Board of Trustees Tuition Waivers
The Department of English receives a very limited number of tuition-and-fee waivers from the Graduate College each semester, known as the Board of Trustees (or BOT) waivers. The waivers are issued on a semester-by-semester basis. BOT waivers are effective for only one semester, and recipients must reapply each term. There is no guarantee that a BOT will be renewed; renewal depends on a number of factors including performance and the availability of the award in the coming years.
Students should notify their primary advisor that they intend to apply for a BOT waiver.
BOT Waiver Fine Print Heading link
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Eligibility
Preference will be given to eligible students experiencing certain extenuating circumstances (for example: those in the English Education program who are student teaching full-time and therefore ineligible for working/lectureship at UIC, or PhD students in their final year who need to complete credits to submit their thesis and graduate.) Eligible students:
- are doctoral candidates living locally who have not yet accumulated the required 32 hours of dissertation research OR outstanding MA students;
- do not already carry an assistantship or any other type of funding; and
- will enroll in a a minimum of 12 semester hours in the fall and spring semesters/6 credit hours in summer session for full-time waivers OR a between 8 and 11 credit hours in fall and spring semesters or 3-5 hours in summer for a part-time waiver.
Full-time employees, including lecturers, are not eligible for this waiver.
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Process to Request A Waiver
Students should contact the Graduate Studies Program Coordinator as soon as possible if they intend to request a BOT. Afterwards, they will need to fill out the request form, which asks for the following basic information:
- Term/Year requesting a BOT waiver
- Name
- Program (English studies, Creative Writing, English Education)
- Status (PhD or MA, full time or part time)
- Primary faculty advisor
- Courses you intend to take during the BOT waiver semester (with credit hours)
- Circumstances that necessitate a BOT waiver
Deadline: After speaking with the Graduate Studies Program Coordinator, you must submit the request form.
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Covered Fees & Charges
BOT waivers cover the following charges:
- full tuition, including differential, if any
- service fee
- health service fee
- Academic Facilities Maintenance Fund Assessment (AFMFA)
- Library and Information Technology Assessment (LITA)
BOT waivers do not cover the following charges: general fee; CTA transportation fee; student-to-student fee; or the cost of health insurance.
Questions? Heading link
Direct questions about the BOT waiver to the Director of Graduate Studies or the Graduate Studies Program Coordinator.