Economics

Financial Aid Offered in Economics

Undergraduate   Graduate

Graduate Financial Aid

The Department of Economics, the College of Business and the University of Texas at Arlington have several sources of financial aid for domestic and international students. Graduate research assistantships, Department scholarships, and University-wide fellowships are available on a competitive basis.

Graduate Assistantships in the Department of Economics

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The predominant form of financial aid is the assistantship which provides a modest monthly stipend and a reduction of tuition to in-state levels. As the number of assistantships is limited, they are granted on a competitive basis. Applicants for these positions must possess quality research skills in order to provide valuable assistance to their assigned professor. Awarding of assistantships depends on the availability of funds for assistantships in the Department of Economics. If there are more applicants than positions available, assistantships will be awarded on the basis of GPA, test scores, and other factors such as previous work performance, training in Economics, and satisfying the needs of the Department.

It is expected that those who apply for graduate assistantships be enrolled as a full time student pursuing a graduate degree in economics. Also, those who apply must be able to demonstrate strong research skills, including the ability to find and collect information from the Internet and library, the ability to operate basic research software such as SAS and MS Excel, and be able to communicate in both written and oral form with their assigned professors. The inability to satisfactorily fulfill one or more of these skills will reduce the chances of obtaining and maintaining an assistantship.

The Department of Economics stresses that its first priority is to students enrolled in the MA program in Economics. Lower priority will be given to graduate students in the College of Business Administration. Lowest priority will be given to graduate students in other colleges. It is highly unlikely that a non-economics major will receive an assistantship from the Department of Economics and are encouraged to seek assistantships elsewhere.

According to the University of Texas at Arlington regulations, to qualify for an assistantship a student must also meet the following conditions (p. 37 of the Graduate Catalog, online at http://grad.uta.edu):

1. Unconditional admission status (provisional or probational acceptance precludes eligibility);

2. A minimum of 3.0 GPA must be maintained (probation precludes eligibility);

3. No other outside employment is undertaken;

4. Satisfactory and timely completion of assigned tasks;

5. Satisfactory progress towards an advanced degree in economics;

6. A minimum of nine hours and a maximum of twelve hours of coursework per semester;

7. For international students a minimum score of 45 on the TSE-A test or satisfactory completion of the Developmental English Program taught at UTA;

8. The student must possess a social security number. If not, apply for it immediately.

For a non-Economics major, an assistantship is only awarded for the current semester and renewal of an assistantship depends on the availability of funding and previous work performance. For economics majors, assistantships are awarded on a semester basis and will not be renewed if job performance is unsatisfactory. The Department of Economics does not and will not hire research assistants.

Priority for graduate assistantships is reserved for M.A. students in Economics and dual degree students in which Economics is the primary degree. Applicants who are not majoring in economics are unlikely to receive an assistantship in the economics department and are therefore encouraged to apply elsewhere. If an assistantship is offered to a non-Economics major, the award is only for the current semester and renewal of the assistantship depends on the availability of funding and job performance.

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Scholarships in the Department of Economics

The award of  a scholarship will not be affected in any  way by race, religion, creed, or gender, but will be awarded on the basis of the student’s potential and interest in a degree program in economics.  

To qualify for a scholarship, (1) a student must have a 3.4 GPA or better as computed by the Graduate School, (2) a student must be an M.A. graduate student in economics, and (3) a student must be enrolled in a minimum of six credit hours per semester. 

The amount of each scholarship is now between $1,000-$2,500 and the number of awards varies year to year.

Students interested should submit a completed application form, a letter describing goals, achievements and career interests in economics, and two letters of recommendation to Department of Economics, P.O. Box 19479, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019 or Room 309 Business Building.

Departmental scholarships are offered once a year. Applications are considered during the summer semester and any awards are determined before the start of the fall semester. Department scholarships are reserved for exceptional students and the department may award no scholarships in a given academic year.

A list of past departmental scholarship recipients is available here.

