Funding

The MSE program does not have the ability to provide funding for professional master’s students. Master’s students should plan on providing their own fellowships and/or private funds to finance their education. Funding sources generally include student loans, outside fellowships, employer sponsorships, etc.

Financial support of PhD students is provided in the form of a research assistantship (RA) and/or teaching assistantship (TA) appointment.  Graduate student applicants are automatically considered for financial aid and the details will be provided in your admission letter.

All qualifying graduate appointments include salary, tuition waiver, and partial coverage of the health insurance premium.

Eligibility 

In order to be eligible to hold a graduate appointment, students must be enrolled full-time as a regular, PhD degree-seeking graduate student on the CU-Boulder campus.

A student enrolled in a Professional Master’s Program is not eligible to hold an appointment.

A student admitted as a provisional degree student is not eligible to hold an appointment.

A student on academic probation is not eligible to hold an appointment.

A student on an appointment must demonstrate adequate progress every semester toward her/his degree. “Adequate progress” is defined as follows:

• Completion of five hours of graduate level course work each semester or eight hours of mixed graduate and undergraduate course work; or
• If not passed comprehensive examination/admitted to candidacy, registration of at least one dissertation hour. After passing the comprehensive examination/admission to candidacy, students are required to register for a minimum of five dissertation hours.

In addition, all doctoral students are expected to complete the doctoral degree within a six year period. All students must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA.

Salary

The annual stipend will be at least roughly $32,000 and is paid on a monthly basis.

Tuition Waiver

A tuition waiver for 9-15 credit hours per semester is provided for the purpose of supporting the scholarly pursuits of graduate students who work at least twelve weeks in an academic year semester and maintain satisfactory academic progress toward their degrees. Students who work less than 12 weeks will not be eligible for the tuition and health insurance contribution.

Students are responsible for paying mandatory student fees and any applicable course fees.  The total amount of fees will vary depending on graduate status and the number of credit hours being taken.  Please see the Bursar's Office for up-to-date fee information.

All domestic non-resident graduate students (including permanent residents) must obtain Colorado in-state tuition classification prior to the start of their second year of employment as a graduate student. Instructions on how to apply for residency can be found on the registrar’s website: http://www.colorado.edu/registrar/state-tuition. Failure to do so will result in ineligibility for tuition remission, starting with the following semester. As an example, a student who first starts working on a graduate appointment fall 2016 should have resident status for fall 2017. If they do not have residency by this time they will be given a one-semester “grace” period. Failure to achieve residency by spring 2018 will result in the student being ineligible to receive tuition remission.

International students are exempt from the residency requirement and the differential will be covered as long as they are on a qualifying appointment.

Health Insurance Contribution

Graduate students on a Teaching Assistantship (TA) or Research Assistantship (RA) of more than a 20% appointment will receive a university contribution to health insurance benefits for the Wardenburg Health Center Gold Comprehensive Plan.  Students who select the Buff Value insurance plan will not receive an insurance benefit contribution.  There is also an option to waive a health insurance plan online if you have your own.  Important: all students will be automatically enrolled in the Gold Comprehensive plan unless coverage is waived by the fall deadline.  More information can be found online at http://www.colorado.edu/healthcenter/insurance.
 

To contact or read more about the University of Colorado Boulder Office of Financial Aid visit: http://www.colorado.edu/financialaid/aid-graduate-professional-students