Funding

 

The Department of Second Language Studies has a number of scholarship funds that support student research and conference travel. Descriptions of these funds, their purposes, and application procedures and materials can be found at the following links.

 

Information for All Graduate Students and Applicants

College of Arts, Languages & Letters (CALL) Funding Opportunities Page

CALL links to updated information on grants, scholarships, and awards available to undergraduate and graduate students in CALL. Please find more information at this link under FAQs.

Tuition & Fees: General Information

Complete information on tuition, fees, and payments is provided by Records & Registration at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Information on upcoming tuition schedules and estimated cost of attendance is also available on the UHM Financial Aid Services websites. Please see the Hawai‘i Residency Requirements page for residency rules.

Most MA students take 9 credits per semester. Each regularly offered course in the program is 3 credits.

Achievement Scholarships

A limited number of merit-based Graduate Division Achievement Scholarships are available to qualified international and U.S.-based degree-seeking graduate students at UHM. All MA applicants for admission to the program are automatically considered for these scholarships. Achievement Scholarships are awarded in varying dollar amounts, depending on qualifications and prior support. Scholarships are awarded for one semester initially, but may be renewed provided the student remains in good standing (see Graduate Division Award Conditions):

  1. The student must maintain a 3.5 GPA or above for the entire period of the award.
  2. The student must enroll in a minimum of 6 credits of degree-related courses per semester.
  3. If the student obtains a full Graduate Assistantship (at a 50% Full-Time-Employment appointment, "0.50 FTE") through the University of Hawai‘i system, which includes a full tuition waiver, the student will be ineligible for the Achievement Scholarship.
  4. If the student should become unable to meet the award conditions or if for any other reason the award becomes invalid, the student will have to reimburse the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa for the full amount of the award.

Priority is given to MA students who demonstrate academic promise and who have not previously received Departmental support. Students are eligible for funding from the Achievement Scholarship up to and including their 4th semester in the MA program (3rd semester for students who entered through the BAMA program or with transfer credits).

Graduate Assistantships in the Department of Second Language Studies

The Department has a small number of graduate assistantships allotted to it. Graduate assistants may teach or be a lead teacher or testing specialist in the English Language Institute (ELI), teach in the Hawai‘i English Language Program (HELP), teach in the undergraduate program, serve as research assistants, tutor in the Writing Center managed by the English department, or assist in the Language Analysis and Experimentation (LAE) Labs.

Graduate Assistantships for instructors in the undergraduate program in Second Language Studies are reserved for PhD candidates in the Department of Second Language Studies. A limited number of Graduate Assistantships in the department’s two English for academic purposes programs, the ELI (English Language Institute) and HELP (Hawai‘i English Language Program), are available. There are occasional openings for a course assistant or a research assistant in one of the department’s or college’s research and teaching centers.

Admitted applicants to the PhD program are automatically considered for a Graduate Assistantship.

Incoming MA students are automatically considered for Graduate Assistantships. (For Fall admissions, only those who apply by the January 1 deadline can be considered.) MA students in the program can apply for Graduate Assistantships in SLS every semester in response to a call for applications from the department (typically in October and February). MA students may hold a Graduate Assistantship administered by the department for up to 4 semesters (3 semesters for students who entered through the BAMA program or with transfer credits), and not beyond the 6th semester in the program (5th semester for BAMA students or with transfer credits).

AGC students are not eligible for Graduate Assistantships.

Graduate Assistants in the Department of Second Language Studies usually receive the equivalent of a 9-month, 0.50 FTE appointment, which averages to a 20-hour work week with duty during the fall and spring semesters in which they are awarded a Graduate Assistantship. (The time of duty each semester includes the week prior to the start of classes and the week of final exams.) To view the current stipend rates, which are paid out in bimonthly installments during the semesters students are awarded Graduate Assistantships, visit Graduate Division’s Compensation and Tax Withholding page. Tuition is waived for full GAs (0.50 FTE), and full GAs who serve for a minimum of three months are eligible for health plan benefits. The payment of student fees is not covered. Please see the information for Graduate Assistants for details on eligibility and criteria, compensation and tax withholding, benefits, and rules and regulations.

Lecturer and Casual Hire Positions in the Department of Second Language Studies

Currently enrolled and incoming MA, AGC, and PhD students in Second Language Studies are eligible to apply for the lecturer pool for the department. Admitted applicants to the PhD program are eligible to apply for the lecturer pool in the SLS undergraduate program, ELI, and HELP. Admitted applicants to the AGC and MA programs are eligible to apply for the lecturer pool for the ELI and HELP. Announcements about Lecturer positions will be made on the department listserv at least once a year, but interested applicants should refer to workatuh.hawaii.edu. HELP also announces Casual Hire positions through the SLS jobs listserv. Courses run on 8-week terms, and HELP positions vary greatly depending on enrollment. Casual Hire positions offer a flat payment for each course; they do not provide tuition waivers. However, work at HELP is considered on-campus employment for international students.

Graduate Assistantships in Other UHM Departments

Enrolled MA and PhD students in the Department of Second Language Studies are eligible to apply for Graduate Assistantships in other departments across the university. In the past, students in Second Language Studies have worked for the Spanish program of Languages and Literatures of Europe and the Americas, Student-Athlete Academic Services, the Center for Disability Studies, and the College of Education at UHM, among others. Opportunities become available based on departmental needs, and postings of opportunities can be found on workatuh.hawaii.edu (search with Position Type: Graduate Assistant).

East-West Center Graduate Degree Fellowship

The East-West Center Graduate Degree Fellowship offers substantial funding toward education and living expenses so that graduate students can participate in educational, cultural, residential, and leadership development programs at the East-West Center while pursuing graduate study at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Citizens or permanent residents of the United States and citizens of countries in the Pacific and Asia, including Russia, are eligible to apply. See the Student Programs page and the Graduate Degree Fellowship page for eligibility requirements and application information.