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Graduate College
1.8 Email as Official Correspondence. OSU uses the institutional O-Key email address as an official means of communication with OSU faculty, staff, administrators, and students. All students have an official OSU email address that is activated when they set up their O-Key account. Students are expected to activate and check their OSU email on a frequent and consistent basis to remain informed of their official University business and are expected to ensure that adequate email space is available to receive messages. 1.9 Tuition and Fees. Refer to the "Tuition, Fees and Cost Estimates (p. 68)” section of the Catalog. 1.10 Exception Requests. Any request for a waiver of, exception to, or deviation from, any requirement set forth in the “Graduate College” section of the Catalog must be in the form of a written petition to the dean of the Graduate College. Such petitions should include a supporting letter from the graduate faculty adviser or graduate program coordinator. 2.0 Services for Graduate Students For a complete list of University services, please visit the “Current Student Resources” link on the Graduate College website (http:// gradcollege.okstate.edu) or the “Student Life” link on the OSU website (http://go.okstate.edu). 2.1 Graduate and Professional Student Government Association. The Graduate and Professional Student Government Association (GPSGA) is an official advisory body to the University President and dean of the Graduate College and serves as the representative voice for graduate and professional students at OSU. Its mission is to improve all aspects of post-graduate education and student life at OSU. The Association provides for representation from each graduate and professional degree program. Representatives are nominated by the graduate programs with membership conferred by the GPSGA president. Each representative is appointed for a term of one year; a representative must be in good academic standing and enrolled in at least two graduate credit hours. The GPSGA provides funds for graduate and professional student organizations and travel grants to help students defray costs incurred by attending and presenting at professional meetings. For more information consult gpsga.okstate.edu (http://gpsga.okstate.edu). 3.0 Funding Your Graduate Education 3.1 General Financial Aid. One of the most common sources of funding for graduate students is graduate assistantships. Graduate teaching and research assistantships (GTAs/GRAs) support OSU’s instructional and scholarly activities. Most academic programs routinely evaluate graduate admission applications not only for admission consideration but also for the possibility of assistantship offers. The graduate program will contact newly admitted students to inform them if a funding offer is available. These awards assist students in paying for their graduate education and also offer opportunities to gain valuable skills and experience in their discipline and as a professional.
3.2 Federal Financial Aid. All domestic students who want to qualify for federal financial aid should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students are encouraged to complete the FAFSA annually as soon after January 1 as possible to receive aid for the subsequent academic year. The FAFSA is available at www.fafsa.ed.gov (http://www.fafsa.ed.gov). 3.3 OSU Short-Term Emergency Loans. In addition to potential federal loans that may be awarded based, OSU assists students in need of immediate funds through the Short- Term Emergency Loan Program. This program is designed to help OSU students who are currently enrolled and attending classes to meet educationally-related off-campus unexpected expenses. The program is not designed to pay a debt owed to OSU. Qualified students may borrow up to $500 less a $10 service charge one time per semester. Additional information about the Short-Term Emergency Loan Program can be found at https://financialaid.okstate.edu/aid/loans/stl. 3.4 Graduate Assistantships. OSU recognizes two types of graduate assistants for students enrolled in master's, specialist and doctoral degree programs. Students in graduate certificates and non-degree seeking students are not eligible for GTA or GRA positions or associated benefits. A Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) must be admitted to and meet the requirements of the Graduate College, be fully admitted to a graduate degree program, enrolled, and be under the supervision of an appropriate graduate faculty member. In consultation with the supervisor, the GTA works to gain instructional skills and an increased understanding of the discipline. The GTA is provided a stipend and their primary responsibilities are to support the University’s instructional mission. Services provided by a GTA may include: classroom or laboratory teaching; advising and mentoring of students; proctoring examinations; grading papers, homework, and/or projects; accompanying/coaching musical or vocal performances, providing artistic instruction or assisting with preparation and management of materials and programs that are utilized in imparting knowledge or in the instructional process; or providing other general assistance in the instruction process. A GTA may be assigned primary responsibilities in an extension, outreach or service role for which those responsibilities support the instructional mission of the University. GTAs may not be given duties to support faculty research or those primarily clerical in nature. A Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) must be admitted to and meet the requirements of the Graduate College, be fully admitted to a graduate degree program, enrolled, and be under the supervision of an appropriate graduate faculty member. A GRA is provided a stipend and their primary responsibilities are to provide general support to the University’s research mission. These responsibilities may or may not relate directly to the student’s thesis or dissertation. Duties of the GRA primarily involve applying and mastering research concepts, practices or methods of scholarship. Services provided by a GRA may include: assisting faculty members in a research or creative activity; perform degree- related professional or administrative services that supports research, instruction, professional development, or outreach missions of the University; developing and evaluating instructional materials or curricula; or assuming responsibility for designated scholarly endeavors. “Perform degree-related professional or administrative services” does not include jobs that are outside the student’s field of study.
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