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Financial Assistance

Support your best investment with financial assistance from Oakland University. More than half of all OU students receive financial assistance totaling more than $175 million annually. You can benefit from those funds, too — you just have to apply.

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OU offers and renews awards at its sole and absolute discretion; offers and renewals are contingent upon the availability of funds and continuation of the programs.

Search and apply for more than 250 OU scholarships. Additional funding opportunities are also available from the OU Research Office

Oakland University offers graduate assistantships so you can gain professional experience while contributing financially to the successful completion of your graduate degree. Assistantships are available to full-time, degree-seeking graduate students.

Eligibility and requirements
  • Students must have "regular" admission status to a specific graduate degree program
  • Students must be in good academic standing
  • Students must maintain full-time enrollment status at Oakland University during the semester(s) for which they are appointed
  • Students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 and show satisfactory progress toward completing degree requirements
  • Students may not be employed full time, either at Oakland University or elsewhere
  • Students must apply through Handshake
Available positions
The Graduate School and Career Services have been working together to improve the hiring of Graduate Assistants (GA) through Handshake. Students must apply in Handshake to any open positions they are interested in.

Oakland University supports the Council of Graduate Schools Resolution regarding graduate scholars, fellows, trainees and assistants.
Additional information
Frequently asked questions
  • How do I apply for an assistantship?

    Graduate assistant open positions are posted on Handshake. Please visit the Career Services to set up an account. 

  • When am I able to set up an account on Handshake? 

    Once you have been fully admitted to Oakland University and have set up your ai183club.com email address, you will be able to set up an account. 

  • When are students with an assistantship paid? 

    Graduate assistants are paid monthly on the last business day of each month during their contract term. 

  • Are Graduate Assistant's required to maintain a minimum grade point average? 

    Yes, a minimum of 3.0 (B) is required. 

  • What if I need to resign early from my assistantship? 

    If the position is terminated prior to the date set by Oakland in the applicable important Dates Calendar as the last day for "official withdrawal - Full Semester Classes" for that semester, you will be billed for tuition and costs (a) on a pro-rata basis for the remainder of the semester in which your appointment is terminated based upon your residency status as a graduate assistant; and (b) for any future semesters based upon your residency status prior to your appointment. 

  • How many credit hours do I need to register for each semester? 

    A graduate assistant must be enrolled in at least 8 credits per semester. 

  • Are there any exceptions to the 8 credits per semester? 

    Yes, the semester that you are graduating, you are allowed to be under enrolled. Once you have applied to graduate, this can be reviewed for approval. 

  • Can I work at another location on campus while I am a graduate assistant? 

    A full time graduate assistant may not work for or be paid by Oakland in any other employment classification during the same month in which they either worked or were paid as a graduate assistant. 

Applications for the 2025 King-Chavez-Parks Future Faculty Fellowship are now available and will be available until April 30, 2025.The application is located at MILogin - Login (michigan.gov)


The King-Chavez-Parks (KCP) Future Faculty Fellowship Program was established in 1986 by the Michigan State Legislature to increase the pool of academically or economically disadvantaged candidates pursuing faculty teaching careers in postsecondary education.

KCP Fellowships are funded from an annual State of Michigan appropriation to Oakland University. The Graduate School holds a competition for KCP awards and provides recipients with financial assistance to pursue master's and/or doctoral degrees.

Tuition for KCP fellows are paid by the Graduate School for the duration specified in the award letter and as long as the recipient:

  • remains in good academic standing
  • enrolls in courses that satisfy degree requirements

Preference will not be given to applicants on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, sex or national origin. Applications from women, men, people with disabilities, and individuals from cultural, linguistic, geographic, and socio-economic backgrounds who would otherwise not adequately be represented in the graduate student and faculty populations are encouraged to apply.

Awarded fellows must file a Request for Tuition Reduction each term they are enrolled.

The KCP Future Fellowship Program is administered with support from the Workforce Development Agency.

Eligibility

To be eligible for this fellowship, students must:

  • be academically or economically disadvantaged;
  • be admitted into an Oakland University graduate degree program that facilitates a career in post-secondary teaching;
  • be a citizen of the United States and meet the Oakland University requirements for Michigan residency; 
  • be in good academic standing as defined by Oakland University;
  • not be a current recipient of a KCP Fellowship Award at another institution;
  • not have received another KCP Fellowship Award for the same degree level (master's or doctorate)*; and
  • not currently be in default status on any guaranteed student loan and/or a KCP loan.

