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WIU Home > Graduate Studies > Catalog > Costs and Financial Assistance

Costs and Financial Assistance
(excerpted from 2024-2025 Graduate Catalog)

PDF version of Graduate Catalog

Scholarships

Tuition

The following rates of tuition and fees are listed per credit hour for all who are classified as graduate students. Summer fee rates may be obtained at wiu.edu/billing. The below amounts are subject to change without notice by action of the Board of Trustees.

Domestic

$386.18 per credit hour

International

$675.82 per credit hour

Assessment for WIU Integrated Bachelor’s/Master’s Students

WIU students accepted into an integrated bachelor’s/master’s degree program will be assessed undergraduate tuition rates based on current policies while an undergraduate student. After completing the bachelor’s degree, integrated students will be assessed one year at the graduate level of the tuition rate plan in which they were last assessed. After that, students will be assessed at the current rate plan.

Macomb Campus Fees

Activity Fee: $ 4.86
Fine Arts Fee: $2.21
Athletic Fee: $18.13
Bond Revenue Fee: $30.44
Technology Fee: $6.81
Facilities Enhancement/Life Safety 22.71
Health Center Fee: $10.41
Talent Grant Fee: $1.36
Transit Fee: $4.63
Total Fees per Credit Hour: $101.56

WIU-Quad Cities Campus Fees

Activity Fee: $4.39
Technology Fee: $5.01
Facilities Enhancement/Life Safety $10.60
Publication Fee: $0.68
Talent Grant Fee: $2.42
Transit Fee: $ 4.67
Other Mandatory Fees: $73.79
Total Fees per Credit Hour: $101.56

 Room and Meal Rates for Residence Halls - effective Fall 2024 - Spring 2025

By Semester

Double Occupancy: $5,660.00
Single Occupancy: $7,205.75
Super Double: $5,960.00
Super Single: $7,377.50
Corbin Suite (Double): $5,960.00
Corbin Suite (Single): $8,574.50
Grote Hall Double Occupancy: $6,135.00
Grote Hall Single Occupancy: $7,112.50

Summer Term - Room Rates

Double Occupancy: $865.00
Single Occupancy: $1,295.00

 The Billing System

The student receivables system brings University charges and credits into one account. The Billing and Receivables Office will compile the latest information from University offices (i.e., Financial Aid, Registrar, and University Housing and Dining) and prepare the monthly billing statement. A finance charge of 1% per month on the unpaid balance from the prior month’s billing will be assessed. A student with an account balance will be denied registration.

The University bills by semester, not by academic year. Actively enrolled students will receive their billing statement via STARS. Notification will be sent to the student’s WIU e-mail address when each bill is ready to view on STARS. Details must be viewed on STARS. Students may establish additional e-mail addresses to which the notification may also be sent. The e-mail will include the account balance and the due date.

 Payment Due Dates

Fall semester charges are due August 28; spring semester charges are due January 28; and summer semester charges are due June 28.

After the due date, a finance charge of 1% of the account balance is added each month and the student will have a financial encumbrance preventing registration for future semesters.

 University Credit/Refund Policy

Dropped Courses

Students enrolled in any combination of sessions, either on campus and/or off campus, must drop from the desired class within that session's 100% refund/credit period to avoid assessment of tuition and mandatory fee charges. Students will be assessed full tuition and fees in accordance with the University's tuition and fee schedule for classes dropped after the 100% refund/credit period. The 100% refund/credit periods for regularly scheduled classes are as follows:

      Fall and spring semester: on or before the 10^th class day of the semester.
      Summer session: on or before the sixth class day of the session.

Total University Withdrawal

Procedures: Any student making a TOTAL University withdrawal MUST withdraw within established refund/credit dates to avoid charges. Prior to the first day of the semester, a student may completely withdraw from the University through STARS. On or after the first day of the semester, in order to completely withdraw from the University, students who are classified as full-time students must contact the Student Development Office at (309) 298-1884.

A student may withdraw during the first 10 weeks of a regular semester. After the first 10 weeks, a student may not withdraw from the University unless there are exceptional and documented circumstances. Withdrawal may affect a student’s eligibility for current or future financial aid.

Fall and Spring Semesters
A student who has registered for regularly scheduled classes and officially and TOTALLY withdraws from Western Illinois University in accordance with established University procedures on or before the 10^th class day of the semester shall receive credit for all tuition, mandatory fees, and prorated credit for room and board charges.

