Financial aid  

Tuition waiver

A limited number of tuition waivers are available to MA-TESL and PhD in Applied Linguistics students who can demonstrate financial need.

Out-of-state students, including international students, can apply for a waiver of the non-resident portion of their tuition. 

If an out-of-state waiver is awarded, the student pays only resident or in-state tuition rates. Students who are Arizona residents can apply for an in-state tuition waiver. 

Apply

Download the application.

Graduate assistantship

Apply

Download graduate teaching assistantship application for English composition.

Assistantship details

Graduate teaching assistantships are available for several different programs.

In general, first year MA-TESL and PhD students are eligible to teach English composition, although positions in the Program in Intensive English are sometimes available.

More advanced students are eligible to continue in those positions or apply for other teaching or research opportunities.

In general, if performance in ENG 105 or PIE is satisfactory and progress toward completion of the degree is being made, students in the MA-TESL program receive two years of support and students in the PhD program receive four years or support.

Position overview: English Composition

If you’re awarded an assistantship, you’ll receive more than financial support; you’ll also receive extensive training and experience in teaching English composition at the college level and in working and consulting in the writing center. 

In return, you’ll bring your skills, background, and perspective to the teaching of composition and to individual consulting sessions.

Time commitment

A graduate assistantship in English represents a 20-hour-per-week commitment.  For first-year graduate assistants, this typically involves the following each week:

• four classroom hours of teaching English 105
• six hours of regularly scheduled writing center instruction, which involves individual tutoring (walk-in and English 100), the preparation and presentation of cross-curricular writing workshops or other project
• approximately six hours of preparation and grading time (approximately six hours)
• at least three hours of scheduled office hours
• one-hour writing center practicum participation in English 587
• three-credit hour participation in the English 601 teaching practicum (this course should be part of, not in addition to, the nine-hour full-time enrollment required of all graduate assistants each semester)

Before you teach

Prior to teaching, graduate assistants must also participate in a three-week orientation prior to fall semester and a one week session before spring semester.

After your first year

Experienced GTAs teach a second class, usually ENG 205, in lieu of the working in the Writing Center/ENG 100.

Therefore, your first year you will teach ENG 105 and work in the Writing Center/ENG 100.  In subsequent years you will teach ENG 105 plus ENG 205 (six hours of teaching), or possibly another course, as assigned by the University Writing Program.

Graduate assistantships are reviewed on an annual basis, subject to acceptable and satisfactory performance of the duties listed above and to reasonable progress towards the degree.