ADMISSIONS & AID
Tuition and Financial Aid
The value of a degree at Pitt Public Health cannot be measured in dollars and cents, but we realize that cost is a factor in determining where to pursue your degree. Tuition rates at the University of Pittsburgh will vary by whether you are a Pennsylvania or out-of-state resident.
Pitt Public Health cannot guarantee funding to every student, but last year the school provided more than $5 million in financial aid to graduate students. Almost all Pitt Public Health doctoral students and many master’s students receive some type of financial aid, whether in the form of full or partial scholarships, fellowships, student assistantships, student employment, or student loans.
Explore Financial Aid
1. Billing Process:
Electronic Billing
Students are billed electronically and eBills are sent to the student’s Pitt email address after registration for classes. Students must pay tuition by the due date on the invoice or else be liable for late fees. The University may also place a financial hold on overdue accounts.
eBills are posted on or about the 20th of every month and are due on the 17th of the following month.
Optional Payment Plan
Under some circumstances, students may be approved for three- or four-installment payments in the fall or spring term. Click herefor more information, including dates of payments.
Add/Drop
Students who drop courses by the term’s add/drop deadline may have their tuition for the term adjusted if they are part-time students, or if the drop changes their status from full-time to part-time.
Withdrawal
To withdraw from a class after the official add/drop period while still enrolled in other classes, you must process a Monitored Withdrawal Request Form through the dean’s office of the school offering the class. If you wish to drop all of your classes after the end of the add/drop period, you must resign from the term. See resignation information.
After the deadline for submitting a Monitored Withdrawal form, you will have to ask the instructor of the course to assign a W grade at the end of the term. The instructor will have to post an interim grade (usually a G) on the course roster, and then change the G to a W using a Grade Change Form. W grades do not count toward a student’s degree, grade point average, or academic progress for purposes of financial aid eligibility. There is no tuition adjustment associated with a class withdrawal.
Resignation Refunds
Adjustments to tuition charges resulting from official resignation (dropping of all courses for the term) are based on the effective date of resignation and in accordance with the federally mandated calculation. If you decide to resign, call the resignation hotline immediately to leave your name and contact information (412-624-7585) as the refund amount is calculated from the date of resignation.
2. Student Loans
Student loan applications are processed by the University’s Office of Admissions and Financial Aid (OAFA). Click on Types of Financial Aid and then review Student Loans sections for information on available loans, application instructions, prerequisites, and forms. Generally, applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Contact OAFA for information on loan options, availability, and to apply.
Call 412-624-7488 to check the status of your loan application.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is required for all students who wish to be considered for loans or Pitt Public Health aid. The University of Pittsburgh federal school code is 008815.
Suggested Deadlines
While there is no strict deadline for application, the suggested filing dates are:
- June 1 (fall term)
- October 1 (spring term)
- February 1 (summer term)
Students are encouraged to apply early.
Federal Regulations on Student Loans: Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
Institutions participating in Title IV Federal Student Aid programs must monitor satisfactory academic progress of students receiving any federal loans or other aid (e.g. scholarships).
To demonstrate satisfactory progress, students must maintain a 2.0 GPA and complete at least 67 percent of the total credits attempted at any point and must complete the degree with no more than 150 percent of the required credits. If progress is not met, students may be ineligible to receive loans or other aid. Students may appeal, in which case they will have one term to achieve the SAP standards. See Mike Dolinger in the Office of Student Affairs, 1100 Public Health, to submit an appeal of determination of no progress.
If you receive federal aid, you should read the entire SAP policy. In particular, FTDR registration is counted as 9 credits for the purposes of this law; retaking courses and receiving course grades of W, I, G, F, N (audit) and R all count towards the stated totals. Advanced standing credits also count toward the total number of credits taken. Also, carrying a large number of I, G, W, R, and F graded credits may potentially violate the 67 percent completion rule. Contact your instructor(s) about filing real grades on a term-by-term basis, where appropriate.
Emergency Loans
The University may provide loans of up to $300 for students in emergency financial need. Interested students should contact the Student Organization Resource Center (SORC) on the first floor of the William Pitt Union, 412-624-7116.
Short-term student loans of up to $500 may be available through the Pitt Public Health Office of Student Affairs for students with unexpected emergencies who have paid their tuition for the term. Students should contact the Office of Student Affairs for more information. Loans must be repaid within three months.
