EIU Graduate School

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http://www.eiu.edu/finaid/cost.php
Tuition and fees are subject to change with Board approval. Students are advised to consult the web site listed above for the most current tuition and fee information.

Graduate Tuition
Graduate tuition is assessed for all post-baccalaureate students based on residency.

Graduate Fees
Graduate fees for Programs and Services are assessed at a per hour rate  for each semester hour of enrollment for part-time students.  Part-time for billing purposes is defined as enrollment for less than 9 semester hours of study. Fees are assessed at the full-time rate for students who are enrolled full-time. Full-time for billing purposes is defined as enrollment in 9 or more semester hours. Eastern Illinois University requires that all eligible students who enroll in nine or more on-campus hours be covered by health insurance and provides a Plan of medical coverage for injury and illness for which the fee is automatically assessed along with tuition and fees.  Graduate students enrolled part-time are not eligible for Student Legal Service. 

School of Extended Learning
The School of Extended Learning creates and delivers student/consumer-sensitive programs through diverse educational delivery systems. These programs greatly enhance the cultural, educational and professional development opportunities for individuals seeking continuing education. Recognizing rapidly changing educational needs of society, the unit extends the academic resources of the University in a cost-efficient manner to provide access to on and off campus programs. Costs are based on the current per hour rate of tuition, the per hour rate for textbook rental, and a per semester hour continuing education fee of $80.00. Students enrolled in online programs are assessed the Illinois resident rate of tuition and the continuing education fee and textbook rental fee, (except for online programs with differential tuition, e.g. MBA.)

Graduate School Application Fee. Graduate School application is available through the MyEIU portal. A $30.00 fee is required at the time of application.

Graduation Fee.
www.eiu.edu/paws/: Candidates for graduation must access the PAWS system for the on-line application. A non-refundable graduation fee of $40 ($15 for completion of a certificate program) is applied to the student’s account. The fee of $40 for graduate degree candidates does not include the cost of cap and gown rental for the commencement ceremony. The last day for applying for graduation is listed in the University Calendar and/or Class Schedule.

 

Please see the Financial Aid web site for all inquiries regarding Financial Aid and Loans: http://www.eiu.edu/finaid/

Assistantships

www.eiu.edu/graduate/: Graduate assistantships are available to qualified graduate students. An on-line application is available. Completed assistantship applications should be submitted by February 15. Programs may establish other deadlines. Students interested in assistantships should contact individual programs for specific details.

Eligibility

To be eligible the applicant must have earned a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.75 (4.00 scale) on the graded academic course work from the degree-granting institution and have been fully admitted to a graduate degree program or must have earned a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.75 (4.00 scale) on the last 60 semester hours of graded academic course work from the degree-granting institution and have been fully admitted to a graduate degree program. This requirement may not be waived or appealed. Graduate students who have not earned a 2.75 cumulative undergraduate GPA or 2.75 on the last 60 semester hours of graded undergraduate course work become eligible for assistantships after they complete 9 semester hours of graduate course work (courses numbered 4750 or higher) and earn a graduate GPA of 3.00 or higher. Provisional candidates must complete 12 or more semester hours of graduate course work while earning and maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher and completion of all of the provisions required by the program to be eligible for candidacy. Candidacy is a requirement for assistantship eligibility.

Contract Requirements

http://www.eiu.edu/graduate/students_assistantships.php: Contract regulations are specified in the Graduate Assistant Handbook available at the above web site. Fall and spring assistantship appointments require that graduate assistants remain enrolled as degree-seeking students for a minimum of nine semester hours of graduate course work (courses numbered 4750 or above). With prior approval by submission of the Waiver of Policy form with the Graduate Dean, assistants may substitute required prerequisite undergraduate courses for the graduate courses to remain in compliance with assistantship enrollment requirements; however, the student must remain enrolled as a degree-seeking student for a minimum of nine semester hours. Contracts are terminated if students fail to comply with this regulation.

Summer assistantship appointments require that graduate assistants remain enrolled as degree-seeking students for a minimum of three semester hours of graduate course work (courses numbered 4750 or above). With prior approval of the Graduate Dean, assistants may substitute undergraduate teacher certification, professional certification, or required prerequisite courses for the graduate courses required for compliance with assistantship requirements; however, the student must remain enrolled on campus as a degree-seeking student for a minimum of three semester hours. Contracts are terminated if students fail to comply with this regulation.

If at the end of any fall or spring grading period, an assistant has failed to complete nine semester hours of graduate course work or approved prerequisites, or if at the end of a summer term an assistant has failed to complete three semester hours of graduate course work or approved prerequisites, or if the cumulative graduate grade-point average and approved undergraduate prerequisites is below 3.00, the graduate assistant contract will be terminated.

Graduate Assistants must demonstrate professional conduct, be in compliance with the student conduct code, perform assistantship duties to the satisfaction of the supervisor, and meet the standards for degree-seeking students as established by the Graduate School.

