There are several sources of aid for students in Political Science. First, SPIA has at its disposal a number of assistantships for graduate students. Second, the Graduate School awards its own assistantships each year. The Graduate Committee in SPIA makes all decisions for school assistantships as well as decisions on which students will be nominated for competitions at the Graduate School level. Finally, various scholarships and fellowships are awarded by foundations or agencies independent of the University.

Assistantship awards and tuition reductions are designed to aid students in the pursuit of study or research. A portion of the award is specifically intended to cover the tuition and fees required to enroll at the University of Georgia, as well as the fees, books, supplies, and equipment that are required for courses. While the tuition cost is reduced significantly there will be a $25.00 registration fee as well as mandated student fees per semester which cover University Health Center services, Ramsey Student Center, transportation, athletic and activity fees.

Assistantships

Applying for an Assistantship - download application
The application for assistantship is available from the Graduate Office. Both SPIA assistantships and nominations for Graduate School Assistantships are made each spring for the following academic year. Current and newly admitted students are guaranteed priority consideration by the Graduate Committee if their files are complete by February 1. Students may not simultaneously hold assistantships from SPIA and the Graduate School. Assistantships are offered with the understanding that an award from the Graduate School will supersede a SPIA offer.

SPIA Assistantships
Assistantships are normally awarded for the ten-month academic year and require one-third time in teaching or research (13 hours per week). Therefore, the usual course load for students on assistantships is 12 hours per semester. Assistantships carry stipends as well as tuition waivers (excluding student fees).

Teaching assistants are generally assigned to SPIA’s introductory undergraduate courses. Several measures are designed to prepare students for their work in the classroom. All new teaching assistants must enroll in GRSC 7770, which is offered every fall semester and deals with a wide range of pedagogical and professional issues. Initially, teaching assistants work under the direction of experienced faculty members. In larger classes, they are part of an instructional team that includes a professor and several other teaching assistants. UGA’s Office of Instructional Support and Development also provides a range of support services.

International students whose native language is not English or who have not received a degree from an English-speaking university are required by the Graduate School to achieve a satisfactory score on the SPEAK test before they can be awarded a teaching assistantship. They may, however, receive research assistantships without having to take the SPEAK test.

Renewal of SPIA Assistantships
The renewal of an assistantship is not automatic. A new application must be submitted each year, and the applicant’s record will be reviewed annually by the Graduate Committee. The decision to renew an assistantship depends on:

1. the quality of the student’s academic work;
2. timely progress toward the degree;
3. and satisfactory performance of assigned duties as a teaching or research assistant.

Students on assistantships will be expected to maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.25. For new students, the calculation will be made after the first semester. A student whose GPA falls below 3.25 will be given one additional semester to come up to this level. If the student fails to do so, the assistantship will be terminated. Also, students may not carry more than two incomplete grades (“I”) at any one time while holding an assistantship. These requirements help ensure that financial assistance goes only to those students who are making solid academic progress.

Graduate School Assistantships
SPIA is able to nominate a limited number of incoming students for Graduate School Assistantships. Since these awards are very competitive, only students with outstanding records are nominated. All Graduate School Assistantships are non-teaching awards. Students are generally assigned to work in their major department or school for a total of 16 hours per week and must be registered for a total of 12 hours each semester. Generally, a student on an assistantship will register for at least 9 hours of substantive course work and then have the option of registering for 3 hours of “graduate assistantship” POLS 7005 for masters or POLS 9005 for doctoral students to meet the 12 hours of required registration. No additional service is required for the “graduate assistantship” hours.

A student who holds a Graduate School Assistantship has the option of continuing their funding through the summer semester but must register for a total of nine (9) semester hours to do so. The student will also be required to work for the department during the summer semester for at least 10 hours per week.

Graduate School Assistantships are currently awarded on a two-year basis. Doctoral students who receive a two year award from the Graduate School will be considered by their department for their third year of funding.

Limits on Eligibility
Since applications for financial aid greatly exceed resources, we must set limits on the period of time for which students are eligible for assistantships. At the masters level, the limit on eligibility is two years (four semesters). At the doctoral level, the limit is three years (six semesters). A student who enters at the masters level and continues through the doctorate would thus be eligible for up to five years (10 semesters) of assistance. Students who exceed these limits are placed on a standby list. Financial assistance may be awarded to students on the standby list as it becomes available.

Graduate School assistantships that derive from University-wide competitions will count against the years of assistantship committed by SPIA. Thus, one year of masters or doctoral aid commitment will be subtracted for each year of Graduate School aid. Other forms of aid will be considered on a case-by-case basis, with a general presumption that external grants will not offset SPIA’s aid commitment.

Regents’ Waivers of Out of State Tuition Awards
The Graduate School awards out-of-state tuition waivers to students who are classified as non-residents of the State of Georgia. These awards are based upon applicants’ academic records and the recommendations of their major departments. The waiver renews on a semester basis contingent upon recipients earning at least a 3.5 graduate grade point average on tweleve hours of graduate course work fall and spring semesters and nine hours of graduate course work during the summer semester (if registered in the summer). These awards waive only the non-resident portion of a student’s tuition. SPIA is allowed to nominate a few of its most qualified students who are not on assistantships for these tuition waivers.

Other Awards

J. Thomas Askew Scholarship
This scholarship has been endowed in honor of the late Professor Askew. The Graduate Committee can award this scholarship annually to a superior student in the field of American Politics. This award is usually given to new students in the M.A. or Ph.D. program.

W. Tapley Bennett, Jr. Fellowship
Family and friends have endowed this fellowship to honor the late Mr. Bennett’s many years of public service and his support of the University of Georgia. The number of scholarships and the amounts vary annually. Each student who submits an application for Assistantship will be considered for this award by the SPIA Graduate Committee based on the criteria set for this award during the Spring semester when assistantship awards are made

Mekis Scholarship
This award can be given annually to a graduate student in the field of political philosophy. Each student who submits an application for Assistantship will be considered for this award by the SPIA Graduate Committee based on the criteria set for this award during the Spring semester when assistantship awards are made.

Dean Rusk Scholarship in International Relations
This scholarship has been endowed through a generous bequest by the late Reginald and Edna Katherine Kicklighter. The scholarship is awarded annually through the Center for International Trade and Security (CITS), primarily to a student studying international politics, east-west trade, and U.S. relations with Russia. Recipients are allowed to apply for a maximum award of three years. Each student who submits an application for Assistantship will be considered for this award by the SPIA Graduate Committee based on the criteria set for this award during the Spring semester when assistantship awards are made.

Carl Vinson Institute of Government Dissertation Grant
An award of up to $2,500 is available each semester for dissertation-related expenses. Recipients are expected to use the research to publish a monograph as part of the Institute’s Public Policy Research Series.

Other Grants and Research Support
Assistantships are sometimes available through various UGA centers and programs. Those affiliated with SPIA include CITS and the Center for the Study of Global Issues (GLOBIS). Faculty members occasionally employ graduate students to assist with their research, which has been funded by such agencies as the National Science Foundation and UGA’s Faculty Research Grants Program.