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The Graduate Tuition Fellowship (GTF) is a competitive award program administered by the Graduate School that covers the cost of in-state tuition and mandatory fees for qualified Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA), and Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) students. Selections for these fellowships are made by each respective college.
Covers the cost of in-state tuition and mandatory fees for full-time enrollment of nine (9) credit hours per term (fall and spring); some amounts may vary by college/department, click the corresponding link below for more information on your college's GTF policies. This award is non-refundable and will be adjusted if the scholarship amount exceeds the actual cost of a student's in-state tuition and mandatory fees.
Click the corresponding link below for more information on your college's GTF policies.
The Graduate School Fund (GSF) provides financial assistance for state of Texas resident graduate students who demonstrate financial need.
Award amounts will be based on a student's financial need, enrollment level, and the availability of funds. The GSF can only be applied to the cost of tuition and mandatory fees. This award is non-refundable and will be adjusted if the scholarship amount exceeds the actual cost of a student's tuition and mandatory fees. Students who have a Graduate Tuition Fellowship (GTF) are not eligible to receive the GSF.
Maximum award amounts will be determined based on your enrollment and financial need:
Enrollment |
Maximum Amount |
9 or more credit hours |
$2,500 per long term |
7 to 8 credit hours |
$2,200 per long term |
6 credit hours |
$1,675 per long term |
Less than 6 credit hours |
Not Eligible |
Submit a FAFSA for the 2024-2025 academic year. To complete a FAFSA and find out more information, visit fafsa.gov.
The Carey C. Shuart Presidential Endowed Fellowship in the School of Art is intended to recruit exceptional graduate students. Fellowships are limited to students entering graduate programs at the University of Houston and are renewable for two years provided the student continues to meet the eligibility requirements. Selections for this fellowship are made by the college.
The Chancellor/President Arthur K. Smith & First Lady June D. Smith Presidential Endowed Fellowship is intended to recruit exceptional graduate students. Fellowships are limited to students entering graduate programs at the University of Houston during the fall term and are renewable for two years provided the student continues to meet the eligibility requirements. Preference is given to those whose degree objective is the doctorate. Selections for this fellowship are made by the colleges.
The Florence Clemenger Presidential Endowed Fellowship in the Graduate College of Social Work is intended to recruit exceptional graduate students. Fellowships are limited to students entering graduate programs at the University of Houston during the fall term and are renewable for two years provided the student continues to meet the eligibility requirements. Preference is given to those whose degree objective is the doctorate. Selections for this fellowship are made by the college.
The John L. Bear Presidential Endowed Fellowship in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics is intended to recruit exceptional graduate students. Fellowships are limited to students entering graduate programs at the University of Houston and are renewable for two years provided the student continues to meet the eligibility requirements. Selections for this fellowship are made by the college.
The June L. Chin Presidential Endowed Fellowship in the College of Pharmacy is intended to recruit exceptional graduate students. Fellowships are limited to students entering graduate programs at the University of Houston and are renewable for six years provided the student continues to meet the eligibility requirements. Selections for this fellowship are made by the college.
The Lourdes M. and Nicanora C. Cuellar Presidential Endowed Fellowship in the College of Pharmacy is intended to recruit exceptional graduate students. Fellowships are limited to students entering graduate programs at the University of Houston during the fall term and are renewable for six years provided the student continues to meet the eligibility requirements. Selections for this fellowship are made by the college.
The Nicky R. and Lisa K. Holdeman Presidential Endowed Fellowship in the College of Optometry is intended to recruit exceptional graduate students. Fellowships are limited to students entering graduate programs at the University of Houston during the fall term and are renewable for six years provided the student continues to meet the eligibility requirements. Preference is given to those whose degree objective is the doctorate. Selections for this fellowship are made by the college.
The Robert F. Lietzow Presidential Endowed Fellowship in the Moores School of Music is intended to recruit exceptional graduate students. Fellowships are limited to students entering graduate programs at the University of Houston during the fall term and are renewable for two years provided the student continues to meet the eligibility requirements. Preference is given to those whose degree objective is the doctorate. Selections for this fellowship are made by the college.
