Tuition, Fees, and Funding

Earning a graduate degree requires investments of time, effort, and, of course, money. However, there are two things you should know about the cost of a graduate education at UNL:

• Nebraska is more affordable than many of its peer institutions.
• At Nebraska, hundreds and hundreds of people get paid to be graduate students.

 

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Quality education at a bargain price

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is more affordable than many other universities. In a comparison of tuition and fees at ten peer institutions identified by the UNL Regents, UNL consistently ranks among the three most affordable for both resident and nonresident tuition. (Source: 2002-2005 surveys by the University of Wyoming.)

Payment: When payment is required, the office of Student Accounts will post billing information to a student's What About Me? (WAM) account.

Graduate vs. undergraduate rates: Tuition is determined by course level rather than student level. E.g., a graduate student who takes one undergraduate course will pay the undergraduate rate for that course.

Nebraska residency: Students who have recently resided or enrolled outside the state of Nebraska may be classified as non-residents for tuition purposes. For ways to qualify as a Nebraska resident, download the Residence Policy for Tuition Purposes (PDF). The file includes an application form.

Auditing: Tuition for audited courses is the same as tuition for courses taken for a grade or pass/no-pass.

Financial aid: The office of Scholarships and Financial Aid provides information on loans and need-based funds.

Full-time status: A graduate student enrolled for nine or more hours in one semester is considered a full-time student for that semester.

Reciprocity agreements: UNL does not particpate at the graduate level in the tuition discount program of the Midwest Higher Education Compact (Midwest Student Exchange Program). Former reciprocity agreements with Missouri have expired. However, students should check with their academic department about eligibility for the August Edgren Tuition Fellowship.

 

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Getting paid to be a student

Hundreds of UNL graduate students receive funding from UNL.

Assistantships

Over 1,700 assistantship appointments are made by departments during an academic year. Most assistantships include tuition remission during the semester of appointment and may include tuition remission for the summer. The assistantships are competitively awarded and typically require 13 to 20 hours of service per week. Assistantships for summer may also be available, but students must be enrolled during the entire duration of appointment.

An international student may apply for a teaching assistantship if the student: 1) is a native of a country in which English is the only national language; or 2) successfully completes the Institute for International Teaching Assistants. The Institute, a concentrated 90-hour program, is held the last week in July and the first two weeks in August.

Fellowships

Graduate students newly admitted to UNL degree programs are eligible for several fellowships. All of these fellowships are awarded by or through the academic departments, with no separate fellowship application forms for new students to complete. Because departments make nominations for some of the fellowships by mid-February, and many departments begin reviewing applications by January 15, it is important that your Application for Admission be completed as early as possible.

Fellowship	Selection Criteria
Othmer Fellowships are intended to assist in recruiting exceptional scholars who are seeking a terminal degree (i.e., Ph.D., Ed.D, D.M.A, M.F.A.). While UNL alums are not prohibited from receiving an Othmer Fellowship, the general assumption is that a UNL student would only receive this fellowship if we are actively competing with other prestigious institutions to retain the student at UNL. Othmer Fellows will receive, in addition to the departmental assistantship, a $7,500 fellowship per year. Othmer Fellowships are renewable for up to three years, given continued excellent progress toward the degree. All graduate applicants newly admitted to a doctoral or M.F.A. degree program are eligible for an Othmer Fellowship. To qualify, the department is expected to offer an assistantship stipend at least equal to the highest amount offered by the department to first-year students. The assistantship must be renewable for up to three years.	Exceptional scholar Newly admitted doctoral or M.F.A. student Minimum GPA of 3.5 in previous degree Excellent letters of recommendation Student must be offered a department assistantship at the highest level of funding
Chancellor's Doctoral Fellowships are designed to assist departments with the recruitment of superior graduate students by adding fellowship funds to an assistantship. Chancellor's Fellows will receive, in addition to the departmental assistantship, a $3,500 fellowship per year. Chancellor's Fellowships are automatically renewable for a second year, given excellent progress toward the degree. All newly admitted doctoral students (i.e., Ph.D., Ed.D., D.M.A.) are eligible. To qualify, the department is expected to offer an assistantship stipend at least equal to the typical level offered by the department to first-year doctoral students. The assistantship must be renewable for up to two years.	Newly admitted doctoral student Excellent academic record Minimum 3.0 GPA in previous degree Excellent letters of recommendation Student must be offered a full department assistantship at the typical level for doctoral students
Richard H. Larson Fellowships are designed to assist departments with the recruitment of superior graduate students who importantly enhance the diversity of the graduate population in the department and university, including diversity of racial/ethnic group, gender, age, socioeconomic status, etc. Larson Fellows will receive, in addition to the departmental assistantship, a $3,500 fellowship per year. Larson Fellowships are automatically renewable for a second year, given excellent progress toward the degree. Larson Fellowships may be offered in combination with other recruiting fellowships (e.g., Othmer or Chancellor's) where applicable. To qualify, the department is expected to offer an assistantship stipend at least equal to the typical level offered by the department to first-year students. The assistantship must be renewable for up to two years.	Newly admitted doctoral or masters student Excellent academic record Minimum 3.0 GPA in previous degree Excellent letters of recommendation Student must be a U. S. citizen or permanent resident Student must be offered a full department assistantship at the typical level for new students
Centennial Fellowships are designed to assist departments with the recruitment of outstanding graduate students by adding fellowship funds to an assistantship or by providing maximum recruitment flexibility when assistantship funding is unavailable at the time the student is admitted. Centennial Fellows will receive a $1,500 fellowship for one year. The Centennial Fellowship may be combined with any other fellowship or with an Edgren Tuition Fellowship for students not on an assistantship.	Newly admitted full time doctoral or masters student Excellent academic record Minimum 3.0 GPA in previous degree Excellent letters of recommendation
The August Edgren Tuition Fellowship is available to U.S. citizens who are full-time students and non-residents of Nebraska for tuition purposes. Students retain the fellowship until graduation if continuously enrolled.	Newly admitted full-time domestic doctoral or masters student Minimum 3.0 GPA in previous degree Excellent letters of recommendation Student must be a U. S. citizen or permanent resident Students who receive the fellowship pay tuition at 150% of the resident tuition rate until graduation if continuously enrolled at UNL Covers up to 12 credit hours during the fall and spring semester and 6 credit hours during the summer session

Contact your admitting department for further information regarding fellowships that might be available to you.