Paying for a Graduate Degree
Financial aid for graduate students mostly takes the form of graduate employee (GE) teaching or research appointments. GE support provides a full tuition waiver and stipend. Most doctoral students are supported by GE research appointments, which are funded by research grants from the National Science Foundation, National Institute of Health, industry sponsors, and other organizations. Other doctoral students and some master’s students are supported on GE teaching appointments, assisting student learning while pursuing their own studies.
A small number of endowed awards and fellowships are available from departments, the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), and the university.
Sources of Financial Aid
Students may also find financial aid through grants and scholarships outside the department, GE appointments in other departments, or other sources. It is the student's responsibility to locate and secure this type of support. Some resources are below.
Applying for a GE position
GE teaching and research appointments are competitive and may be applied for concurrent with or at any time after admission to the department. Students who do not secure a GE appointment within their department may want to look for GE positions in other areas of the university.
Duties of GE teaching positions usually involve teaching under the supervision of a faculty instructor, grading, and other course-related duties. All new teaching GEs are required to take the Division of Graduate Studies Mandatory GE Training. For those looking for additional assistance or further training, the Teaching Engagement Program (TEP) is a free service provided to all faculty and GEs. TEP offers training seminars, individualized consultations, classroom observation, and many other services.
GE research positions are usually located by students first developing research interests and relationships with faculty.
Degree-Specific Funding
Computer science doctoral students are guaranteed GE funding during their first five academic years, contingent on satisfactory academic progress and performance in their GE role. Failure to meet the deadlines for the DRP, Area Exam, and PhD Proposal are also possible grounds for suspension or termination of financial support.
Our master’s programs are not funded, though there may be GE teaching or research assignments available. Students may be in the GE teaching pool and be considered for future positions on a term-by term basis.
Your Collective Bargaining Agreement
GEs at the University of Oregon are covered by a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), or contract, that spells out the obligations GEs have agreed to, as well as the protection GEs enjoy. It provides answers to questions such as the following:
- What happens if you are ill and miss six weeks during a term?
- Do you automatically get health insurance during the summer?
- What are your rights if your supervisor reprimands you?
- Can you take a tuition waiver during the summer even if you are not teaching?
Graduate students at the UO are represented by the GTFF, a union run by students. Each department has union stewards who can answer contract-related questions.