Financial Aid Information
Students applying for financial assistance for the Fall, Spring, or Summer academic terms must submit certain documents. Visit the Financial Aid Office's Apply for Aid site for the documents and additional details.
Tuition grants are scholarships disbursed through the Office of Financial Aid and/or the Old Dominion University Research Foundation that are earmarked specifically for payment of tuition. They may be offered to regular or provisional degree-seeking graduate students who are enrolled full- or part-time.
Tuition grants may be combined with other forms of scholarship or fellowship support. The decision to award a grant, including the amount, is made by one of the following: the principal investigator of an externally sponsored project, the department chair, or the college dean or designee. Students holding tuition grants who withdraw from courses may be held personally liable for repayment of funds utilized.
Grant Applications
Tuition waivers are partial-to-full remittances issued by the Office of Finance and/or the Old Dominion University Research Foundation specifically to accompany graduate assistantships. They may be offered to regular or provisional degree-seeking graduate students who are enrolled at least three-quarters time in fall and spring and at least half time in summer with some notable exceptions (see the section on "Enrollment Requirements" under the policy on Graduate Assistantships"; see also the related Catalog policy on "Enrollment Status").
The decision to award a waiver, including the percentage, is made by one of the following: the principal investigator of an externally sponsored project, the department chair, or the college dean or designee. Students holding tuition waivers who withdraw from courses may be held personally responsible for the repayment of funds utilized. Domestic graduate students who receive tuition waivers and who reside out-of-state are encouraged to establish Virginia residency as soon as possible.
Waiver Form
Helpful Resources
- Academic Calendar - dates and deadlines for registering or add/drop classes.
- Graduate Catalog - view academic program information.
- Responsible Conduct of Research Training
- Graduate Student Health Insurance
- SEES Resources
Graduate assistantships are financial awards for graduate students and are available to full-time graduate students who meet the requirements listed under the Graduate Assistantship Guidelines. Stipends vary by program and college. To find out about available assistantships, contact your graduate program director. Assistantships outside of your program may also be advertised through Career Development Services and Student Engagement & Enrollment Services.
Nature of Graduate Assistantships: A Graduate Assistant (GA) is expected to participate directly in either instructional, research, or administrative duties in support of the ongoing activities of the University's academic, research, and service units.
It is the University's intention to make the assistantship an integral and valuable part of the student's graduate education. It should be viewed as an apprenticeship in teaching, research, or administrative service.
Learn More
Career Pathways is a professional development organization to bridge graduate school and career success.
Advancing Through Graduate School
The Graduate School provides an online orientation that includes informative videos about essential university offices and the services they provide. This self-paced course serves as a lasting reference. Students can enroll themselves in the orientation in Canvas by following this link: New Graduate Student Orientation.
Typically, in graduate studies, a student's advisor is their Graduate Program Director (GPD). The GPD plays a pivotal role in assisting students with various aspects of their academic path. They guide the student to develop a comprehensive plan or course of study tailored to their academic and professional goals.
Moreover, the GPD serves as a valuable resource for students facing challenges such as academic probation or suspension. In such instances, the GPD can offer guidance on how to address issues, regain academic standing, and create a roadmap for success.
You can search the list of graduate program directors by college here
Scholarships & Awards
Criteria
- Graduate student
- Academic excellence
- Program director’s nomination
- Graduate GPA of 3.75 or higher
Scholarship Amount: $9,249
Criteria
- Active graduate student
- Must be enrolled in three or more graduate credit hours.
- Final undergraduate GPA 3.50 and current graduate GPA 3.50.
- Two fellowships are awarded, one is to an alumni.
Scholarship Amount: $1,500 each
Criteria
- Must be a full-time student in the Graduate School.
- Must demonstrate extraordinary academic merit.
- GPA of 3.5 or higher.
Scholarship Amount: $950
GEM – GEM recruits high-quality underrepresented students looking to pursue Master’s and Doctoral degrees in applied science and engineering, and matches their specific skills to the specific technical needs of GEM employer partners.
This is a database that you can search for free with your ODU email address. Sign up and begin your search!
The Graduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement (G-RISE) program of ODU is tailored to enhance diversity among students pursuing Ph.D. degrees in various biomedical research disciplines. Its goal is to bolster representation of underrepresented groups in the biomedical research workforce. The G-RISE program empowers underrepresented students by providing opportunities to contribute to cutting-edge research. It offers scholarships, stipends, mentorship programs, and more.
The premier resource for international scholarship and grant information for students. Click here for more information.
Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award – This award honors teaching assistants who have demonstrated exceptional instructional quality. The University selects two outstanding graduate teaching assistants each year. One for laboratory instruction and one for classroom instruction.
SREB – The goal of the Doctoral Scholars Program is to increase the number of minority students who earn doctorates and choose to become faculty at colleges and universities.
The Graduate School partners with the Office of Research to offer Graduate Summer Awards. It is open to graduate students from across the University and is a competitive program that supports a range of original graduate student scholarships, including basic research, field of study, data analysis, performances and exhibitions, and community-based learning initiatives.
The program can be used to support thesis or dissertation projects or other capstone projects at the master’s or doctoral level. The scope of the proposed project should allow the graduate student to produce a measurable research or scholarly product by the end of a minimum of six uninterrupted weeks during the summer months. There are up to 10 awards available of $3,000 each.
VASEM COVES – This fellowship program aims to strengthen ties between the scientific community and state government in the Commonwealth of Virginia while encouraging and equipping more scientists and engineers to be effective advisors for public policy in the state of Virginia.
Graduate School Forms
Get access to important graduate forms for enrollment, assistantship for hire, and other Master's and Doctoral level forms required for admission.