The deadline for nominations for up to three annual Veteran Graduate Assistantships is March 16. All that is required for eligible candidates is that the applicant be accepted into your program and that the Graduate Program Director make the nomination. Email Alan Freitag in the Graduate School with your nominations.
This program reflects the Graduate School’s efforts to recruit exceptionally talented military veterans to our graduate programs. These Veteran Graduate Assistantships provide a graduate assistantship (teaching or research) for two academic years, resident tuition support and health insurance (if needed, based on the candidate’s veteran benefit status), to three newly admitted graduate students (doctoral or master’s).
For more information, visit the Graduate School‘s web site.
To date, eight outstanding veterans have benefited from this program:
- LaKeysha Sawyer, Social Work Master’s
- Tracy Valero, Health Administration Master’s
- Nathan Lambert, Mechanical Engineering Master’s
- Magin Day, Health Psychology Ph.D.
- Frank Thompson, Counseling Master’s
- Tyler Crone, Mathematical Finance Master’s
- Taryn Greene, Health Psychology Ph.D.
- Charles Williams, Social Work Master’s
Here are details concerning these awards:
- Open to military veterans from any branch of service with an Honorable Discharge admitted to any Master’s or Doctoral degree program.
- Student must be newly admitted to a graduate program at UNC Charlotte but not yet enrolled (first-year student).
- Award begins with the fall semester.
- Assistantship is served with the recipient’s home department.
- Up to three competitive awards will be made each year.
- For doctoral students the funding will be $18,000 for 9 months, and for master’s students $12,000 for 9 months.
- Recipients are eligible to receive tuition awards for resident tuition support plus health insurance if needed (the Graduate School and Veteran Services Office will work with each recipient to align the award with VA benefits to ensure the best combination for the student).
- Students must register for a minimum of 6 graduate credit hours in each term the assistantship is in effect and maintain satisfactory progress toward the degree to remain eligible.
- The assistantship will be in place for two years, after which the department or program of study must provide funding as necessary. A third year for a master’s student may be negotiated if needed to complete the degree. After the second year, doctoral programs are expected to provide continuing support (assistantship or fellowship) to the recipient as long as the student is making satisfactory progress toward the degree (full-time enrollment with a minimum grade point average of 3.00). The Graduate School will commit to continuing resident tuition and health insurance awards for an additional three years.
- Graduate Program Director recommends veteran student for award after student has been accepted into the program; Graduate School committee reviews applicants and selects up to three recipients each year
