Costs and Financial Assistance
Application Fee Waiver
Fee waivers may be offered to applicants, but it is determined by the Graduate School’s Assistant Dean for Outreach and Diversity, Dr. David Shafter (david_shafter@ncsu.edu). If you would like to request a waiver for the application fee, please refer to the instructions shared in the link here.
Graduate School Financial Assistance
The Graduate School shares various resources on their website to help students apply for funds to assist with their tuition and living expenses. Visit their Financial Support page for more information.
Graduate School Diversity Enhancement Grant Program
Students from underrepresented groups may apply for supplemental funding from the graduate school's Diversity Enhancement Grant Program. This is a competitive program for applicants who will enhance diversity in NCSU's student body.
Underrepresented Students
University of Illinois’s database provides a wonderful list of awards for but make sure to check the appropriate filters when utilizing this resource.
Additional databases or sources are shared through our Graduate School’s Fellowship and Grants page as well.
Teaching Assistantship
Applicants for admission to the three programs in English--Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MS), and Master of Fine Arts (MFA)--may apply for a teaching assistantship, an academic appointment made on a competitive basis. Teaching Assistantships are only awarded to new, incoming students and are only available for students who plant to begin their graduate work in the fall semester. We are able to offer assistantships to approximately one-third of our applicants. To be considered for an assistantship, you must apply by the Feb.1 deadline. For more information on the Teaching Assistantship, please visit the "Graduate Teaching Assistantships" page.
At the English department, students offered a teaching assistantship will prepare to teach undergraduate courses during their first year and teach courses during their second-year. Further information about this assignment can be found at the Teaching Assistantship page.
As for benefits, our teaching assistantship comes with full tuition remission, health insurance coverage, and $10,000-$12,000 annual stipend, that is paid off to students on a bi-weekly basis. Full tuition and health insurance coverage is supplied through the Graduate Student Support Plan (GSSP) funded by the Graduate School. While the annual stipend is awarded directly through the English Department.
Payment Plan
Students can enroll in a third-party payment plan for student fees or tuition at https://ncsu.afford.com/. This payment plan can cover costs for a single term (5-month plan) or fall and spring term (10-month plan).
There is a $50 fee to enroll in a single term plan. Enrollment in a 10-month plan for the fall and spring term semester costs $65. The fee must be paid in full before the payment plan can begins. Further details about this payment plan can be found at NC State’s Cashier’s Office page.
Cost of Attending and Fees
You can find information on the cost of graduate tuition at the Student Services Center’s Tuition and Fees page. Please keep in mind, graduate courses are generally 3 credit hours. To be considered a full-time graduate student, you must be enrolled in least 9 credit hours.
In addition to the tuition, there are two other items students must pay – health insurance and fees. Students are automatically enrolled into the university’s health insurance plan (SHIP) and charged for this plan unless students waive out. Further information about the plan and how to waive out or decline this coverage can be read here.
As for fees, students are charged based on the amount of credit hours they are enrolled under. Please visit Student Services Center’s Fees Explanation page to calculate graduate fees and view the itemized breakdown of graduate fees.
Career Development Center
The Career Development Center (CDC) offers services to students who are currently enrolled in a degree program and the services remain available to students for up to one year after graduation. The CDC manages the ePACK job listing and offers assistance in a variety of areas including career counseling, co-op coordinating, and interview preparation. The CDC also offers numerous events and career fairs during the fall and spring semesters to assist with job placement.
“I found ePACK to be a very valuable resource, because it includes several job listings, both on and off campus. It also provides information about upcoming career fairs and the companies that are attending. The CDC is a one-stop shop for all your career needs. They provide a wide-range of services from career guidance to interview preparation. I found them very friendly and approachable, even if your needs are unique.
I think the co-op program is very useful if you are looking for work in an area related to your field of study. The best part is that co-ops are flexible and can be easily done while being a full-time student. I did co-ops for two consecutive semesters and gained so much of practical wisdom, which was a great complement to my degree.”
-Amitha Narayanan, MS Tech Comm Graduate 2015
Travel Funds
The Department of English encourages graduate students to participate actively in professional meetings pertinent to their career paths. We are sometimes able to reimburse grad students for a portion of their professional travel expenses. Recently, MA students have presented work at conferences sponsored by the Popular Culture Association, the American Association for Applied Linguistics, the South Atlantic branch of the Modern Language Association, the Southeastern Writing Center conference, the Southern Appalachian Culture Series, 50th International Medieval Congress, Society for Cinema and Media Studies, Victorians Institute Conference and the Conference on College Composition and Communication, among others.
If departmental funds are available, a call for travel funding requests is posted via the graduate google groups, usually in the fall semester. Priority is given to students who are presenting papers, though occasionally funds are available for other travelers as well.
The University Graduate Student Association (UGSA) sometimes has travel funding to offer as well. Students are encouraged to apply for these competitive travel grants when they are announced. See the UGSA webstie or contact your AEGS representative for details.
Tutoring
Some English graduate students find opportunities for employment with NCSU’s Writing and Speaking Tutorial Services or the Academic Support Program for Student Athletes. Calls for applicants are forwarded to the graduate google groups.
Employment Announcements via Google Groups
Throughout the academic year, opportunities for part-time, full-time, or freelance work are brought to the attention of the DGP and other English faculty. Information about these opportunities is disseminated via the English Graduate Students and MSTC Google groups listserv.
Long-Term Loans
There are several sources of long-term financial aid available to qualified students. For specific information contact the Financial Aid Office, 2005 Harris Hall, 515-2421.
Short-Term Emergency Loans
Loans, usually in amounts of $500 or less, to meet emergency expenses may be obtained on short notice at the Financial Aid Office, 2005 Harris Hall. These loans are designed for short term emergency use and should be repaid within about 30 days.
Pack Essentials provides a Student Emergency Funds for up to $500 to help students recover from a financial crisis and NC State Survivor Fund for students who need immediate help as a direct result of experiencing interpersonal violence as well.