The University Excellence Fellowship (UEF) is a $5,000 supplemental award given for up to five years to incoming PhD students.

The Vice-Provost for Graduate Education issues the award based on departmental recommendations during the admissions process. To qualify for a UEF, a student must be guaranteed up to five years of funding (through a Teaching Assistant, Research Assistant or Senior TA appointment), by his or her department. Because the UEF is a fellowship, there is no work requirement associated with it. If a student's departmental funding ceases at any point, so will his or her UEF.

About 20 awards are made each year and there are up to 100 award-holders on campus.

Northeastern University is investing $2 million to help post-9/11 veterans earn degrees through the federal government's new Yellow Ribbon Program. Qualifying veterans who enroll at Northeastern will receive grant aid that covers most to all of Northeastern's tuition and fee charges, depending on the selected degree program. Northeastern and the Department of Veterans Affairs will cover all or most of the expenses that exceed the cost of attending the University of Massachusetts. Allowances for housing, books and supplies are included.

The Yellow Ribbon Program became effective on August 1, 2009. To be eligible, veterans must have served at least three years of active duty beginning on or after September 11, 2001. Veterans from any state are eligible to attend Northeastern and receive Yellow Ribbon funding.

The Double Husky Scholarship program provides our current seniors and recent Northeastern alumni with a timely career-building opportunity during the economic downturn. Seniors graduating in 2009 and members of the class of 2005 or later who are admitted into any of more than 100 full-time master's degree and certificate programs will receive a 25 percent tuition reduction. And we will waive the application fee for you!

In order to be eligible for a Double Husky Scholarship, each applicant must:

• Have graduated with a Northeastern bachelor's degree in one of the following years: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009.
• Be accepted into a Northeastern master's or certificate program. Students must submit an application and all other required materials to the graduate program in which they would like to study. Acceptance is determined by each individual graduate program. PhD applicants are not eligible.
• Enroll in a graduate program between summer 2009 and fall 2010 as a full-time student.

Please Note: The following students are NOT eligible for the Double Husky Scholarship: students in BS/MS and BA/MA programs; degree-seeking students who enrolled in a master's or certificate program prior to summer 2009.

The 25% reduction is on tuition only and the student must finance the remaining costs of the degree. Huskies will receive the reduction during semesters they attend full-time as master's degree or certificate seeking candidates.

If a Husky receives other grant aid from Northeastern, then he or she will only receive one scholarship and will be given the award of higher value.

Please Note: The Double Husky Scholarship may not be deferred beyond fall semester 2010.

Dean's Scholarships are awarded to qualified students in master's degree programs. Students not otherwise supported by graduate assistantships, Graduate Student Scholarships, or Diversity Fellowships are eligible for Dean's Scholarships, which provide tuition support subject to the following guidelines:

• This award pays 33% of the full-time graduate student's tuition to a maximum dollar amount not to exceed the tuition charged for 4 semester hours in each term of full-time registration.
• The award pays 25% of the part-time graduate student's tuition to a maximum dollar amount not to exceed the tuition charged for 2 semester hours in each term of part-time registration.
• Provisional, special, and other students are not eligible to receive a Dean's Scholarship.
• Dean's Scholarships are awarded by the student's academic department/college.

Each year a limited number of fellowships are awarded to graduate students in an effort to help the University achieve a more diverse graduate student body. A variety of factors may be used for the purpose of increasing diversity at the University including gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, disability or other protected classification consistent with the University nondiscrimination policy.

These awards are allocated by the student's academic department/college. They provide tuition support only and there is no work requirement associated with them.

The Office of the Provost offers a limited number of Dissertation Completion Fellowships for Ph.D. students who are ABD and actively working to complete the dissertation requirement. These fellowships are offered for spring and summer semesters only. The deadline will be determined for the awarding cycle each semester by the Vice Provost for Graduate Education and a notice sent out to all doctoral students in the University and each of the colleges.