The Richard L. and Betty Shelton Dennis Scholarship in the Department of Economics

The Richard L. and Betty Shelton Dennis Endowed Scholarship was established to honor Richard Dennis and the memory of Betty Shelton Dennis. The fund is used for students in their senior year or for graduate students majoring in the field of economics. Applicants must demonstrate financial need, a solid academic record, and involvement in student activities and/or research. Annual awards will be made for tuition and fee payments. The Department of Economics will announce scholarship availability, secure applications and select recipients during the Summer Semester. This award is not made every year.

The Joan McCrea Memorial Scholarship

The Joan McCrea Memorial Scholarship was established to provide financial assistance to promising students in their pursuit of a degree in economics. The main criterion for selection of a McCrea scholarship is that the applicant must have a strong commitment to the study of economics.

Department of Economics MA Student Scholarship Application MS Word Format Adobe Format Return to: Department of Economics, P.O. Box 19479, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019 or Room 309 Business Building.

College of Business Administration Scholarships

The College of Business Administration assists qualified students in funding their business education through awarding merit-based scholarships. These awards are granted to those who demonstrate the ability to achieve excellence within the College and, later in the business community. These scholarships are awarded by the Dean's Office of the College of Business and the amount awarded for every scholarship is approximately $250-$500 per semester.

Most scholarships specify the following criteria:

1. Overall GPA - 3.0;

2. Major in the College of Business;

3. Recipient must be deserving student in need of financial assistance;

4. Full-Time enrollment;

5. Native-born U.S. citizens or permanent resident;

6. Record of academic achievement and/or potential;

7. Indication of plans to pursue a career involving business or the area of your degree program;

8. Record of involvement in student activities.

Apply Online!!

University of Texas at Arlington Graduate School Master’s Fellowships

Graduate Schools Masters Degree Fellowship

Purpose: Graduate School Masters Degree Fellowships are being offered for the support of outstanding masters degree students at The University of Texas at Arlington. The duration of the award is 2 years and the award may commence with the Fall 2003 semester.

Eligibility: The general guidelines for eligibility for the Graduate School Masters Degree Fellowship include an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 plus any graduate credit hours of 3.0. Programs may add additional selection criteria. The fellowships are awarded on a competitive basis. The award of a Graduate School Masters Degree Fellowship does not preclude other financial aid.

Nominations: Qualified students are be nominated by the Graduate Advisor of their degree program. The nomination is submitted to the scholarship committee of the College of Business Administration, and the scholarship committee chooses the college’s nominees and forwards them to the Dean of Graduate Studies for approval. Students are encouraged to discuss the nomination procedure with the degree program's Graduate Advisor.

Renewal: A Graduate Masters Degree Fellowship may be renewed for a second year; continuing students must maintain a GPA of 3.0. Students who change majors will not be renewed in the semester following the change of major.

Apply Online!!

Undergraduate Scholarships

The Joan McCrea Memorial Scholarship

The Joan McCrea Memorial Scholarship was established to provide financial assistance to promising students in their pursuit of a degree in economics. The main criterion for selection of a McCrea scholarship is that the applicant must have a strong commitment to the study of economics.

The Lawrence Ziegler Memorial Scholarship

The Ziegler Memorial Scholarship Fund was established to honor the memory and contributions of Dr. Lawrence Ziegler. Criteria include a 3.0 GPA and demonstrated involvement in student organizations.

The Richard L. and Betty Shelton Dennis Scholarship

The Richard L. and Betty Shelton Dennis Endowed Scholarship was established to honor Richard Dennis and the memory of Betty Shelton Dennis. The fund is to be used for students in their senior year or for graduate students majoring in the field of economics. Applicants must demonstrate financial need, a solid academic record, and involvement in student activities and/or research. Annual awards will be made for tuition and fee payments. The Department of Economics will announce scholarship availability, secure applications and select recipients. The amounts awarded are determined by the Department’s Scholarship Selection Committee.

The Alumni Scholarship

The Alumni Scholarship Fund was established to provide financial assistance to Economics majors with a 3.0 GPA and a demonstrated commitment to the study of economics.

Department of Economics Undergraduate Scholarship Application MS Word Format Adobe Format Return to: Department of Economics, P.O. Box 19479, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019 or Room 309 Business Building.