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Graduate Education and Life

Restrictions

RESTRICTIONS ON USE OF WAIVERS

Some graduate programs do not allow their students to use University tuition waivers or place restrictions on who can and cannot use waivers.

Keep in mind…

Graduate assistantships are accompanied by a full or partial tuition waiver. All graduate assistants must receive the appropriate tuition waiver to receive graduate assistantship benefits.

Students are responsible for determining if waivers can be used for particular programs or courses.

Students must receive permission from their program to receive any kind of tuition waiver.

View summer enrollment restrictions.

Graduate and professional programs and courses that restrict students’ use of University tuition waivers.

Some programs may restrict the use of waivers even if they are not listed.

  • College of Applied Human Sciences
    • Hiring units outside of the college must obtain permission from the Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Affairs prior to issuing a contract to any CAHS student.
    • Summer waivers: CAHS students with full-time, 9-month GA positions in the previous academic year can receive waivers for approved and required coursework.
  • College of Creative Arts and Media
    • Students enrolled in online programs, including the Master of Arts in Game Design and Music Business and Industry, and the Master of Science in Data Marketing Communications, Digital Marketing Communications, and Integrated Marketing Communications, are ineligible to receive graduate assistantships effective in Fall 2025. Graduate assistants who are contracted in Fall 2024 will be approved to continue their positions through Spring 2025, but no graduate assistant waivers will be approved after Spring 2025. 
    • Employee waivers will be restricted effective Fall 2024. All employees admitted and actively completing courses will be approved to continue to receive an employee waiver through the completion of their degree, but no new employee waivers will be approved.
    • No tuition waivers will be issued to MSJ students in the Reed School of Media and Communications for external Graduate Assistantships (i.e. assistantships outside the Reed School) beginning Fall 2025. (Students hired as GAs in AY 24-25 will be allowed tuition waivers to complete their hiring unit assignments in AY 25-26.)
  • Davis College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
    • To seek or hold a graduate assistantship exterior to the school and to receive waivers, current or prospective Davis college students and hiring units must obtain permission from the Davis College Associate Dean of Academic Affairs.
  • Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
    • To seek or hold a graduate service assistantship exterior to the Eberly College and to receive waivers, current or prospective Eberly students and hiring units must obtain permission from the Eberly College Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
    • Graduate Teaching and Research Assistantships external to the Eberly College will be approved, along with the corresponding tuition waivers. 
    • Students in the online GIS MS degree are not permitted to hold assistantships or use merit waivers. 
    • The School of Social Work permits graduate assistantships for students enrolled in the in-person MSW program. Students enrolled in the online MSW program are not eligible to receive graduate assistantships or tuition waivers. Employee tuition waivers are permitted only for employees enrolled in the in-person MSW program.
  • John Chambers College of Business and Economics
    • Employee waivers will be restricted effective Fall 2024. All employees admitted and actively completing courses will be approved to continue to receive an employee waiver through the completion of their degree, but no new employee waivers will be approved for on-campus programs.
    • External Graduate Assistantships (outside of the Chambers College) are not allowed except for MBA students who work in Corporate Relations and Master of Science in Industrial Relations and Human Resources (MSIRHR) students who work for Career Services. 
    • In exceptional circumstances, a merit wavier will be provided if a student wins a competitive fellowship external to the Chambers College. For consideration, an appeal should be made to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Research.
    • For online programs, which include Business Cybersecurity Management, Business Data Analytics, Human Resources Leadership, Forensic and Fraud Examination, the online MS in Economics, the Healthcare MBA, the Online Hybrid MBA, students’ tuition charges are reduced by $375 per credit hour rather than waiving the standard amount for University tuition, employee, and merit waivers. Graduate Assistantships are not allowed in these programs. Please note, the Doctor of Business Administration will not accept tuition waivers.
  • School of Dentistry
    • Due to the academic rigors and clinical demands of graduate programs at the School of Dentistry, students are not permitted to hold graduate assistantships and receive tuition waivers outside of the School of Dentistry.
  • School of Medicine 
    • Students in graduate and professional programs within the SOM are generally not allowed to hold assistantships outside of the school. To seek or hold a graduate assistantship exterior to the school and to receive waivers, current or prospective School of Medicine students and hiring units must obtain permission from the Health Sciences Assistant Vice President for Graduate Education and the Vice Dean of Professional Programs. Students in the MD program are not allowed to hold graduate assistantships. 
  • School of Nursing
    • Graduate students in the School of Nursing are typically not allowed to hold assistantships outside of the school. To seek or hold a graduate assistantship exterior to the school and to receive waivers, current or prospective School of Nursing students and hiring units must obtain permission from the School of Nursing Associate Dean of Curriculum Affairs.
  • School of Pharmacy
    • Graduate students in Pharmacy are typically not allowed to hold assistantships outside of the college. To seek or hold a graduate assistantship exterior to the school and to receive waivers, current or prospective School of Pharmacy students and hiring units must obtain permission from the Dean of the School of Pharmacy.
  • School of Public Health
    • Graduate students in Public Health are typically not allowed to hold assistantships outside of the college. To seek or hold a graduate assistantship exterior to the school and to receive waivers, current or prospective School of Public Health students and hiring units must obtain permission from the School of Public Health Assistant Dean for Student Affairs.
  • Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources
    • To seek or hold a graduate assistantship exterior to the school and to receive waivers, current or prospective Statler College students and hiring units must obtain permission from the Statler College Associate Dean of Academics and Student Performance.
    • Students enrolled in online programs offered in the Statler College (Engineering Management, Midstream Petroleum Engineering, Occupational Safety & Health, Safety Management, and Software Engineering) will not receive tuition waivers.
  • General Restrictions
    • Most WVU Online and Hybrid programs
      • Students must obtain permission from their program to seek or hold a graduate assistantship or to receive waivers.
    • Special Intersession Courses
      • Waivers may not be used for Special Intercession courses.

General Program Guidelines

Graduate or professional programs that restrict students’ use of University tuition waivers must:

  • Convey this information to potential applicants to the program so that applicants are aware that they may not be allowed to seek graduate assistantships or merit, employee, or special program waivers to defray the costs of their program.
  • Regularly inform students admitted to the program of restrictions on their ability to seek and obtain graduate assistantships or merit, employee, or special program waivers.

Permission Guidelines

If only some students in a program are to be allowed to seek assistantships or waivers, the procedures for obtaining program permission must be clearly conveyed to students.

If a student in a program that does not normally allow the use of waivers is given permission to apply for an assistantship or waiver from a unit other than their own program, this permission must be conveyed in writing to the hiring unit (for an assistantship) or the waiver granting unit (for other waivers).

Hiring units and waiver granting units (other than a student’s own program) must receive written permission from a student’s program before considering a student for a graduate assistantship or waiver if the student is in one of the programs listed below.

Because other programs may at times place restrictions on students’ ability to obtain assistantships or waivers, it is good practice for hiring or waiver-granting units to ask students from other programs to confirm that their program will allow them to have their University tuition waived prior to accepting an application for an assistantship or waiver from the student.

Value of Tuition Waivers

Online Priced-to-Market Programs assess tuition and determine the value of tuition waivers differently than other WVU graduate programs.

Rather than waiving the standard amount for University tuition, GA, employee, and merit waivers reduce students’ tuition charges by $375 per credit hour. Students should consult their program to determine if this policy affects any approved GA  waivers.

For more information on this tuition assessment format and fee waiving process, please contact WVU Online or individual program directors.