College of Engineering PhD Full Funding Model and Tuition Support Guidelines
All doctoral students in the College of Engineering are admitted under a policy of full support. Master’s students who are approved for a change of program into a doctoral program will receive financial aid at the time of their transfer. As long as standards are achieved and milestones are met, doctoral students who enter with a master’s degree receive four years of guaranteed support, and doctoral students who enter with a bachelor’s degree receive five years of guaranteed support.
The College of Engineering and Rackham have designated special funds for tuition support. Fall or winter tuition support, with GradCare, may be requested for students admitted to any CoE doctoral program.
This tuition support applies only to students in College of Engineering graduate programs, without regard to the home unit of the student’s advisor.
One term of funding may be requested for students within the four or five year commitment:
- A student who is on an internship.
- A student who is required to register due to the requirements of the Rackham Continuous Enrollment policy.
- A student who requires funding due to unforeseen circumstances such as a family or medical emergency or a period of transition between research advisors when resources, such as a GSI appointment, from the student’s home program are unavailable or insufficient. The criteria are:
- Ph.D. Candidate (full tuition) or Pre-candidate (one credit of pre-candidate tuition if needed to keep the student enrolled);
- Making satisfactory academic progress as judged by program faculty;
- Not otherwise supported with a GSRA or GSI position or with a fellowship that includes tuition coverage.
The general expectation is that the faculty advisor will provide student funding. If the advisor cannot fully fund a student, the department/program should provide GSI or fellowship funding. If the department/program and advisor are unable to provide full funding support, the College may cost share the funding shortfall, or in extraordinary circumstances, provide full funding.
The College or Rackham may provide one term of Fall or Winter tuition support for students on internship who are not in their final semester of their doctoral program.
To request support and consider other funding resources for graduate students, the graduate chair or his/her designee should refer to the Graduate Department/Program funding webpage for more information.
The Rackham Graduate Student Emergency Fund
The Rackham Graduate Student Emergency Fund is intended to help meet the financial needs of Rackham graduate students who encounter an emergency situation or one-time, unusual, or unforeseen expenses during their degree program. Examples include:
- Medical, dental, or mental health emergencies for the student or, in some circumstances, for immediate family members who live with the student
- Major accidents and events such as fire and natural disasters
- Expenses related to the death of an immediate family member
Normal living expenses such as rent, car repairs, child care, utilities, taxes, insurance, pet-related expenses, and computer/laptop replacement are generally not covered by this fund.
An “immediate family member” is defined as a student’s spouse or other qualified adult (who shares a primary residence with you and has done so for the previous six continuous months, other than as your employee or tenant) or the son, daughter, parent, grandparent, grandchild, brother, sister (or the spouse of any of them), of either the student, the student’s spouse, the other qualified adult, or any other related person living in the student’s household. We acknowledge that students have family relationships that extend beyond their household. As our focus is on assisting the greatest number of Rackham graduate students—with limited funds at our disposal—requests must adhere to this guideline.
Eligibility
Students must be enrolled in a Rackham degree program. Rackham doctoral students are limited to two (2) Emergency Fund awards and master’s students are limited to one (1) Emergency Fund award during their graduate career. Ph.D. students on an approved leave of absence are eligible if they were in good academic standing at the beginning of the period of leave, have an approved plan for return to active study at the conclusion of the leave, and experience an emergency situation or unforeseen expense that would interfere with their ability to return to active study as planned.
Students who are experiencing financial difficulties that exceed the scope of this fund may request a meeting with Rackham staff to further explore the difficulties they are experiencing. Staff will be in touch with students to help address needs, concerns, and to assist with campus referrals, as appropriate.
Deadline
Applications from students are reviewed on a rolling basis once the application is complete.
Award Description
Awards may be up to $2,500 each. For students who qualify for need-based financial aid (including the child care subsidy), receipt of this Rackham award may reduce the original loan amount or subsidy. Please contact the Office of Financial Aid prior to submitting your application for help evaluating your individual circumstance and possible impact to your financial aid.
Application Process
Students should apply online. Before applying for emergency funds, students are encouraged to speak to their faculty advisors and the graduate chairs of their programs. These individuals may be able to help identify sources of financial assistance and/or provide useful advice. The online application includes the following:
- Brief statement describing the emergency situation or one-time, unusual, or unforeseen expense and the total dollar amount of emergency funds being requested. (1,500 words)
- Budget detailing the amount of emergency funding requested, a list of current expenses and an itemized list of how the funds will be used, and your financial situation including sources of income and other available funding. (1,500 words)
Rackham Graduate Student Research Grant
- The Rackham Graduate School is committed to excellence in graduate education. The Rackham Graduate Student Research Grant is designed to support Rackham graduate students who need assistance to carry out research that advances their progress toward their degree.
- The grant is intended to defray costs of conducting clearly defined research projects including:
- Research related expenses (e.g., subject fees, access to specialized data sets, purchase of archival materialsor images, laboratory supplies that will be consumed in the course of the project)
- Temporary research assistants or transcribers (NOTE: Requests for this type of expense must include a compelling explanation of why the student cannot perform the work him or herself. Please see below for explanation.)
