Tuition
Tuition costs for graduate students in the SSW within Eberly College of Arts and Sciences are available at: https://tuition.wvu.edu/graduate/morgantown-oncampus#table-5. Tuition and fees may change year to year.
Graduate Assistantships
Every year, West Virginia University awards approximately 1,700 on campus graduate assistantships to incoming and continuing graduate students. These graduate assistantships are supported by state appropriations, federal funds, private grants, and contracts. Information about available graduate assistantships is available from students’ programs, assistantship supervisors, the Office of Student Employment, and other sources (see Graduate Assistantships).
Graduate assistants are expected to work 20 hours per week as teaching, research, or service assistants. All graduate assistants must be accepted into a graduate degree program and are required to be enrolled full-time while employed during the fall and spring terms (9 credits or more). Graduate assistants may not hold more than the total equivalent of one assistantship. Graduate assistants are primarily students and secondarily employees.
Graduate assistants receive a stipend, waiver of University tuition, and University health insurance. Payment of college tuition and University fees is the student’s responsibility. Additional details about the terms of employment for individual graduate assistants are included in the assistantship contract or letter of appointment.
Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs)
Graduate teaching assistants teach courses, laboratory sections, and recitation sections, or provide other forms of instructional assistance. These assistantships are generally available only through the academic units. No graduate student can be appointed to a teaching assistant position after the second week of the semester. The SSW Doctoral program has limited GTA lines available for admitted students, typically for up to three years. PhD students in Social Work with a GTA position will teach BSW and/or MSW courses within the SSW programs. First year GTAs teach one course in the fall semester and two courses in the spring semester. Second year and onward GTAs teach two courses per semester. Information about orientation sessions for graduate teaching assistants is available online at GTA Orientation. For international students interested in GTA positions please see the English proficiency requirements for GTAs at: GTA English Proficiency Requirements .
Graduate Research Assistants (GRAs)
Graduate research assistants help faculty members with their research activities. Research assistantships are primarily funded by grants and other third-party sources, and because the arrival of these funds at the University may not coincide with the beginning of an academic term, University policy is that the deadline for research assistant appointments is no later than the end of the fifth week of classes. SSW PhD students should contact the PhD program director as well as other SSW faculty about potential GRA positions within the SSW. Other GRA positions may also be available across campus.
Graduate Service Assistants (GSAs)
Graduate service assistants typically work in one of the administrative or service offices of WVU. Service assistants work in positions that are related to their program of study and that contribute to their educational experience. Graduate service assistants may be appointed at any time but may only receive a tuition waiver and health insurance for a fall or spring term in which they are appointed by the fifth week of the term. The SSW does not typically have GSAs available for PhD students but positions may be available across campus.
Tuition Waivers
Academic programs (as well as some other offices) at West Virginia University are allocated a limited number of merit University tuition waiver hours that they may award to competitively selected graduate students who are not supported by assistantships or fellowships. Those interested in seeking a merit waiver should contact their program for information concerning application procedures. Merit waivers are awarded by academic programs to recruit and retain students and to help students graduate in a timely manner. Waiver forms must be initiated by the program or office providing the waiver. For SSW PhD students merit waivers are most likely applicable to students finishing dissertation research and not supported by an assistantship. See Merit Tuition Waivers for detailed guidelines.
Professional Travel Support
Financial support for research and research-related travel is available through the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences and Office of the Provost ( see Graduate and Doctoral Travel and Research Programs), the Office of Graduate Education and Life (see Scholarships and Internships), and the School of Social work (for information about this funding, contact the program director).
Other Financial Considerations and Resources
WVU Employees
Full-time WVU and WVU Research Corporation employees who have regular appointments that qualify for benefits are eligible for employee graduate tuition waivers. See: Graduate Employee Tuition Waivers.
The following guidelines apply to employee waivers:
- Please refer to the Waiver Guidelines.
- An employee may receive no more than 6 total hours of waivers as a non-degree graduate student.
- An employee who has been admitted to a degree or certificate program and who is in good standing in that program may request up to 6 hours of waivers per term.
- Some programs and courses restrict the use of waivers. Students are responsible for determining if waivers can be used for particular programs or courses - see Restrictions on Use of Waivers.
- Employee waivers may be applied to a maximum of one master’s degree, one doctoral degree, and one certificate.
- Note that although all full-time regular employees are eligible for waivers, employees must follow University guidelines to be eligible to use employee leave, work release, and flexible work arrangements for class attendance.
- Gift aid, including the value of tuition waivers, is potentially taxable income to employees. Individuals may contact Tax Services for information concerning tax implications of tuition waivers.
- Employee Graduate Tuition Waiver Request Forms must be initiated by the employee.
Outside Employment
Students are permitted to engage in outside employment during their tenure in the PhD program, and the SSW places no formal limits on the number of hours students may work while in the program. However, it is strongly advised that students discuss their outside employment obligations with their academic advisors to ensure that they are allotting sufficient time to complete their academic coursework and assistantship positions as applicable.
Additional Loans
Many students use outside loans to fund their graduate education. In order to apply for student loans, students must complete a FAFSA prior to March 1 ( FAFSA).