The Sharon Ley Lietzow Presidential Endowed Fellowship in the Moores School of Music is intended to recruit exceptional graduate students. Fellowships are limited to students entering graduate programs at the University of Houston and are renewable for two years provided the student continues to meet the eligibility requirements. Preference is given to those whose degree objective is the doctorate. Selections for this fellowship are made by the college.
The Virginia Thompson Symons Presidential Endowed Fellowship in the Cullen College of Engineering in Environment Engineering is intended to recruit exceptional graduate students. Fellowships are limited to students entering graduate programs at the University of Houston during the fall term and are renewable for two years provided the student continues to meet the eligibility requirements. Preference is given to those whose degree objective is the doctorate. Selections for this fellowship are made by the college.
The WalMart Health and Wellness Presidential Endowed Fellowship in the College of Pharmacy is intended to recruit exceptional graduate students. Fellowships are limited to students entering graduate programs at the University of Houston during the fall term and are renewable for six years provided the student continues to meet the eligibility requirements. Selections for this fellowship are made by the college.
The Yu-Wen Diana Huang Presidential Endowed Fellowship in the Gerald D. Hines College of Archietecture is intended to recruit exceptional graduate students. Fellowships are limited to students entering graduate programs at the University of Houston during the fall term and are renewable for two years provided the student continues to meet the eligibility requirements. Selections for this fellowship are made by the college.
The Graduate School Stella L. Ehrhardt Scholarship is a two-year fellowship available to master's students at the University of Houston. Selections for this scholarship are made by each respective college.
$1,200 annually (renewable for up to two years while enrolled in a master's program), as funds are available. Students who are non-residents or international will also qualify for a non-resident tuition waiver.
The Graduate School Research Incentive Cullen Fund provides support for student research initiatives, at the doctoral level only.
One-time award of up to $1,000.
The following minimum requirements must be met to qualify for a Graduate School Research Incentive Cullen Fund:
Applicants must attach the following documents through the ticket form below:
If selected, applicants must complete the following after research in order to receive funding:
The Cullen Fellowship Travel Grant (CFTG) is a competitive fellowship program established to support graduate student travel to meetings, conferences, performances, and exhibits to showcase their research and scholarly work. This travel grant program is designed both to enhance professional development opportunities for students and to further promote the status of the University of Houston as a Carnegie-designated Tier One research university. The CFTG is open to all masters, doctorate, and professional students.
This fund is a reimbursement award and will reimburse the student upon submission of the deliverables.
Doctorate/Professional: CFTG will cover up to 75% allowable travel expenses (hotel or conference housing, transportation, registration costs) or up to $750.00, whichever is less.
Masters: CFTG will cover up to $500 of allowable travel expenses (hotel or conference housing, transportation, registration costs).
The following minimum requirements must be met to qualify for the Cullen Fellowship Travel Grant:
*Only travel permitted by University of Houston travel guidelines is eligible for an award: https://uh.edu/covid-19/guidelines-protocols/travel-guidelines/ . You may be asked to provide additional documentation that your travel has been approved according to UH policies before being eligible to receive the award.
Due to the wide-ranging schedules of conferences, there is one deadline per term for Cullen Fellowship Travel Grant applications. There will be a 3-4 week review period following these deadlines. Applications must be received by 11:59PM CST on the deadline provided below. Applications should be for travel occurring after the application deadline
September 20, 2024 (for travel commencing on or after September 20, 2024)
February 3, 2025 (for travel commencing on or after February 3, 2025)
Application and participation in the annual UH Graduate School research event (3MT and/or poster session).
*If the recipient fails to apply/participate in the GRS event or an approved alternate event, the CFTG award may be revokedTraveling abroad? The Learning Abroad office at the University of Houston is officially designated as a U.S. Passport Acceptance Facility by the U.S. Department of State. Their acceptance agents are authorized to facilitate and receive your applications for a U.S. passport book and/or card. Visit the Passport for Coogs website for additional information.
