WSU Office of Student Financial Aid

Wayne State Unversity's Office of Student Financial Aid provides assistance to graduate students seeking federal or private loans to help finance their graduate education.

Federal Student Aid Website

Includes information on the need-based grants, loans and work-study funds available through federal student aid and the online version of the U.S. Department of Education's Student Guide to Financial Aid.

Incentives for competing for externally funded awards

Eligibility criteria for external fellowship incentives

• The external fellowship is offered from a national or international agency or institution, with awards being determined through a competitive (i.e. peer-reviewed) process
• The competitive award provides a stipend/salary equal to or greater than the general-fund minimum stipend of a WSU graduate assistantship in the same discipline during the award year
• The applicant has not already received the $1,000 incentive for a previous external fellowship application
• The required materials must be submitted within 6 months of the fellowship deadline

Incentives from the Graduate School

Financial award for fellowship application

Graduate students who apply for an external fellowship and meet the eligibility criteria above may be eligible for a $1,000 award to supplement their research activities.

Application

Graduate students should submit a copy of their external fellowship application  along with the terms and conditions of the fellowship award that highlight the stipend/tuition that could be awarded with the fellowship  evidence that the application was successfully received by the funding source, and a letter of support from the student's advisor. The packet of information should be emailed to Karen Schramm, k.schramm@wayne.edu.

Coverage of tuition shortfalls

Graduate students who receive an externally funded fellowship and meet the eligibility criteria above are eligible for coverage of tuition shortfalls. Because some external fellowships may not provide full tuition coverage, the Graduate School will provide tuition coverage for such shortfalls for the duration of the fellowship award term. The tuition coverage will include up to 10 credits of tuition assessment during the fall and/or winter terms and 2 credits during the spring/summer term. This is consistent with the tuition coverage provided for graduate assistants.

Research advisors of graduate students should submit a copy of the external fellowship award letter along with the completed Tuition Payment Authorization for Fellows on External Funding form. Please contact Tricia Koufes at the Graduate School with any questions.

Incentives from the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR)

Financial award for receipt of external fellowship

Graduate students who receive an externally funded fellowship and meet the eligibility criteria above are eligible for additional research funding. An external fellowship recipient and their advisor will each receive $1,000 from the Division of Research in support of their research activities. More information is available from Internal Research Support.

Subsidized medical insurance

Graduate students who receive an externally funded fellowship and meet the eligibility criteria above may also be eligible for subsidized medical insurance under the same plan that is offered to faculty and staff. Program guidelines are available on the Research website. Information regarding the university's subsidized medical insurance program, including the payment rates, is available from Total Compensation and Wellness (TCW).

Eligible students should submit a copy of the award letter (and additional documentation that specifies the amount of the fellowship as well as the terms and conditions if this information is not included in the award letter) plus a completed medical insurance form (from the TCW website) to the Compensation and Wellness Office, 3638 Academic Administration Building.