Financial Aid

XII. FINANCIAL AID

The University makes financial aid available on a competitive basis to prospective graduate students in the form of fellowships and graduate associateships. All applicants who want to be considered for any kind of financial aid must check the appropriate box on the Graduate School admissions application. If you qualify for a Graduate Enrichment Fellowship, please pay special attention to the application section asking for you’re the reasons you believe you would contribute to the diversity of the university graduate community.

1. Fellowships. All fellowship consideration is conducted at University‐wide levels. Students with exceptional academic records may be nominated by the Comparative Studies Graduate Studies Committee for consideration for the award of a University Fellowship or, for students who are members of underrepresented groups, a Graduate Enrichment Fellowship by the Graduate School. Special Graduate Enrichment Fellowships may also be considered for members of underrepresented groups who show evidence of high potential for graduate study, but whose previous education requires supplementary coursework.

The stipend for University fellows runs for 12 months; resident and nonresident fees are waived. Some other fees remain the responsibility of students Graduate fellows must enroll for at least 12 hours of graduate credit each semester they hold an appointment (with the exception of 6 hours in summer) and must be in residence at The Ohio State University. Students are expected to follow Grad School rules outlined in the Handbook about accepting other types of employment. Fellows may hold a concurrent Graduate Associateship at a maximum of 25% time. Students must continue to meet all fellowship requirements.

Please consult the Graduate School website and the Graduate School Handbook, Section X., for further information on graduate fellowships.

2. Graduate Associateships. Graduate Teaching, Graduate Research, and Graduate Administrative Associateships (GTAs, GRAs, and GAAs) are available through University departments, centers, and other units. Duties and responsibilities of GAs appointed by units other than the Department of Comparative Studies are determined by the employing unit. All Graduate Associateships are subject to the continuing availability of funds.

a. Graduate Teaching Associateships. A small number of Graduate Teaching Associateships are available through the Department of Comparative Studies, and these positions are offered to especially qualified candidates. Students are also encouraged to inquire about Teaching Associateships in other departments. Applicants with backgrounds and skills of interest to a particular department (such as experience in teaching elementary foreign languages, mathematics, the sciences, or composition) should contact the appropriate graduate studies chair about the availability of GTA positions, eligibility requirements, and application procedures.

Within the Department, GTAs sometimes have full responsibility for their own classes and sometimes assist faculty in teaching large lecture classes. GTAs employed as teachers will be expected to take full responsibility for all aspects of the class they are teaching. New GTAs will be observed and evaluated by Comparative Studies faculty at least once during the first semester of teaching and at least once during the semester in which a class is being taught for the first time. GTAs assisting faculty instructors will determine their specific duties in consultation with the instructor of the class. GTAs will be assigned office space, but in some instances may be required to share desk space with other GTAs.

GTAs submit student evaluations of their performance, both the University’s Student Evaluation of Instruction and the Department’s Student Evaluation of Teaching, each quarter to the Department Chair. Student and observer evaluations will be made available to GTAs, and GTAs will be expected to improve areas of weakness. If student or observer evaluations reveal serious problems with GTA performance, appropriate means of improvement will be determined in consultation with the Chair. All GTAs are assigned a faculty teaching mentor who will observe classes and be available to discuss pedagogical issues.

b. Graduate Research Associateships. Duties and responsibilities of GRAs will be determined in consultation with the faculty or staff member to whom they are assigned. Means of evaluating GRA performance are the responsibility of the faculty or staff member with whom the GRA is working.

c. Graduate Administrative Associateships. GAAs work as program assistants in offices throughout the University, and those offices assign their duties and responsibilities. However, because there is no central listing of University‐wide GAA positions, applicants themselves must often locate them. The Department brings such positions to the attention of students whenever possible. These positions are usually filled in March, April, and May, but GAA positions sometimes become available during the rest of the year, as well. The unit in which the student is employed establishes procedures for evaluation of job performance.

Criteria for Appointment and Minimum Enrollment Requirements. To hold any Graduate Associate appointment, a student must be pursuing a graduate degree at the University; must be registered in the Graduate School for at least eight credit hours during each semester of appointment (except teaching during the Summer term, when students can be registered for four credit hours, and except for students who have completed PhD Candidacy Exams, who must be registered for three credits each semester); must be in good standing in the Graduate School when the appointment or reappointment becomes effective; must maintain reasonable progress toward a graduate degree; and must certify proficiency in spoken English before assuming GTA duties involving direct student contact.

Reappointment Criteria. Reappointment as a Graduate Associate depends upon reasonable academic progress as determined by their Advisor and the Chair, as well as satisfactory job performance. Comparative Studies students appointed by departments other than the Department of Comparative Studies are subject to the procedures and criteria of the employing unit for appointment and reappointment. Termination of employment will occur only after reasonable attempts have been made to resolve the specific problems leading to termination.

Time Limitation. Students who enroll in the graduate program with a BA and who are in pursuit of an MA will be assured of two years of funding. Students who enter with a BA, complete the MA and continue on to pursue the Ph.D. will be assured of five years of funding. Students who enter with an MA and are in pursuit of a Ph.D. will be assured of four years of funding. Each of these assurances depends upon the availability of funds and presumes that the student remains in good standing and is making sufficient progress toward her or his degree. Students may also petition for an additional year of funding which will be considered on a year‐by‐year and case‐by‐case basis. The Chair and Graduate Studies Committee will decide the merit of all such petitions.

Grievances. When grievances of any kind cannot be resolved through discussion with an adviser, supervisor, the Chair of the Graduate Studies Committee, the Chair, or Academic Program Coordinator of the Department, or a dean of the College of Humanities, the Graduate Associate is advised to consult with Graduate School officials in order to undertake grievance procedures as established by the Council on Research and Graduate Studies.

Additional Funding Opportunities for Graduate Students (All opportunities are dependent upon the availability of funds.)

Travel Reimbursement. Students must be officially enrolled in the MA o r PhD. program. Every effort will be made to provide eligible students with support to attend conferences, depending upon the availability of funds. Funding is for paper presentation at conferences only. Travel funds may be combined with other awards.*

*All graduate students requesting funds must be currently enrolled or under university/department support (defined as “active”). Unused funds may not be transferred to another student. All funding opportunities depend on availability and allocation level from ASC.

For further information about Graduate Associate appointments, fellowships, and financial aid in general, please consult the Graduate School Handbook, Sections IX and X and the Graduate School website