Understanding Tuition Waiver Opportunities at Southern Utah University

Southern Utah University (SUU) is dedicated to making higher education accessible and affordable. To support students in achieving their academic goals, SUU offers a variety of tuition waivers and graduate assistantships. These opportunities can significantly reduce the financial burden of pursuing a degree.

General Information on Tuition Waivers

A tuition waiver is an award that reduces the amount of tuition a student has to pay. Tuition waivers are credited toward tuition expenses and have no cash value; they cannot be applied to fees or books. Unless excluded by the Administration, employee and Dependent waivers are available for all educational and general SUU credit courses, including summer courses, online education, and evening course offerings. Classes that are solely fee-based (such as study abroad, community engagement, etc.) or have no institutional Tuition applied will not be eligible for the Tuition Waiver. Tuition Waivers cannot exceed full Tuition.

Students who receive a tuition waiver are generally expected to enroll in at least 6 credit hours per semester and maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0. Receiving a tuition waiver does not restrict students from seeking full-time or part-time employment or internships.

Eligibility Restrictions

It is important to note certain eligibility restrictions. Students already receiving other SUU tuition waivers may not qualify for additional waivers. Out-of-state and online-only students are often ineligible for tuition waivers, as they may already be receiving a significant tuition discount through in-state rates. International students attending full-time, on-campus at SUU and paying non-resident tuition may be eligible to apply for a tuition waiver.

Specific Tuition Waiver Programs

SUU offers tuition waivers across various departments and programs. Here's a breakdown of some specific opportunities:

Master of Interdisciplinary Studies (MIS) Program

The MIS program offers tuition waivers annually to assist students with the cost of their degree. The application deadline is May 31st each year. All students, even those who have previously received tuition waivers, must submit the application form annually.

Native American Student Tuition Waiver

SUU President Mindy Benson announced a tuition waiver program for current and future Native American students. This program aims to remove financial barriers and encourage Native American students to pursue higher education at SUU. To be eligible, students must have a current completed FAFSA on file at SUU by the first day of classes each semester they receive the award. The award is renewable for up to eight semesters.

Master of Accounting Program

The Master of Accounting program offers partial tuition waivers on a limited basis to support students in advancing their education and career.

Master of Business Administration (MBA) Program

The MBA program provides partial tuition waivers on a limited basis to make graduate study more affordable for on-campus students. Online-only MBA students are currently ineligible for tuition waivers.

Master of Science in Business Analytics Program

This program offers partial tuition waivers on a limited basis to help students reduce the cost of their graduate education.

Master of Education (M.Ed.) Program

The M.Ed. program offers partial tuition waivers on a limited basis, aiming to make advanced education more accessible for future educators.

Master of Sports Conditioning & Performance Program

Utah residents pursuing this program may be eligible to apply for a partial tuition waiver to help reduce the cost of their graduate education.

Master of Public Administration (MPA) Program

Each academic year, the Master of Public Administration program offers tuition waivers and graduate assistantships as a way to assist students with the cost of pursuing their degree. All students regardless of prior award of tuition waivers must submit the form. All tuition waivers and graduate assistantships are available based on funding each academic year. The annual application deadlines are provided below, all students (regardless of prior award of tuition waivers) must submit the form for each semester they plan to attend.

Other Graduate Programs

Partial tuition scholarships, typically ranging from $400 to $2,500, may be available each year depending on department funding. To be considered, students should submit their graduate application before July 15 of their admission year. The application deadline for tuition waivers each year is May 31st.

Tuition Waivers for Employees and Dependents

SUU offers tuition waivers for benefit-eligible employees and their families.

Read also: Understanding USF's Tuition Waiver

Full-Time Benefit-Eligible Employees

A full-time benefit-eligible employee is defined as a faculty member under contract for nine (9) or more months, or a staff member employed at 0.75 FTE or greater. Full-Time Benefit-Eligible Employees and their Spouse qualify for a full Tuition Waiver (regardless of their place of residency).

Full-Time Benefit-Eligible Employees may apply to their department head or immediate supervisor to complete up to six (6) clock hours of academic work in a work week during the employees' regular working day hours. These accommodations must not interfere with their contractual agreement and obligation to the University and are at the discretion of management in consideration of department workload and other available resources to ensure department responsibilities are appropriately fulfilled. Employees may, with the approval of their supervisor, use their lunch hour or time before and after their regular working day hours to make up released time.

Dependents of Full-Time Employees

Qualifying Dependents of Full-Time Benefit-Eligible Employees will owe Tuition at half of in-state or online Tuition rates with additional Tuition charges being waived. This provision does not include a waiver of fees. Eligibility for the Tuition Waiver will be determined by Human Resources based on the employee’s employment status and the Dependent’s eligibility status on the first day of class.

Part-Time Benefit-Eligible Employees

Part-Time Benefit-Eligible Employees are eligible to receive a Tuition and General Student Fee waiver for six (6) or fewer credit hours per semester.

Stacking Restrictions

Employees and family members that fall into more than one (1) employee group may not stack Tuition Waivers.

Graduate Assistantships

Another avenue for funding education at SUU is through graduate assistantships. These opportunities provide students with valuable experience in teaching, research, or professional roles related to their field of study, in exchange for a tuition waiver or stipend. Graduate assistantships offer hands-on experience and help build professional skills in addition to helping with tuition costs.

Master of Professional Communication (MPC) Program

The MPC program offers both teaching and non-teaching graduate assistantships to help students gain hands-on experience while offsetting tuition costs.

Teaching Assistantships: Allow students to teach undergraduate courses (typically COMM 1010: Introduction to Communication) or assist with faculty research. Graduate teaching assistants generally work up to 10 hours per week and can receive up to $2,000 in tuition compensation per semester.
Non-Teaching Assistantships: Focus on research or special departmental projects.

Masters of Public Administration

Masters of Public Administration students may apply for graduate assistantships each year. Graduate assistantships typically involve internships with the university, including positions in student involvement and leadership, admissions counseling, and international affairs. MPA graduate assistants will typically work 20 hours a week and usually receive between $4000 and $6000 compensation.

Additional Funding Options

SUU's Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships can provide more information on funding options, including Graduate Aid.

Utah National Guard Tuition Waiver (STW)

The STW is a Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) sponsored waiver program allowing the president of each state institution to waive all of the tuition for national guard members. From a student perspective, scholarships and Waivers are the same; both are awards that reduce the amount of tuition that the student has to pay our of pocket. It is the only Utah National Guard program that requires full-time enrollment in a Utah public school. This is for FULL-TIME students only (12+ credit hours). STW waives base tuition for either one or two semesters.

How to Apply

The application deadline for tuition waivers each year is May 31st. Tuition waivers are generally reserved for students whose applications were received before July 15th of their admission year. All students, regardless of prior award of tuition waivers, must submit the form.

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