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Financial support may be provided by the department in the form of a Fellowship,
Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA) or Graduate Research Assistantship (GRA).
The student should consider such support an honor and make every effort to meet
the requirements specified for such support. Financial aid may be terminated
at any time if the department or the project supervisor feels the student is
not performing to the professional standards expected of a graduate engineer.
A student receiving a department fellowship will typically be required to provide
some type of service for this financial assistance. This service may include
such jobs as helping a faculty member develop a new research area or working
as a graduate teaching assistant. The student should meet with the faculty member
and report progress on a regular basis. Fellowships are generally given to supplement
GRA and GTA awards. Fellowships are usually paid monthly in eight equal installments
during the academic year.
Graduate teaching assistants are assigned to specific laboratory courses and
are expected to prepare adequately before each laboratory meeting. Some preliminary
preparation may be required before the beginning of the semester. At the end
of the semester, the GTA should check with the faculty member in charge of the
laboratory to make sure that all duties have been completed. The member of faculty
responsible for the course will issue detailed instructions for GTAs. Generally,
first year international students are not eligible for a GTA position, unless
they pass the English Proficiency Test and SPEAK Test.
Graduate Research Assistantship support is provided for assistance on sponsored
research contracts or grants. This work not only aids the research project but
may also provide a topic for the student's thesis or dissertation. The student
is expected to complete the work specified by the project supervisor in a professional
engineering manner. The project supervisor and the student should discuss what
is to be expected from the student during the employment period and the student
should expect to make a progress report (verbal or written) every week. Master’s
students receiving financial assistance will normally be required to be enrolled
in the M.S. (thesis) program. This is particularly true for students receiving
a GRA.
Financial aid is not automatically renewable from one year to the next. It
is the student's responsibility to make arrangements with the project supervisor
of his/her research regarding the possibility of continued employment for the
next academic year. Students interested in a GTA position should contact the
ECE Graduate Office. Fellowship support, with the exception of the Dean's Fellowships,
is generally not available after the first year.
All students receiving financial assistance are responsible for providing withholding
tax information and Social Security Card to the Payroll Office and completing
Federal Employment Eligibility Form I9. Please report to the Budget Office for
the School of Engineering and Applied Science in Room A205, Thornton Hall. Failure
to do so will preclude being placed on payroll. All male students must complete
the Selective Service Form: this form is required by the Commonwealth of Virginia
and your employment will be terminated if it is not completed on time.
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