Purpose: Graduate Dissertation Completion Fellowships provide Ph.D. candidates who are nearing completion of their dissertations the support that will allow them to spend their final semester writing. The duration of the award is for one semester.

Eligibility: Ph.D. students in any program at Northeastern who are nearing completion of their dissertations. These fellowships will be awarded on a competitive basis. Each student must provide the Office of the Provost with the following application materials:

• letter of application from the student;
• description of the current state of the dissertation along with a detailed timetable for completion;
• copy of an approved dissertation prospectus and evidence that a substantial amount of the writing has been completed at least in draft form – in most cases, submission of at least two draft chapters of the dissertation;
• letter of recommendation from the dissertation advisor, which must be enclosed in a sealed envelope and signed by the recommender;
• statement of expected defense date;
• curriculum vitae.

Applications will be reviewed by the Office of the Provost and an appointed committee of faculty Involved in Ph.D. graduate education according to the overall strength of the application materials submitted and with regard to the likelihood of timely completion of the dissertation. Application packages that are not complete or that are late will not be considered and it is the applicant's responsibility to provide all required materials.

The amount of the stipend is $8,000.00 for the semester. In addition, both the student's registration fee and health fees will be paid. The award must be used during the semester for which it is awarded and may not be deferred. Students are expected to complete their dissertations during the period of the award and may not pursue other employment or hold any other internal or external award during that time.

A GSS is a competitive award to eligible graduate students by the academic department/college and covers up to 8 credit hours per semester. Students who have been awarded a GSS are not required to work in order to receive the award. The GSS cannot be for a larger number of credit hours than the number for which the student has registered. Students may hold only one GSS appointment at a time.

Students with a GSS must be registered as full-time students. A GSS is not subject to either Federal or State Income Tax because it is not received in exchange for services and is therefore not considered income by the IRS; no FICA is withheld due to full-time student status.

Students awarded GSSs that do not cover all the tuition costs for a specific term are required to cover the difference between the specified amount of tuition support awarded and applied to the student's account and the total amount of tuition charged. GSSs should not be used to cover costs associated with Ph.D. Dissertation, Ph.D. Continuation, Master's Continuation or other courses bearing zero-credit hours.

The funds are deposited directly into the graduate assistant's Northeastern account.

If you are a semi-monthly paid research assistant or teaching fellow, you will receive your pay on the 15th and the last day of the month, provided the department you are working for has submitted your information before the payroll deadline.



Paychecks are issued twice each month, on or about the 15th and on the last working day of each month. The stipend is divided and paid evenly over the award period.

The amount varies by college and by program.

No. In addition to maintaining a satisfactory academic record, graduate assistants must perform assigned duties in a consistently satisfactory manner and work in accordance with the regulations stipulated by the appropriate employing unit administrator or the graduate school making the award. Reappointments are also based on other factors including, but not limited to, the availability of sufficient funds and needs of the unit making the award.

No. Students must pay this fee themselves if they plan to use the University Health and Counseling Services. For additional information on this office, please see the website

No. The University as part of their award provides graduate assistants full health coverage.

Yes. Graduate assistantships carry a tuition waiver of up to 12 credit hours each semester.

Yes. Any change in the type of award a student holds should be made prior to the beginning of the semester in which the award was given.

No, students may hold only one graduate assistantship at a time.

Research assistants are involved in research activities under the direct supervision of regular faculty members. Research assistants positions are funded through externally funded grants.

Graduate teaching assistants assist faculty members in teaching a course by serving as grading assistants or holding office hours, for example, or in other capacities that involve direct contact with students in supporting either undergraduate or graduate teaching. In some departments Teaching Assistants oversee lab sections and, in some instances, may be instructors of record for courses.

Teaching Assistantships (TA)
Research Assistantships (RA)
Graduate School Scholarships (GSS)
Dissertation Completion Fellowships
Diversity Fellowships
Dean's Scholarships
Double Husky Scholarships
Yellow Ribbon Scholarships