Cost and Value of Education

The UA provides outstanding bang for the buck with competitive tuition rates, exceptional programs, distinguished faculty, and phenomenal research and internship opportunities. UA provides excellent value for high quality academic programs, many of which are in the top 10 in the world. The UA ranks 13th among all public institutions for research expenditures, and is 1st in research expenditures for physical sciences.

The Student Financial Aid and the Bursar’s web sites provide the most comprehensive information about the cost of education including living expenses. Residence Life and the UA Housing Guide provide current information on average housing costs. See Estimated Cost of a UA Education.

Although tuition has increased significantly at public universities in recent years, the UA remains in the fourth quartile in terms of tuition costs, stemming from the authorizing state constitutional mandate to keep the cost of higher education as reasonable as possible.

Tuition fees are set annually by the Board of Regents. The base graduate tuition and fees per semester for 2007-08 is $7619 for non-resident students and $2724 for Arizona residents. Some departments, including the Eller School (Business), Public Administration, Planning, School of Information and Library Sciences, and Public Health charge additional tuition (differential tuition) which is not waived by the Peace Corps Fellowship or assistantships. Ask your department for details or calculate costs at the Bursar’s website/Student Services.

In 2008-09, Peace Corps Fellows will receive a minimum award of a $12,000 graduate tuition scholarship applied to the base Non-resident Tuition and Registration Fees. Peace Corps Fellows does not apply to any departmental differential tuition, nor does it cover incidental fees, which total approximately $170/per year.

Through your department, financial aid, and extramural fellowships/scholarships, it may be possible to further reduce your costs, but this is not guaranteed. Fellows work closely with the Office of Financial Aid and your department to develop a competitive package. It is to your advantage to file the FAFSA early to maximize your awards.

Some departments may offer additional financial support to graduate students. The amount of support varies depending on the program, but you may wish to explore options such as an assistantship or scholarships with the grad advisor or coordinator of the department to which you are applying.

The internship and tuition scholarship will offset your cost of education, but most students do take out some loans over the period of study. We encourage graduate students to minimize any debt incurred in graduate school. If you have the opportunity to apply for extramural scholarships or fellowships, please do!

The Peace Corps Fellows tuition scholarship is renewable as long as you are progressing to degree and meeting the requirements of the Fellows program. Timely progression in your studies is another way to minimize your cost of education.

Our Fellows typically move into full-time positions at (or before) graduation. The Fellows internship experience often facilitates placement at a higher level than for a student with no internship experience.