A student who officially and TOTALLY withdraws after the 10^th day of the semester shall be entitled to a refund/credit of tuition, mandatory fees, and room and board charges as follows:

Remainder of Week 3: 80% refund
Week 4 : 70% refund
Week 5 and Week 6: 60% refund
Week 7 and Week 8: 50% refund
Week 9: 40% refund
Week 10: 30% refund
After Week 10: 0% refund

Summer Sessions

The University designates shorter withdrawal credit periods for the summer session, special courses, and short courses scheduled during that term. Withdrawal credit periods are available on the Office of the Registrar website at wiu.edu/registrar.

 Financial Assistance

 Graduate Assistantships

Graduate assistants are an integral part of the intellectual community at Western Illinois University. The purpose of graduate education is to develop scholars and professionals equipped with the knowledge and skills to succeed in their chosen fields. By working under the supervision of faculty mentors or administrative professionals, graduate assistants gain valuable experience relevant to their profession.

Graduate assistantships are academic merit-based awards that recognize outstanding achievement and provide financial support to students as they pursue their degrees. Both the University and the student benefit from the assistantship. The student receives professional experience and financial support, while the University gains a student assistant dedicated to advancing its mission.

Graduate assistants are expected to balance the challenges presented by both the assistantship duties and the requirements of the graduate degree. As such, a student must demonstrate satisfactory progress toward the completion of scholarly tasks, as well as assignments in the workplace. All graduate students are encouraged to consult with assistantship supervisors and departmental graduate advisors throughout this process.

Students with full-time assistantships are required to work 20 hours per week or teach up to six semester hours per semester and will receive a monthly stipend and waiver of tuition. Current stipend amounts, policies, procedures, and additional information concerning the assistantship program may be found online at wiu.edu/grad/assistantships. Assistantship applications received prior to March 15 may be given priority consideration.

Categories of Assistantships

1. Teaching Assistant (TA)

A Teaching Assistant is the instructor of record for a class or laboratory within a specific academic department of the University. Teaching Assistants’ duties consist of one or more of the following types of activities:

• conducting classes or laboratories
• preparing lectures
• constructing and grading tests/quizzes
• holding student conferences
• assigning course/laboratory grades
• other duties related to the assigned course/laboratory

2. Teaching Support Assistant (TSA)

A Teaching Support Assistant provides assistance/support to an academic course instructor. Teaching Support Assistants’ primary (greater than 50%) duties consist of one or more of the following types of activities:

• taking attendance
• proctoring exams/quizzes
• grading objective exams/quizzes
• developing academic instructional materials
• tutoring
• facilitating review/study sessions
• other instructional support services

3. Research Assistant (RA)

A Research Assistant is assigned to faculty members to assist with their research. Research Assistants’ primary duties (greater than 50%) consist of one or more of the following types of activities:

• conducting experiments
• collecting or analyzing data
• collaborating in preparing publications
• library research
• other research activities

4. Graduate Assistant (GA)

A Graduate Assistant supports the administrative and operational functions of the University or approved external agencies. Graduate Assistants’ primary duties (greater than 50%) consist of one or more of the following types of activities:

• technical support services (web, equipment management, etc.)
• advising students
• clerical support
• recruiting students
• event development/management
• other support services

Application Process: To apply for an assistantship, an Application for Assistantship (available during the online Graduate School application process or at wiu.edu/grad/assistantships) must be submitted before an assistantship contract may be written.

Individual departments/offices on campus are responsible for the selection of their assistants. Some departments/offices may require application materials in addition to those required by the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants should check with their employment area of interest for specifics regarding the hiring procedure.

Tuition Waiver Benefit: Graduate assistants with semester-long contracts will automatically receive a waiver of tuition (upon receipt of a signed contract in the Graduate School) for the period of appointment plus a maximum of one summer session adjacent to (preceding or following) the employment period. If eligible, the summer tuition waiver is automatically applied to the summer following the end of the contract period. Students must notify the Graduate School at the time of signing a fall contract if they choose to use it the preceding summer. The waiver does not include insurance costs or student fees. Tuition waivers may be revoked if the assistant does not fulfill the original term of the contract. Tuition waivers are not prorated.

Tuition Waiver Taxation: Per Internal Revenue Service regulations (IRC 127), taxes will be withheld on graduate assistant tuition waiver amounts exceeding $5,250 in the calendar year (January-December). Research, teaching, and teaching support assistant tuition waivers are exempt from taxation under current tax laws. For more information, please visit wiu.edu/grad/GAtaxFAQ or contact the School of Graduate Studies.

