Inside Iowa State: Iowa State University

April 16, 2004

Ph.D. tuition scholarships to go to 100 percent by fall 2006

by Karen Bolluyt
By fall 2006, all qualifying Ph.D., MFA (Master of Fine Arts), MAR (Master of Architecture) and MLA (Master of Landscape Architecture) students at Iowa State will receive full tuition scholarships. All other qualified masters students will continue to receive 50 percent as the standard scholarship. The three-year transition to the new policy will begin this fall.

Colleges and the Provost Office have been working through the details this spring.

"Among what we call our Peer 11, Texas A&M and we are the only universities not to offer full-tuition scholarships to Ph.D. students. This puts us at a disadvantage in student recruitment," said John Mayfield, associate dean in the Graduate College.

For several years, departments could use their own funds to offer full tuition scholarships to recruit top graduate students. This policy will make full tuition scholarships the university standard for Ph.D. and some master's students. And it guarantees Graduate College funding of 50 percent of tuition costs for qualified, grant-supported students.

The funding plan
Grants will play a big role in making the new scholarships possible. In preparing for this change, administrators are reviewing grant applications to make sure they include adequate budgets for tuition scholarships. (Some grant agencies do not fund scholarships. In such cases, departments will need other sources.)

By fall 2006, half of each scholar-ship is to come from the Graduate College ($8 million is allocated in 2004-05) and the other half from other sources. The progression in tuition scholarships for Ph.D. and eligible master's students will be:

Current scholarships: 50 percent
Fall 2004: 62.5 percent
Fall 2005: 75 percent
Fall 2006: 100 percent

The Graduate College will phase out two scholarships, PACE and ABD, to free up funding for the new scholarship policy. Also starting in Fall 2004, 4XX funds (restricted by agreements with private donors or external agencies) or 2XX funds (generated by income, fees, etc.) must pay a portion of tuition scholarships for all grant-supported master's and Ph.D. students. This amount will be 12.5 percent of tuition in Fall 2004 and 25 percent in Fall 2005. For 2006, 2XX and 4XX funds will pay 50 percent of tuition scholarships for all eligible Ph.D., MFA, MAR and MLA students.

The president's office will provide $250,000 to fund the 2004-05 phase of the transition.

Only students with assistantships are eligible for the scholarships. Without final numbers on 2004-05 assistantships (total awards and funding sources), Mayfield estimates a zero to 8 percent shortfall in graduate college funding for 2004-05 scholarships. That estimate is important to colleges and departments because they must make up any shortfall.

Eligibility
The graduate college has established these criteria for eligibility for the new benefit:

Ph.D., MRA, MAR or MLA candidate
Graduate assistantship (at least half time for 3 months/semester, six weeks/summer)
Good academic standing
Unrestricted admission status
Meet additional departmental criteria

Departments may establish additional criteria based on academic or time-in-program standards, but not on academic major or assistantship funding source.

Students who are otherwise eligible for full-tuition scholarships, but have between one-quarter- and one-half-time assistantships, will receive 50 percent tuition scholarships. All graduate assistants will pay in-state tuition and be eligible for health insurance benefits.

Other changes
By fall 2005, an electronic tracking system should allow departments to see complete tuition award packages and review complete transaction histories by fund or account.

In previous years, graduate students who had fall and spring assistantships did not need to have assistantships in the summer to be eligible for summer tuition scholar-ships from the Graduate College. That will not be the case this summer.

But these students still may pay tuition at in-state rates. Forms to request in-state rates are available from the Graduate College. Departments may continue to pay summer tuition scholarships with non-Graduate College funds.

Mayfield's office will distribute a memo outlining new policies and procedures for summer 2004. Training sessions will be held to help department staff adjust to procedural changes planned for fall.