Graduate Tuition Incentive Scholarship (GTIS)
The Graduate Tuition Incentive Scholarship (GTIS) award helps to cover tuition, fee and health insurance costs for graduate students who receive external fellowships in support of their thesis or dissertation research that do not include cost-of-education support. Typically, students will be enrolling for three credits of thesis/dissertation only.
Eligibility
You are eligible if you meet the requirements for both student eligibility and award eligibility.
Student Eligibility:
- You are a fully-enrolled, degree-seeking master’s or doctoral student in a residential program administered by The Graduate School
- You are funded by an eligible (see below) external fellowship award for the semester or academic year for which you are applying in support of your thesis or dissertation research that does not include a cost-of-education allowance
- You do not hold a full University service or non-service award in addition to your external fellowship
If you received a Graduate Tuition Incentive Scholarship (GTIS) in the past, you may apply again.
Fellowship Award Eligibility:
Only certain types of external fellowships can apply towards your eligibility for the GTIS.
What can apply towards the GTIS:
- The award must be an individual fellowship, as defined by The Graduate School, that supports your personal training as a graduate student, rather than a funding award to support a specific research project;
- The fellowship must be granted from a source outside the University;
- It must have been awarded through an open competition on a regional or national/international level;
- You must have applied directly for the fellowship yourself (a faculty member cannot apply on your behalf);
- It should provide a nonservice stipend at the current university minimum stipend level for tuition support, but not more than The Graduate School’s maximum compensation limit of $45,000;
- In certain cases, we may be able to count an award that is otherwise eligible but has a smaller stipend, depending on available funding;
- You (and your department) should not assume you will receive a GTIS award, even if you meet all the eligibility requirements. Funding is limited and awards are dependent of the number of applicants.
What cannot apply towards the GTIS:
- Training grants or other funding awarded to and disbursed by to the University
- Employment or employer benefits
- Awards that include a cost-of-education allowance
- Need-based financial aid
- Loans
- Travel awards
- Awards for research expenses
- Family support
Award Amount
A Graduate Tuition Incentive Scholarship covers up to the cost of your in-state tuition, fees, and health insurance (StudentBlue, the Graduate Student Health Insurance Program or GeoBlue). The amount that we can offer you depends on how much funding we have available. Your graduate program must be willing to provide tuition remission for you if you are not an in-state resident for the period of the GTIS award.
*Students who are ABD are eligible to receive in-state tuition support for 3 credit hours of dissertation completion (994) only.
Depending on funding, this award may change from year to year.
Nomination
Departmental nomination is not required for GTIS consideration. Students should apply directly.
Deadline
The nomination deadline for the fall semester is in late September.
The nomination deadline for the spring semester is in late January.
Deadlines are posted on the funding deadlines calendar.
How to Apply
View Frequently Asked Questions about the online award application.
- We accept applications for either one semester or one academic year.
- If your external award covers two semesters in the same academic year, submit only one application for both fall and spring semesters.
- If your award covers more than one academic year (a multi-year fellowship/award), you must submit a new application for each year because our funds vary each year, and we cannot guarantee funding from year to year
- With your application, you must submit a copy of the award letter that includes:
- Terms and conditions of the award
- Award amount
- Award period (start and end dates)
- Agency contact information
- Any other relevant information
- The fellowship and award approver for your department will receive an email notifying them that you submitted your application.
- We will notify you as soon as possible. Be sure to include the required documentation.
Award Conditions
- You must report all funding received to all relevant internal and external parties, i.e. any funding sources at UNC or external to UNC who are giving you funding.
- You must abide by all requirements and conditions set forth by the external agency.
Contact Us
Graduate School Fellowships Office
gradfunding@unc.edu