Loan Repayment Programs
There are a number of loan repayment programs that provide educational loan forgiveness for individuals who work either in specific disciplines or for certain types of organizations. Here are some of those most commonly available to Pitt Public Health graduates.
3. Grants and Scholarships
Apply and earn funding through University grants, school-based aid programs, awards and external funding opportunities.University AidPitt Public Health AidPeace Corps Paul D. Coverdell Fellows ProgramDepartmental AwardsTravel Awards for Conferences and International StudyExternal Funding Opportunities
Loan Eligibility for Grants and Scholarships
The University recalculates a student’s loan eligibility whenever additional financial aid appears in the student financial system.
New aid may result in a reduction or total cancellation of loan eligibility, including an obligation to immediately repay all or part of a loan already disbursed.
If you receive a scholarship, you may want to schedule a meeting with a loan counselor in the University’s Office of Admissions and Financial Aid and ask for a recalculation of your loan eligibility.
4. Student Assistantships
Appointment Information for
Assistantships and Traineeships
Graduate student assistants, graduate student researchers, teaching assistants, and teaching fellows are students who receive support in return for specified duties while gaining teaching, teaching-related, or research experience under the guidance of a faculty mentor.
Whenever available, assistantships and traineeships are awarded by the departments. There are no assistantships available through the Office of Student Affairs or the Dean’s Office. Students may receive an assistantship from any department in the University, but there is no central listing of assistantships available.
Traineeships
A traineeship is money from a training grant allocated to students to support advanced study in a specified field. A traineeship may provide full or partial tuition and/or living expenses. Usually, there is no service requirement. Several departments have traineeships available for students in particular concentrations.
Assistantships
An assistantship provides a full or partial tuition scholarship, a stipend, and individual health insurance coverage in exchange for performance of specified duties, usually in support of a faculty member’s research project. Assistantship appointments can be full or part-time. Each department may award a limited number of student assistantships, usually to doctoral students. Students may also be awarded an assistantship by another University department. There is no central listing of University assistantships.
Teaching Assistants
A teaching assistant (TA) is a student who holds a teaching or teaching-related appointment made within the University regulations pertaining to teaching assistants. No teaching assistant shall be appointed to teach post baccalaureate courses.
Teaching Fellows
A teaching fellow (TF) is the same as a teaching assistant except that the teaching fellow is more educationally advanced or experienced, typically holding the equivalent of a master’s degree. TFs should not be assigned to teach graduate courses. Exceptions may be made only in rare cases where in the individual shows clear evidence of outstanding skills in specialized areas and when the individual is directly supervised by faculty.
Eligibility
Students must be enrolled in a degree or certificate program at Pitt Public Health.
Effort
Full-time GSRs are expected to devote twenty hours per week to the research project they are assisting. GSRs may be required to work more hours if the research pertains to their thesis or dissertation. Time expenditure of part-time GSRs is proportional to this standard of twenty hours (i.e. half-time GSRs must devote ten hours per week to their research project, and more if the research pertains to their thesis).
TAs and GSAs have the same work obligation of twenty hours a week. However, their assignments will differ from a GSR and will not likely relate directly to their research interests.
Appointments
GSR, GSA, and TA appointments may be made annually for one to no more than three terms at a time (one academic year). Renewals are subject to satisfactory job performance and availability of funding.
Evaluation
At least once each year, the faculty supervisor must provide a written evaluation of a GSR/TA/GSA’s performance to the student and to the department. A suggested evaluation form is available from the department administrator, who should request the evaluation in the spring term. A copy of the completed evaluation should be provided to the department administrator.
Stipend
The monthly stipend amount is set by the department within a range established by the University. Monthly stipend payments for part-time GSR positions will be proportional to this standard. The University does not set a different stipend level for TA and GSA positions. Learn more about stipends.
Tuition Scholarships
Full-time GSR/GSA/TAs are eligible to receive full tuition scholarships to cover up to and including 15 credits per term. Part-time positions are eligible for partial tuition scholarships in accord with their appointments, i.e., a half appointment receives a scholarship for six credits and a quarter appointment covers three credits per term.
Health Insurance
GSRs, GSAs, and TAs are provided individual coverage under the UPMC Health Plan for graduate students. Family coverage is available at an additional cost to the student.