Fellowships and Assistantships

The Department of Public Administration and Urban Studies awards several merit based fellowships each fall semester and a number of Graduate Research Assistantships (GRAs).

Applicants who wish to be considered for merit based financial assistance and are applying for the fall semester must complete both their general application for the masters program and the fellowship or GRA application by February 15. Applicants for the spring semester must complete all applications by October 1.

Legislative Budget Fellowship

More information comng soon.

Dan Sweat Fellowship

This fellowship honors the memory of Dan Sweat, who was once heralded as Atlanta's "premier civic administrator" by the New York Times. Mr. Sweat served as chief administrative officer to Atlanta mayors Ivan Allen and Sam Massell, as executive director of the Atlanta Regional Commission, and as president of Central Atlanta Progress, the CF Foundation, and The Atlanta Project. This fellowship includes a yearly stipend of $9,500 and a tuition waiver: a total value of approximately $12,500 a year for Georgia residents and $21,500 for nonresidents. Recipients are expected to work as graduate assistants for at least 15 hours a week and remain students in good standing.

The Dan Sweat Fellowship is awarded once a year in the fall to incoming MPA students only. There is no separate application for this fellowship; to be considered, complete a GRA application and the general application for fall admission by February 15.

Amanda G. Hyatt Fellowship for Non-Profit Studies

This fellowship, which includes a stipend and tuition waiver, honors the memory of Amanda G. Hyatt. It is currently limited to MS-UPS applicants, with a preference for those with a specialization in nonprofits.

The Hyatt Fellowship is awarded biannually in the fall. There is a separate application required, which must be completed by February 15. The next award will become available for Fall 2007 applicants.

Graduate Research Assistantships

Each year the Department awards a number of GRAs. These awards include tuition waivers with a value of $3,042 for in-state students and $12,132 for out-of-state students as well as small stipend, typically between $1,000 and $3,500, each semester. GRAs are expected to work 8-16 hours a week, depending on funding, and to remain students in good standing. The amount of the stipend as well as the work hours may vary if a student becomes involved in a funded project with faculty.

Assistantships are awarded primarily in the fall semester. Some may be awarded for the spring semester pending funding availability.

The following applies to incoming students only:

To be considered for GRA appointment, applicants must submit a completed general application to the program and a GRA application by February 15 (for appointment in the fall semester) or October 1 (for the spring semester).

The following applies to continuing students only:

Continuing students, who did not receive a GRA appointment upon admission, may apply for a GRA appointment at any time. The department will maintain a list of students interested in a GRA position, and students will be notified if their application has been selected for consideration.

For more information and an application, see this page.

Out-of-State Tuition Waivers

The Department has a limited number of waivers to allow out-of-state students to be eligible for in-state tuition.

There is no separate application for this assistance. To be considered, out-of-state applicants must complete a GRA application and the general application for the masters program by the February 15 or October 1 deadlines.

Contact The Office of Academic Assistance for more information on these awards. (e-mail)