Graduate funding

NAU graduate student assistantships, tuition waivers, and scholarships

If you are an on-campus graduate student, then you most likely will want to get your education funded by a graduate assistantship (GA) position. GA positions provide up to 20 hours of paid work per week during the semesters and includes a tuition waiver (although other fees still must be paid). Graduate assistant funding, however, is limited. Students are encouraged to apply by February 15th to be considered for graduate teaching assistantships (GTA or just TA) positions for the following fall semester. TA student assist faculty in teaching courses.

In addition, the department has a very limited number of in-state and out-of-state tuition scholarships. Applications for these must also be submitted by February 15th for the following academic year to receive priority consideration. Tuition scholarships are only granted for one or two semesters at at time, and require a new application each year. TA positions are also granted for one or two semesters at a time, but may be automatically renewed for a second year for new students, if no significant issues arose in the first year of the award.

Opportunities for new NAU students in Geography, Planning & Recreation

For new students, the NAU Office of Graduate and Professional Studies application form includes a section to apply for assistantships and scholarships. For continuing students, the GPR Graduate Coordinator will send an email out in January or February requesting that you inform the department of your interest in these for the following year.

Research assistantships (RA) are rare in our department and are usually offered to second year students by individual faculty who have received research funding. Service assistantship (SA) are also rare in our department, but are common elsewhere on campus (such as in the Financial Aid Office), and are often open to all NAU graduate students. More information on SA positions can be found on the NAU Office of Graduate and Professional Studies website.

The department frequently has funding to hire class graders on an hourly basis that is similar to GA funding rates. You can ask your MS Advisor, the GPR Graduate Programs Coordinator, and the GPR Department Chair about such opportunities, if you are interested in this, after your admission to the program.

Additional information

International students

Due to the limited number of graduate assistantships and scholarships available, we seldom offer these to international students during their first year of study.

In addition, international students must be aware that their visa will require them to take a minimum of 6 units each semester of face-to-face classes. This excludes online and independent study classes.

University financial assistance

Please contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid for information on student loans.

The Office of Graduate and Professional Studies also offers financial resources for graduate students. Graduate assistantships may be available in administrative departments on-campus.

Students are encouraged to apply for work-study aid through the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid. The department often has hourly wage positions for work-study students.

Many geography grad students have careers in public service and non-profit organizations. If you secure this type of position after graduation, you may qualify for the 10-Year Public Service Loan Forgiveness program of the Federal Income Based Repayment Plan.