The University of Houston Graduate School hosts the university-wide Graduate Research Showcase. This event is intended to showcase the breadth and depth of groundbreaking research being undertaken by UH graduate students across disciplines, as well as to offer opportunities for cross-disciplinary networking. The event will feature a poster session and an oral session in the form of a 3MT® competition. Graduate student winners from each category will be eligible to receive scholarship awards ranging from $250 to $1000. You must be present at the Awards ceremony to receive the scholarship if you are selected as a first, second, or third place winner.
Visit the GRS website for more information on how to apply.
The Graduate School, in collaboration with the Graduate and Professional Student Association (GPSA), is offering the Cullen Graduate Student Success Fellowship. This fellowship will provide funds to support graduate and professional student success in academic endeavors including research, teaching and creative work. This award is open to master’s, doctoral and professional students. The Cullen Graduate Student Success Fellowship will provide funding for support of the following activities.
This fellowship may cover expenses related to academics and/or research, such as software, registration costs for virtual conferences, materials needed for academic projects or workshops, and other similar expenses.
One-time scholarship award of $250.
Students must be registered in a graduate or professional program and must be in good academic standing in their program with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Members of the GPSA will review applications and will make funding recommendations to the Dean of the Graduate School. Priority will be given to students who have the greatest need and/or are nearing degree completion. Priority will be given to students who have not received the CGSSF award previously.
Currently not accepting applications.
These awards will be given to an eligible graduate student who submitted an outstanding dissertation representing “original work that makes an unusually significant contribution to the discipline.” Awards will be given in the following 4 broad fields in rotating years:
Two $1000 awards will be given per year; one in each of the eligible fields.
Click here for more information on the Outstanding Dissertation Award
The Outstanding Master's Thesis Awards will be given in four different categories on a rotating basis:
An additional award will be given for a non-traditional thesis/project award. Two (or three) $750 awards will be given per year.
Click here for more information on the Outstanding Thesis Award
The following represent the most common waivers available to students as fully described in Chapter 54 of the Texas Education Code:
54.364 Blind and Deaf Students
54.301 Highest Ranking High School Graduates
54.365 Senior Citizens
54.351 Children of Disabled Firefighters and Peace Officers
54.343 Children of Prisoners of War or Persons Missing In Action
54.341 Hazlewood
54.212 Employee Waiver
54.213 Competitive Waiver
More information on tuition and fees exemptions and waivers can be accessed here Tuition Waiver
If you're eligible for financial aid at the University of Houston, your financial aid package could include a work-study* award. Work-study jobs go to students with demonstrated financial need, and most students can work 12 to 20 hours each week during the academic year. This award provides you the opportunity to search and apply for College Work-Study (CWS) jobs through University Career Services' Cougar Pathway.
Visit University Career Services' website for more information on work-study jobs and how to apply.
*Any scholarship counts as a financial resource and must be considered when constructing a student award package. Total student aid cannot exceed a student’s cost of attendance. The cost of attendance (COA) is an estimate of what it costs the typical student to attend the University of Houston. Your COA includes tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, transportation and personal expenses. University of Houston awards are subject to change depending on the entire student award package and the students’ COA.
Educational loans come from a variety of sources. The federal government, for example, sponsors several loan programs that offer below-market interest rates and other beneficial features. Other loan options, such as private bank loans, provide valuable help to students who may not qualify for federal loans. Even our own Dean of Students Office offers short-term emergency loans to current students.
Questions? Contact the Office of Scholarships & Financial Aid or visit the loans website for more information.
Click here to know about Spring aid.
Click here to know about Summer aid.
Click here to know about Financial aid & scholarship forms.
There are thousands of scholarship opportunities available for nearly every graduate or professional student available through outside sources.
Search Engines:
Curated list of nationally competitive fellowships:
Links to UH Resources:
Links to Nationally Competitive Fellowships (not exhaustive)
Resources for Writing your Fellowship Statements:
Tips on Letters of Recommendation:
UH Financial Aid TV is here! Get all your questions on financial aids, grants, loans and scholarship answererd.