ph.D. programs provide substantial financial support to admitted doctoral students. A typical fully funded offer includes an Instructional Assistantship of approximately $32,000 per year plus a $3,000 Bauer Ph.D. Program Fellowship, for approximately $35,000 in annual stipend support. In addition, fully supported students also normally receive a Graduate Tuition Fellowship covering 9 credit hours of in-state graduate tuition in both the fall and spring semesters.

Additional financial support may be available through Presidential Fellowships, teaching, and grants supporting doctoral research and conference travel.

Students receiving this financial support are expected to fulfill the responsibilities of a half-time Graduate Assistant appointment and maintain satisfactory academic progress.

We occasionally accept self-funded students. Contact the Ph.D. coordinator for your intended field of study for more information regarding self-funding.

There are six primary sources of financial support available to Bauer doctoral students:

  1. Instructional Assistantships
  2. Bauer Ph.D. Program Fellowship
  3. University-Sponsored Graduate Tuition Fellowship (GTF)
  4. University-Sponsored Presidential Fellowships
  5. Teaching
  6. Grants Supporting Research and Travel

Instructional Assistantships

Who receives an Instructional Assistantship?

Instructional Assistantships are normally provided to:

  • Students admitted to a Bauer Ph.D. program who receive a fully funded admission offer.
  • Students enrolled full-time. Full-time enrollment normally requires nine credit hours of coursework in both the fall and spring semesters.
  • Students who remain in good academic standing. Students must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA and satisfactory performance for their assistantship to be renewed.

Applicants who indicate that they do not require financial support may be admitted without an assistantship.

When do I start? How much will I earn? When do I get paid?

  • Instructional Assistant appointments begin with the student’s first Fall semester at Bauer.
  • The standard appointment is a 20-hour-per-week, half-time position.
  • The Instructional Assistant stipend is approximately $32,000 per year.
  • Students receiving the standard fully funded Instructional Assistantship also receive the $3,000 annual Bauer Ph.D. Program Fellowship, bringing typical annual stipend support to approximately $35,000.
  • Stipends are paid monthly, and appointments are renewable subject to satisfactory academic and assistantship performance.
  • Students are expected to be available to their department beginning one week before the start of the semester.

Is there any fine print regarding the Instructional Assistantship?

Yes. Please read the following carefully.

A student accepting an appointment as an Instructional Assistant cannot participate in other paid employment during the nine-month academic year. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in the loss of financial support and, for international students, may also violate applicable visa requirements.

Students without visa restrictions may accept paid employment during the summer. The standard academic-year Instructional Assistant appointment does not provide a monthly stipend or tuition reimbursement during June, July, and August.

In addition, students must meet applicable English proficiency requirements. See information specifically for International Students.

Bauer Ph.D. Program Fellowship

Students receiving the standard fully funded Instructional Assistantship also receive a Bauer Ph.D. Program Fellowship of $3,000 per year. Together with the approximately $32,000 Instructional Assistant stipend, this provides approximately $35,000 in annual stipend support.

The fellowship is generally renewable for up to five years, subject to satisfactory academic progress and continued eligibility for program financial support.

University-Sponsored Graduate Tuition Fellowship (GTF)

What does the Graduate Tuition Fellowship cover, and do I have to apply?

Students do not apply separately for the Graduate Tuition Fellowship (GTF). An eligible 50% FTE Instructional Assistant appointment qualifies a student to be nominated for the GTF.

The GTF reimburses the cost of 9 credit hours of in-state graduate tuition in both the fall and spring semesters. Receipt of the tuition fellowship also allows eligible non-resident students to receive the applicable in-state tuition rate.

The Bauer College seeks to provide this fellowship to eligible doctoral students in good standing for up to five years, which is the most common period required to complete the Ph.D. program. Continued support is subject to University eligibility requirements and availability of funding.

Who is eligible for the Graduate Tuition Fellowship?

To be eligible, a doctoral student must:

  • Be in good academic standing.
  • Be enrolled full-time in a Bauer College Ph.D. program.
  • Be employed by the Bauer College in a 50% FTE assistantship.
  • Not hold employment, on or off campus, beyond the assistantship when such employment is prohibited under GTF rules.
  • Be nominated for the fellowship by the Department Doctoral Coordinator within the student’s major area.

Continued eligibility is contingent upon satisfying all applicable fellowship requirements.

Is there any fine print regarding the GTF?

Yes. Please read the following carefully.

Under State of Texas tuition policy, the University of Houston charges non-resident tuition rates to doctoral students who have accumulated 100 or more doctoral semester credit hours, regardless of residency status.

Students requiring more than 99 doctoral credit hours may therefore become subject to out-of-state tuition rates and may also have exhausted their eligibility for tuition fellowships. Students should work closely with their faculty advisors to make satisfactory progress toward completing the program within the expected number of credit hours. The standard doctoral course load is nine credit hours per semester, or 18 credit hours per academic year.

University-Sponsored Presidential Fellowships

Do I have to apply for this fellowship?

No. Eligible students admitted to the Ph.D. program are automatically considered for the Presidential Fellowship.

Students receiving this competitive fellowship receive an additional $2,000 per year during their first two years. This amount is in addition to the standard financial support described above.

Who receives the Presidential Fellowship?

The fellowship is intended to strengthen Bauer College’s ability to recruit highly qualified doctoral students. Nomination criteria may include:

  • A GMAT score above 640 or GRE score above 320.
  • A cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale in the most recently completed 60 hours of coursework.
  • Three letters of recommendation providing strong assessments of the applicant’s academic potential.

Teaching

Many doctoral students have opportunities to earn additional compensation by teaching, typically beginning in the third year of study. Teaching expectations and opportunities vary across departments.

Contact your department’s Ph.D. coordinator for information about teaching opportunities and compensation within your field of study.

Grants Supporting Research and Travel

Bauer departments may provide additional funding to support doctoral research, conference participation, and related professional development activities. The amount and availability of this support vary by department and by year.

Contact your department’s Ph.D. coordinator for details regarding research and travel support.