The Graduate Research Assistantship Tuition (GReAT) award provides supplemental tuition support to Oakland University (OU) graduate students. Other sources of tuition funding from other units include Graduate Study Assistantship Program, New Program Budgets, Department and Non-Academic Units Funds, and King-Chavez-Parks Future Faculty Fellowships (KCP).

The GReAT award is a competing program that supports graduate students working with established principal investigators as well as new principal investigators and junior faculty.

The criteria to qualify for the GReAT tuition award include the following:

     The GReAT award is to supplement tuition support for a full-time ≥ 8 credits hours/semester per OU policy) graduate research assistant (GRA).

     The GReAT award allows up to 16 credit hours per student per academic year.

     The GRA must maintain at least an overall 3.0 GPA and satisfactory academic progress.

     The faculty advisor/mentor or unit head must provide evidence that the GRA is, or will be, receiving stipend support to conduct research during the period of GReAT support.

     The GReAT application has to be submitted by the faculty advisor/mentor or unit head.   

     Teaching Assistants (TAs) and recipients of any other scholarships are not qualified for GReAT.

     If required by the funding agency, the faculty is to request tuition matching on the GCSR Electronic Proposal Routing Application (EPRA).

     To continue receiving a GReAT award, the PI must submit the GReAT application every academic year in order to secure the existing student.

What is a graduate research assistant (GRA)?

A GRA is an OU full time graduate student that meets OU’s graduate assistantship program requirements. See Oakland University Graduate Assistantship Policy Guidelines for details.

The faculty advisor/mentor or unit head must submit a completed tuition form GReAT application form to research@oakland.edu.

Can GRA students receive the GReAT tuition award without a stipend?

The stipend must be part of the GA agreement, see OU GA Policy Guidelines; it is also required to identify the stipend funding source (criterion #4 above).

When are the application deadlines?

*Applications submitted in response to the later deadline, usually for newly admitted students, are subject to availability of funds that have not already been awarded during the regular submission periods.

What’s next after the tuition award announcement?

The PI’s department prepares a letter of offer and the GA agreement. After all required signatures are obtained, forward them to GCSR.

How will the tuition payment be handled?

After GCSR receives and approves the letter of offer and GA agreement, they will be forwarded to the office of Graduate Study to process the tuition payment.

Does GReAT support the summer term?

Consistent with GA Policy Guidelines, GReAT does not support the summer term.  

Can an unused GReAT award be carried over to the next year?

No, an award cannot be carried over to the next budget year per university policy (concerning general fund expenditures); therefore, the GReAT application must be resubmitted (criterion #8 above).

What if the PI has to change student after receiving the award announcement?

The PI has to submit the GReAT application form for the student and notify GCSR this is replacing awarded student.

Does GReAT support no-cost extension grants?

The GReAT does not automatically support no-cost extensions on grants, but it is recommended to submit the GReAT application as well as other competing applications if funding is available.

What if the GRA has not been identified and the application deadline passes?

On the GReAT application form, specify “new student TBD” in “Student Name” field.

Additional questions? Contact Jean Miao at miao@oakland.edu.

For a printable version of the Graduate Research Assistantship Tuition Award Guidelines, click here.