- Research-based travel not associated with a course (e.g., off-campus data collection, access to libraries, archives or historical sites)
- Purchasing laboratory equipment, field work equipment or computer software (NOTE: This type of expense has some special limitations. Please see below.)
- Off-campus study of foreign languages needed for research. Proposals will be considered only if the instruction is not available on the U-M Ann Arbor campus. The relevance of the language studied to the student’s research must be explained in the proposal.
- Off-campus study of specialized methodologies or techniques needed for research. Proposals will be considered only if instruction in the methodologies and/or techniques is not available on the U-M Ann Arbor campus. (NOTE: An explicit paragraph explaining the relevance of the methodologies and/or techniques to the student’s research must be included in the proposal.)
- MFA and DMA students in Dance, Art and Design and Music are eligible for this funding to support a performance or exhibition as required by their graduate program. The presentation or performance must be central to the student’s graduate studies and serve to contribute directly to his or her degree.
Eligibility
Graduate students are eligible to apply for a Rackham Graduate Student Research Grant if:
- The graduate student is in good academic standing in a Rackham degree granting program
- The proposed research project or activity directly relates to and helps achieve progress towards his or her degree.
A master’s student is eligible for one Rackham Graduate Student Research Grant during his or her graduate program. A doctoral student is eligible for two Rackham Graduate Student Research Grants during his or her graduate program, one before candidacy and one as a candidate. Students who receive a master’s award will not be eligible as a pre-candidate.
Selection Criteria
Criteria for funding will include the clarity and coherence of the rationale for the project, the significance of the research question being addressed, the value of the project for the student’s graduate school and career goals, the qualifications of the student to carry out the proposed research, and the relevance and reasonableness of the budget request for the activities proposed. Applications will be reviewed only after they have been submitted.
The student will receive an email notifying him or her of Rackham’s decision. If a grant is awarded, procedures for payment will be outlined in the email.
Deadline
Awards are reviewed and accepted on an individual basis.
Award Description
- Master’s students are eligible for an award up to $1,500
- Pre-candidates are eligible for an award up to $1,500
- Candidates are eligible for an award up to $3,000
Application Procedures
Students must apply online
Students must submit a research proposal, budget and letter of support. The research proposal is limited to 1,500 words. References are not included in this word limit and may be submitted to flwships@umich.edu if they exceed the space limit on the application.
The dissertation chair, faculty advisor or graduate chair listed on the application may submit their letter of support online at Apply now for a Rackham Graduate Student Research Grant
Students should carefully review the Guidelines section on the online application. This section contains detailed information on submitting a proposal and budget as well as a list of ineligible expenses that should not be included in the application.
Rackham Conference Travel Grants – Provisions/Regulations
Rackham Conference Travel Grant
The Rackham Conference Travel Grant is intended to provide opportunities for Rackham graduate students to become familiar with, and participate in the life of, their academic professions. As part of its University-wide commitment to advancing international research and training, the International Institute provides funding for 30 awards to international destinations. The remainder of the funding comes from Rackham. You must submit your applications before the first day of the conference for travel through the end of the final term of registration. The conference may occur anytime up through your final semester of registration. Applications will not be considered for retroactive funding.
Eligibility
Graduate students are eligible to apply for a Rackham Conference Travel Grant award if:
- The graduate student is in good academic standing in a Rackham degree granting program.
- The student has responded to a formal call for abstracts.
- The student has been accepted to present a poster or paper at a conference.
Deadline
Ongoing. Complete applications, including the letter of recommendation, must be received before the first day of the conference.
Award Description
A student is eligible to receive one travel grant award (either domestic or international, but not both) during a fiscal year, which runs from July 1 – June 30, based on the start date of the conference.
- Up to $700 for the continental US.
- Up to $950 for Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Europe.
- Up to $1,200 for Africa, Asia, South America, and Australia.
Application Procedure
Students may visit the Rackham Conference Travel Grant application and submit the following:
- Recommendation from the faculty advisor or graduate chair as to how the conference participation is directly relevant to the student’s research or graduate studies.
- Copy of the confirmation of presentation (letter or e-mail is acceptable) with the applicant’s name clearly listed as a presenter or performer to verify the student’s acceptance to participate in the conference.
- A budget regarding the amount of funding requested and a list of the specific expenses covered by the award.
Rackham Doctoral Intern Fellowship Program
The Rackham Doctoral Intern Fellowship Program allows doctoral students to pursue a fully supported and funded internship during their graduate training (spring/summer, fall or winter). Internships offer students a mentored professional learning experience in diverse career settings. The program is made possible by Rackham and the generous support of our donors.
Two tracks to choose from
The program has two tracks – students may apply to ready-made internships Rackham has set up with host organizations or for funding to support an internship they have secured with an organization. The eligibility requirements and application instructions vary by term and program track (host organization or student-identified). Please make sure to read carefully to understand your eligibility to apply.
Doctoral Intern Fellowships with Rackham Host Sites. Visit the Doctoral Intern Fellowships with Rackham Host Organizations page to learn more about applying to a ready-made internship with one of our host organizations during spring/summer, fall or winter.
Student-Identified Doctoral Intern Fellowships. Visit the Student-Identified Doctoral Intern Fellowships page to learn more about applying for funding to support an internship you have already secured for spring/summer, fall or winter.