Financial Aid & Scholarships
Financial assistance is available through the department and its research programs in the form of scholarships, Teaching (TA) and Research Assistantships (RA). These positions are available to students who have demonstrated exceptional academic performance in their undergraduate or graduate institutions. The demand for TA and RA positions normally far exceeds the funds that are available, making such positions extremely competitive. Students are encouraged to seek their own support through external scholarships, fellowships, and grants.
Funding Requirements
Financial aid from the department comes with certain expectations and constraints. Before receiving financial support, each student will be required to sign a legally binding agreement that should be carefully read and understood. By signing this contract, the student is committing to completing the Master’s of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering at Texas Tech University. A student who accepts any departmental financial support will not be allowed to transfer out of the Mechanical Engineering department.
- Students receiving any form of financial assistance from the department are required to carry 9 credit hours during each long semester and 6 credits hours during any summer session in which the student is receiving funding.
- An MS student supported by the department through TA will not receive support after 2 years. A Ph.D. student with M.S. will not be supported after 4 years. A Ph.D. student without M.S. will not receive departmental support after 5 years.
- A student whose grade point average falls below 3.3 in any semester will be removed from any departmental financial support. Financial assistance will not be granted to students on scholastic probation.
Teaching and Research Assistantships
Departmental funding is available to a limited number of students through Teaching Assistantships (TA) and Research Assistantship (RA). These positions are reserved for students who have demonstrated exceptional academic performance. In addition, students are often recommended or chosen for these positions by their faculty advisor. Students are therefore encouraged to select an advisor as soon as possible upon beginning the program, as this will increase their chances of receiving departmental support.
- TAs are hired by the department to assist with department instructional duties. Examples of TA duties include grading homework for undergraduate or graduate classes, conducting help sessions, and conducting laboratory sessions in one of the undergraduate laboratories. A limited number of TAs may be selected to teach an undergraduate lecture course.
- RAs work on a grant or contract under the direction of the faculty member who has been funded to do the research. RAs are selected and funded by the faculty member conducting the research. Generally, this work will contribute directly to the student’s own research and, thus, most students prefer these positions over TAships.
- TAs and RAs are expected to work up to, but not more than, 20 hours a week.
Scholarships
A number of one year, out−of−state, tuition−waiver scholastic scholarships are offered each year to incoming students who have been admitted to the program and to students already enrolled in the program who have demonstrated exceptional academic performance. The awards are based on the overall performance of the student. Depending upon the student’s academic performance, after entering the program, the tuition waiver scholarship may be extended past the first year.
To see a full directory of scholarships available through both the department and the Whitacre College of Engineering, please visit the Whitacre College of Engineering Scholarship Directory. From there, you will be able to see all of the scholarships available and more information on how to apply for them. If you would like to apply for all scholarships available from the university, please visit the Student Financial Aid Office’s website to learn more.