* Possession of a doctoral degree disqualifies a candidate from holding a KCP Fellowship.
* Current faculty and staff members of Oakland University are not eligible to apply for the KCP-FFF.

Application process

All applicants are required to use the State of Michigan's website to apply.  

Eligible students who are currently enrolled or admitted into a graduate degree program at Oakland University may complete and submit an application to the State of Michigan. Applications must be complete in order to be considered, and include:

  • A KCP application form
  • Two recommendation forms which should be current and speak to the fellowship
  • FFF eligibility requirements and statement form
  • A letter from the academic program coordinator or department chair indicating the student will satisfactorily complete his/her intended degree in a reasonable time. For students admitted to master's programs with the expectations of completing a doctorate at OU or other Michigan university, this letter must also address the likelihood of the student being admitted to such a doctoral program.
  • A personal statement indicating academic and career goals in post-secondary education
  • A resume or curriculum vitae (i.e., a brief statement of the applicant's education and scholarly achievements) 

Before applying for or accepting any scholarship or fellowship, please consult with OU Financial Aid regarding how such an award may affect your financial aid package, including loan eligibility.

Selection process

A selection committee reviews applications annually and recommends candidates to the Assistant Dean of the Graduate School. Selections are made on a competitive basis using criteria that includes academic performance, research accomplishments and potential, recommendation letters, and personal statements. Fellowship decisions are final and not subject to appeal

Conditions for acceptance

KCP Fellows agree to complete a master's degree within four years or doctoral degree within eight years of receiving the fellowship, and are obligated, by signed agreement, to remain in post-secondary faculty teaching or approved administrative position at a public or private, 2 or 4 year, in-state or out-of-state post-secondary institution for a minimum of three years equivalent full-time.

Fellows who do not fulfill the teaching and/or other obligations of their fellowship agreement may be placed in default, which results in their fellowship converting to a loan (referred to as a KCP Loan) that he/she repays to the State of Michigan.

KCP fellows should complete the exit interview located in the KCP Fellowship folder once their fellowship is complete.

For questions, please contact (248) 370-2700.

Federal aid comes from the U.S. Department of Education as a result of filing a FAFSA. There are three categories of federal aid.

Grants

  • Federal Traineeship Grants
    • The School of Nursing applies each year for Federal Traineeship Grants. Funds for the traineeship come from the Bureau of Health Professions, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The purpose is to support traineeships for licensed registered nurses enrolled as full-time graduate students, first-year Nurse Anesthesia students, part-time students in the last 12 months of their program, or full-time students beyond the twelfth month of study in a master’s nurse anesthesia program.
  • The Federal TEACH Grant
    • Offered to students in a master’s degree program which leads toward teaching. The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program provides $4,000 in annual grant. The maximum cumulative award is $8,000 (two years). Less than full time students have the same cumulative maximum, but have prorated annual awards. Candidates must agree to serve as full-time teachers at certain schools serving low-income students, and teach subjects within certain high-need fields (foreign language, mathematics, reading specialist, science, special education) for at least four academic years within eight years of completing the course of study for which the grant was received. 
    • If a grant recipient does not fulfill the teaching obligation, the TEACH grant funds convert to a Direct Unsubsidized loan that must be repaid with interest. For information regarding interest rates and repayment terms, visit the Federal Student Aid loans website. Requires completion of the FAFSA.

Work-Study

Available to graduate and undergraduate students, work-study awards are wages that can be earned through a campus job and does not have to be repaid. Funds are limited and awarded on a first-come, first-served basis according to a student's financial need. Visit Handshake to search and apply for student employment positions.

Loans

A graduate student can receive a Federal Unsubsidized loan without a co-signer. To view annual and aggregate loan limits, visit the loans page on the Federal Student Aid website. Graduate students are able to apply for a Federal Direct Graduate PLUS loan. The Graduate PLUS loan is approved or denied based on the graduate student's credit. For information regarding interest rates and repayment terms, and to apply visit the PLUS loans page on the Federal Student Aid website.

Graduate School

O'Dowd Hall, Room 520
586 Pioneer Drive
Rochester, MI 48309-4482
(location map)
(248) 370-2700

Office Hours:
Monday - Friday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.