The Graduate Tuition Fellowship (GTF) is a competitive award program administered by the University of Houston Graduate School that covers the cost of in-state tuition and mandatory fees for qualified Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) students for fall/spring enrollment. Summer awards are not guaranteed and are contingent upon the available budget.

College of Education Ph.D. students are awarded GTFs for the first two years of their academic program, and awards are offered during the admissions process; there is no separate application for incoming students. Continuing students must demonstrate satisfactory progress in course work, and timely progress in completing the degree requirements as defined by the enrolling graduate program to be eligible for a GTF Award.

On an annual basis, the COE Dean’s Leadership Team determines the number of awards, based on funds available. Therefore, distribution of GTF award and the number available will be reviewed as resources change. 

Specific information concerning the prioritization of GTF awards is listed below:

1. Students will be prioritized by cohort year; students who started the Ph.D. program most recently will receive GTF awards before students who have been in the program longer.
2. Within cohorts, international students will be prioritized for GTF award, which is associated with an out-of-state tuition waiver, based on their greater tuition expenses.
3. Students will be of a “more recent” cohort if a special situation applies whereby, they have not been awarded GTF in previous year(s) because of:
   • non enrollment during a previous year or semester due to FML, illness, etc.;
   • grant or other external support that covered students’ tuition expense/waiver and students did not receive GTF award during that time;
   • other circumstances that resulted in the student not receiving GTF in prior years.
4. If only a partial cohort can be covered with GTF, individual students’ circumstances can be considered, including but not limited to the following:
   • Program Director and/or Advisor report of suitable progress through the program (prioritizing students with positive reviews);
   • Employment through a departmental or college-funded assistantship;
   • Documented financial circumstances that would impact the ability to complete the program if GTF was not granted; and/or
   • Equitable coverage of students with university funded GTF between the departments comprising doctoral programs.

While these are the requirements for the College of Education, the full Graduate Tuition Fellowship policy can be reviewed, HERE.