Pay Schedule: Full paychecks for fall contracts that begin and end with the semester dates will be issued in October, November, December, and January. During the spring semester there are five pay periods. If a contract runs concurrently with the semester, students will receive a half check in February; full checks in March, April, and May; and a half check in June. Payday is the first of the month, unless that day is a weekend or holiday, in which case payday will be the weekday before the first. Contracts that begin and/or end on dates other than the first and/or last dates of the semester may follow a different pay schedule. Assistants are required to participate in direct deposit of wages using the financial institution of their choice.

Eligibility Requirements: Students must meet all of the conditions listed below in order to hold an assistantship position:

1. Must have a graduate assistantship application on file in the Graduate School. Please note that individual hiring areas may require additional application materials or processes.
2. Must be a degree-seeking graduate student regularly accepted into a master’s, specialist, or doctoral program. Probationary, non-degree, post-baccalaureate, and second bachelor’s degree students are not eligible to hold assistantship positions. Integrated bachelor’s/master’s students become eligible for assistantships once their undergraduate degree is completed and conferred.
3. Must maintain a 3.0 or higher graduate GPA once graduate-level courses have been completed.
4. Master’s level students must be enrolled in at least nine semester hours of graduate coursework or undergraduate deficiencies if holding a graduate, research, or teaching support assistant position for fall/spring; at least six semester hours if holding a teaching assistant position for fall/spring; or three semester hours for summer (any position). Doctoral students must be enrolled in at least six semester hours of graduate coursework to hold any classification of assistantship position for fall/spring or three semester hours for summer. If it is the assistant’s last semester of coursework (as verified by the degree plan on file in the Graduate School), it is acceptable to be registered for only the remaining required courses.
5. Sign an assistantship contract and complete all required employment paperwork, including a background check.

Employment Requirements: All graduate assistants must participate in direct deposit of wages, which allows assistants to receive monthly stipends electronically from WIU. Additionally, if this is the student’s first period of employment at WIU or if changes are necessary, an Employment Eligibility Verification (I-9) form and an Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate (W-4) must be completed in the Graduate School prior to the student beginning work.

The Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act (Act) (325 ILCS 5/4) mandates that all personnel of higher education institutions, including graduate assistants, report cases of suspected child abuse or neglect to the Department of Children and Family Services’ (DCFS) toll-free, 24-hour Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-25-ABUSE (22873). Effective July 13, 2012, the Act requires any person who enters into State of Illinois higher education employment to sign a statement on a form prescribed by DCFS to affirm that the employee has knowledge and understanding of the reporting requirements of the Act. The statement, Acknowledgement of Mandated Reporter Status, must be completed via STARS prior to a contract being written.

Western Illinois University endeavors to provide a safe environment for its employees and students and requires candidates to submit to a background investigation upon offer of employment. Employment is contingent upon compliance with University policies and procedures relating to the receipt and evaluation of information contained in the background investigation.

All graduate assistants under contract to the University will be assessed the student health insurance fee. A brochure explaining coverage of the student health insurance program is available at the Student Health Insurance Office, lower level of Beu Health Center, (309) 298-1882. Student health insurance may be waived if the student provides proof of equal or better deductible within the first ten days of the semester.

Graduate assistants must adhere to the same standards of professional ethics as permanent employees. All graduate assistants must comply with The State Officials and Employees Ethics Act (5ILCS 430/5-10) by completing the annual online training. Newly hired assistants must review the WIU Ethics Orientation for Employees document and electronically submit the signature/certification page. The document is available on STARS under Employee Compliance.

All graduate assistants are required to complete online sexual harassment prevention training, in accordance with the Illinois Human Rights Act and in support of the University’s sexual misconduct policy. This training is administered by the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access. Students will receive a personalized training link in their WIU email account. This training needs to be completed within 30 days of hire.

In accordance with state statute, teaching assistants engaged in oral instruction in the classroom should be people who possess adequate competence in spoken English (unless the language of instruction is not English). For students whose native language is not English, this competence must be evaluated by the department chair. Certification of such evaluation is required on the Teaching Assistant Contract Request, which the department chair must submit to the Graduate School.

Teaching assistants are required to complete training on the WIUP University Information Management Systems (MVS) so they are able to enter grades online for the courses they are assigned to teach. It is the responsibility of the supervisor to contact the Office of Human Resources (309) 298-1971 or Sherman Hall 105 to schedule the training session.

It is recommended by the Graduate School that graduate assistants not hold employment other than the assistantship.

 Lump Sum Payment Request – Graduate Assistant

Periodically, graduate assistants may perform duties in addition to their regular contract responsibilities. Requests to work additional hours must be approved by the School of Graduate Studies prior to the hours worked. Supplemental pay for graduate assistants is processed via the Lump Sum Payment Request – Graduate Assistant form available at wiu.edu/grad/lumpsumform. This method of payment is not to be used on a recurring basis or to pay for regularly scheduled hours. Tuition waivers are not included with a lump sum payment.

