Graduate Assistantships
Graduate students pursuing an degree in construction may have the opportunity to receive financial assistance in one of several forms. Three major types of university funding exist for graduate study:
- Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTAs),
- Graduate Research Assistantships (GRAs), and
- Graduate Assistantships (GAs).
For more information on these funding mechanisms, please visit our Graduate Assistantships page.
Students may also fund their studies through their own financial resources such as loans or savings, or through part time employment inside or outside the university. Full time employment outside the university is not recommended during the academic year in order to make satisfactory progress toward completion of degree requirements. Many graduate students elect to take on fulltime internships in industry during the summer to help fund their graduate studies.
Fellowships
Fellowships to support graduate study are available from sources outside the university such as the National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. To learn more about these opportunities, students should search each agency’s web site for the graduate fellowship appropriate for the degree being pursued. Deadlines for such fellowships are typically annual, and the student is responsible for meeting all eligibility and application requirements. It is often helpful to work directly with the major advisor to develop a strong application package for external fellowships, and applications nearly always require letters of recommendation from faculty that attest to the strengths and qualifications of the student. Students interested in pursuing funding under an external fellowship should plan ahead in developing a relationship with the faculty so that they can support efforts in pursuing these opportunities.
Other Types of Financial Aid
Other types of financial aid such as subsidized loans, scholarships, and grants may be available based on the specific qualifications and needs of the student. Some of these types of aid such as loans must be repaid at the conclusion of the degree program, while others do not require repayment, such as scholarships or grants. For more information about other types of Financial Aid, contact the Virginia Tech Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid by phone at (540) 231-5179 or online at www.finaid.vt.edu.
