Graduate Waiver Policy and Practices

The Eberly College can, in some instances, provide financial support for graduate students in the form of tuition waivers. Tuition waivers cover all or part of the university tuition charge on a student’s account. Please see the university’s policies on all tuition waivers.

Merit Waivers

The purpose of merit waivers is to recruit promising 1st-year students or to support students who are finishing up their doctoral degree. For the purpose of recruitment, the college approves a maximum of 6 credits the first semester, renewable for one semester upon excellent performance, with a cap of 12 credits per academic year (August 15-August 15).  In the case of a student finishing a dissertation or a master’s thesis, an award of a single credit hour per semester is typical.
Merit waivers can also be awarded to students who receive a doctoral fellowship through the university, their department, or an outside agency qualify to receive a full merit waiver for the duration of the fellowship. Students should work with their Graduate Director and the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies for further information. Please note that students who receive a scholarship are not eligible for merit waivers. 
Merit waivers may also be requested in a situation of emergency for one semester. 
Merit waivers must be used to complete degree-pursuant coursework that is part of a student’s plan of study.

Learn about WVU Graduate Merit Waivers

Graduate Assistants Waivers

These waivers are awarded to all students who have received an assistantship (research, teaching, or service).  Eberly College must approve assistantships that are offered outside of the Eberly College.  Any assistantship that is closely related to the student’s program of study or future career plans will be supported.

All Graduate Service Assistantships require approval by the Dean’s Office prior to accepting the award.

Graduate Teaching Assistantship outside of the college require approval by the Dean’s Office prior to accepting the award.
Summer waivers are awarded for degree pursuant coursework. The College typically approves waivers for 1credit (Research) or 3 credits (3-credit course that is part of the plan of study). Rules for summer enrollment of graduate assistants can be found on the Office of Graduate Education website.
- Waivers may not be awarded for the sole purpose of qualifying for loans
- International students who are in their last summer of enrollment in the summer (August graduation) may request a waiver for 9 credits.

Tuitions waivers must be submitted by the department of the students’ major, not by the department where they hold an assistantship, although it can be the same unit.

As an example, if a Biology student holds an assistantship in the Biology department or in the Neuroscience Center, in both instances, Biology will submit the tuition waiver to the Eberly College. Note that if the assistantship is in Biology, the department will cover both the tuition waiver and the stipend, but in the second example, the Neuroscience Center will cover the stipend but the Biology department will still cover the tuition waiver.

Conversely, when a graduate student from another college holds an assistantship in an Eberly department, the tuition waiver will be handled by their home college, not by our department.

Note: Not all colleges allow their graduate students to hold an assistantship outside of their College.

Learn about WVU Graduate Assistantship Waivers

Employee Tuition Waivers

Employee Tuition Waivers will be supported by the college, unless noted below in Online Programs and Tuition Waivers. Please note that the Eberly College only supports Employee Tuition Waivers for employees who are earning their first bachelor’s, master’s, graduate certificate, or doctoral degree.

Learn about WVU Employee Tuition Waivers

Requesting Tuition Waivers

Waivers that do not Require Pre-Approval

Individuals hiring GRA or GTAs that are housed within an Eberly department must submit a tuition waiver request for each semester (not for the academic year) during which the student holds the assistantship. View the Graduate Assistantship policies and use the Tuition Waiver Request Form on the Graduate Education and Life website.
Employee tuition waivers must be initiated by the employee. View the Employee policies and use the Tuition Waiver Request Form on the Graduate Education and Life website.

Waivers that Require Eberly College’s Pre-Approval

All other GA waivers (GSA inside or outside of Eberly, GTA, GRA outside of Eberly), individual hiring should fill out the Graduate Assistant Tuition Waiver Pre-approval form for the Eberly College before filling out the form on the Office of Graduate Student and Life website. NOTE: the approval process requires a job description, typically the one placed in Handshake.
Merit Waivers: the designated individual in the unit should fill out the Merit Waiver Pre-approval form for the Eberly College before filling out the form on the Office of Graduate Student and Life website.

Online Programs and Tuition Waivers

Students in online Eberly programs are typically not eligible for assistantships, merit or employee waivers.  See the information below:

Communications Studies M.A. online:
- Employee tuition waivers are permitted
- Assistantship and merit waivers are not permitted
GIS and Spatial Analysis, M.S.:
- Employee, assistantship, and merit waivers are not permitted
MSW online:
- Employee, assistantship, and merit waivers are not permitted
- Employee waivers are permitted for employees enrolled in the in-person MSW program