Termination/Resignation

Resignation of an assistantship by a student or by a department/unit must be made to the Graduate School in writing. The employing unit or the Graduate School may terminate an assistantship contract for cause or if eligibility requirements are not met. Likewise, students may terminate a contract at any time for cause. As soon as an assistant has been terminated or has resigned, an e-mail notification will be sent to the hiring department’s fiscal agent, the supervisor, and the student (using a WIU e-mail address). The tuition waiver will be revoked if the original term of the contract is not fulfilled. Tuition waivers are not prorated.

Time Reporting

All assistantship personnel must record their hours worked via an online time reporting system. This report is not directly related to monthly stipend payments. Instructions for completing the time report may be found at wiu.edu/grad/gatimereporting.

The School of Graduate Studies recognizes the weekly scheduling of graduate assistant hours may vary across departments due to the variety of departmental needs. The Graduate Studies policy is meant to encompass the majority of situations and provide guidance for departments and graduate students. The Director of Graduate Studies should be consulted if a department’s needs require a substantial deviation from these guidelines.

For most departments, a set schedule of hours per week (20 for full positions, 13 for 2/3 positions) is the norm. Departments using this schedule should ensure the total number of hours worked during the semester meets the standard for the amount of the assistantship. Departmental decisions to alter the GA schedule (e.g., to exclude duties during the first week or finals week) should increase the number of hours in the other weeks to account for the difference.

Assistantship personnel who are scheduled to work on a day listed on the academic calendar as a holiday or a University closure are excused from working that day and do not need to make up the hours later. Normally, assistants are not expected to work on a holiday or during the weeks of Spring Break and Thanksgiving Break unless it is written into their job description as an expectation. In this case, the assistant shall be compensated with equal time off or a lump sum payment, as determined by unit policy or the decision of a supervisor.

While it is understood that individual departmental needs may demand additional student hours at certain times in a semester, care should be taken to ensure the increased hours during those periods do not impede the student’s academic progress. The number of hours during any one week should not exceed 20-25% more than the usual amount (a total of 24 hours for a full GA; 16 hours for a 2/3 GA). The overage should be documented and accounted for in a reduction of hours in other weeks.

Departments are encouraged to monitor the number of assistantship hours worked by means of assigned office or lab hours, during which grading, research assistance, and other preparatory tasks may be accomplished for supervising faculty or the department. In cases where this solution is impractical, some other method by which the department can monitor hours worked should be documented.

In all cases, graduate assistants should know the average number of hours their assistantship duties require and should be encouraged to meet with their supervisor to discuss their assignment and the balance of hours between academic and assistantship duties. Clarification on these guidelines may be provided by the School of Graduate Studies.

 Graduate Student Research and Professional Development Fund

The Graduate School strongly values professional development and research as important components of graduate study. As such, the Graduate Student Research and Professional Development Fund is designed to support student research projects and presentations, scholarly activities, and professional development opportunities.

A maximum of $8,000 (up to $500 per recipient) will be available each academic year to degree-seeking graduate students. To be eligible for the award, students must be degree-seeking, enrolled in the current semester, have at least a 3.0 graduate GPA, and have completed at least six semester hours of WIU graduate coursework.

The application deadline to be considered for the fall semester is October 1; for the spring/summer semesters, it is February 15. Applications should be submitted to the applicant’s department chairperson on or before the deadline. A maximum of five applications may be submitted from each academic department. Departments must submit the applications to the Graduate School by October 15 (fall) and March 1 (spring/summer).

Applications and full guidelines are available at wiu.edu/grad/studentfund.

 Special Opportunities for Minority Graduate Students

Financial assistance programs are available to minority students who have been traditionally underrepresented in higher education. These programs include the President’s Minority Graduate Access Program for Underrepresented Students (PMGAP) and Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illinois (DFI). The PMGAP award is $2,000 per semester (fall and spring) applied to the student’s WIU university account. Students receiving graduate assistantships, tuition waivers, DFI awards, or other scholarships are not eligible for PMGAP. The application deadline is May 1. Additional information and the application are available under the President’s Minority Graduate Access Program (PMGAP) on the Western Illinois University Scholarship Portal (wiu.academicworks.com). The goal of the DFI awards program is to increase the number of minority full-time tenure track faculty and staff at Illinois’ two- and four-year, public and private colleges and universities. The application deadline for the academic year is the previous February. Further DFI information and the application can be found at www.ibhe.org/dfi.html.