Financing Your Graduate Studies

How to Apply for Financial Aid from our Department

Be sure to let the Graduate Studies Director or Department Chair know if you need financial assistance to attend graduate studies at the University of Utah. Include in your letter of intent whether you would like a teaching or research assistantship position and with which professors or research topic area.

If you are applying for a teaching assistantship, contact the Department Chair and include your prior teaching experience in your letter of intent.

Teaching Assistantships or Research Assistantships

Our department has only two half time teaching assistantship (TA) positions and possibly three half time research assistantship (RA) positions. We could secure one more TA position, but our department has to apply to the University of Utah by December 1st for that extra TA position. Hence, applying early in the Fall for a TA position is essential.

Working in the Community

Many of our graduate students have full time or part time jobs in the community or at the University of Utah. Because our core required graduate classes are in the evenings from 4:35 to 7 pm or 7:15 to 10 pm, working at a day time job is possible.

However, working closely with a professor on research and teaching courses improves your marketability when you graduate if you are interested in university or college faculty positions or advancement in program evaluation and research positions.

Community Health Internships

We are working with the county and state health departments and local community health agencies to secure several paid half time internships in the areas of worksite wellness, diabetes, obesity, and substance abuse prevention.

If you are interested in half time internships in these areas, please let the Graduate Director know of your interest.

Work Study Research or Graduate Assistantships

When you apply for financial assistance with the University of Utah Financial Aid Office be sure to request at least $5,000 in work study funding in addition of any loans. Faculty can hire you more easily as a graduate RA if you have the other 75% of your salary paid by this federally supported work study program.

If you already have a work study funding allocation of $5,000 in your financial aid package, you will be more attractive to faculty or administrators to hire you at the university.

For instance, several of our faculty, such as Dr. Kumpfer and Dr. Chon, are looking for graduate work study graduate assistants to work on research grants. Our fiscal officer, Kathryn Harrison hires a work study student each year and one of our graduate students has been hired half time as a grant production specialist.

Departmental and University Scholarships

The Department of Health Promotion and Education has dedicated scholarships from donor’s that can help pay for your graduate education. Let the Department or Scholarship Committee Chair know of your need for a scholarship.

Most of these awards are small in the range of $1,000 to 2,000 per year. You should also apply for university scholarships as well. Foreign students can also contact the International Admissions Office at (801) 581-3091 or online concerning other scholarships or fellowships for graduate students and foreign students.

Out-of-State Graduate Students

We will make every effort to fund you as a teaching assistant (TA), research assistant (RA) or Graduate Assistant (GA) in your first year so you can get a full tuition waiver because of the high cost of out-of-state tuition.

Because of changes in the state laws, it is now possible for you to establish yourself as a Utah state resident in a little more than one (1) year rather then three years. You have to complete 40 credit hours of course work and get a Utah driver’s license. See regulation below:

Graduate Domestic Non-Resident Student Must:

Earn forty (40) credit hours at the University of Utah, in not less than twelve continuous months;
Take steps to establish intent to become a resident of Utah, for example obtaining a Utah driver’s license, within a reasonable period prior to application (See Board of Regents Policy 4.6. Creating Utah domicile); and,
Submit an application for resident reclassification by the term deadline.

Foreign Students

Foreign nationals who are present in the United States on visitor, student, or other visas that have authorized only temporary presence in this country do not have the capacity to intend to reside in Utah for an indefinite period and therefore are classified as non-residents for tuition purposes. Foreign nationals who have been granted legal immigrant or permanent U.S. resident status are classified for purposes of resident status according to the same criteria applicable to U.S. citizens. For questions about your residency status, contact the International Admissions Office at (801) 581-3091.

Foreign Student Fulbright Fellowships

For foreign graduate students we can possibly apply for a Fulbright Fellowship for you that pays a living stipend and all tuition fees. However, you must apply early. The latest your application can be completed at the Graduate School is January 1st so that your file is submitted to our department for review before the February 15th Fulbright Fellowship application deadline.

Foreign students can also contact the International Admissions Office at (801) 581-3091 or on line concerning other scholarships or fellowships for graduate students and foreign students.

Graduate Program