Assistants may be obligated to provide 16 to 19 clock hours of service per week to the employing unit. Contracts specify both the number of clock hours and duties and may include teaching, research, or university service.

Presidential Graduate Assistantships

Presidential Graduate Assistantships are a specialized set of assistantships that are designed to provide additional support for graduate programs during the academic year and offer an additional opportunity to attract academically talented graduate candidates to the program. To be eligible for a Presidential Assistantship, candidates must meet all of the criteria established by the Council on Graduate Studies. The criteria are outlined in the Graduate Catalog and on the Graduate School web site. The assistants must also meet the standard requirements for retention outlined in the assistantship agreement and specified in the Graduate Catalog.

Assistantship Waivers and Stipends

Graduate assistants who are in compliance with enrollment in nine semester hours of graduate course work or approved prerequisites during the fall/spring terms and three semester hours of graduate course work or approved prerequisites during the summer term will receive a tuition waiver scholarship unless specified in the contract. Audited courses are not covered by the tuition waiver scholarship benefit. Tuition waiver scholarships will apply to courses offered off-campus if they are required for the degree program as indicated on the graduate study plan and if the courses are not part of a tuition cost recovery program or classified as sponsored credit as verified by the School of Extended Learning. Tuition waiver scholarships are provided in recognition of the graduate assistant’s academic accomplishments. The scholarships are provided as part of the financial aid package, but they are not related to services. Program and service fees are not waived as part of a tuition waiver scholarship. Assistants receive a monthly stipend that varies according to the terms specified in the contract. In return for the stipend, the appointee agrees to perform the duties assigned by the academic or administrative unit. The contract period is specified on the contract. Graduate assistants may not hold any other contracts with the University such as civil service, faculty, or student employment contracts during the period; however, graduate assistants may be approved for a Graduate Assistant Supplemental Contract. The criteria for a Graduate Assistant Supplemental Contract is described below.

Graduate Assistant Supplemental Contracts

Graduate assistants may be considered for supplemental non-recurring contracts for work that is related to a specific area of expertise. The combined hours of work required for the assistantship and the supplemental contract must remain at or below an average of 20 clock hours per week and the supplemental duties may not be part of the assistant’s regularly assigned assistantship duties. A department/unit offering a supplemental assistantship contract forwards the contract to the assistant’s primary employment unit for approval. The primary employment unit forwards the contract to the Graduate School. Requests for supplemental contracts must be approved with required signatures prior to performance of the work. Requests for approval and compensation after the work is completed will not be approved. Agents or supervisors are responsible for ensuring completion of paperwork prior to completion of work. The criteria for securing a supplemental contract include:

• The work is not part of the assistant’s assigned duties
• The work is related to the assistant’s specialized area of expertise
• The work is non-recurring
• The combined supplemental contract and regular assistantship hours remain at or below 20 per week
• The contract is approved prior to completion of the work:
• The contract is approved by the Primary Hiring Unit and the Graduate Dean

For further details and examples please refer to the Graduate Assistantship Handbook.

Summer Tuition Waiver Scholarships

Graduate students who have held an assistantship contract for at least four months immediately preceding summer term or who have signed a graduate assistant contract for fall semester may apply for a summer term tuition waiver scholarship. Summer tuition waiver scholarships require that students remain enrolled for at least 3 semester hours of graduate level course work or approved prerequisites during the summer term. Only one summer tuition waiver per nine-month graduate assistant contract may be claimed. Tuition waiver scholarships are terminated if students fail to comply with this regulation. Tuition waiver scholarships are provided in recognition of the graduate assistant’s academic accomplishments. The scholarships are provided as part of the financial aid package, but they are not related to services. Tuition waiver scholarships are subject to the availability of funding and are not guaranteed.

Veteran Affairs Pending Payment Compliance

Section 103 of Public Law (PL) 115‐407, ‘Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018,’ amends Title 38 US Code 3679 by adding a new subsection (e) that requires disapproval of courses of education, beginning August 1, 2019, at any educational institution that does not have a policy in place that will allow an individual to attend or participate in a course of education, pending VA payment, providing the individual submits a certificate of eligibility for entitlement to educational assistance under Chapter 31 or 33. In accordance with Title 38 US Code 3679(e), Eastern Illinois University adopts the following additional provisions for any students using U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Post‐9/11 G.I. Bill® (Ch. 33) or Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment (Ch. 31) benefits, while payment to the institution is pending from VA. Eastern Illinois University will not:

• Prevent the student’s enrollment;
• Assess a late penalty fee to the student;
• Require the student to secure alternative or additional funding;
• Deny the student access to any resources (access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities) available to other students who have satisfied their tuition and fee bills to the institution. However, to qualify for this provision, such students may be required to:

1. Produce the VA Certificate of Eligibility (COE) by the first day of class;
2. Provide a written request to be certified;
3. Provide additional information needed to properly certify the enrollment as described in other institutional policies