Financial Assistance

• Teaching/Research Assistantships starting at $28,256/year; amount of support depends on prior degrees and experience
• Half-time clinical appointments to qualified optometrists starting at $40,936/year
• Tuition support for full-time students working 50% time as teaching/research assistants
• Health Insurance for full-time students working 50% time
• Other fellowships available from national organizations
• National Institutes of Health Loan Repayment (LRP) Program for eligible Doctor of Optometry Graduates and other post-doctoral students who qualify

Graduate Tuition Fellowship (GTF)

• Doctoral graduate students must be in good standing and currently enrolled in a College of Optometry Physiological Optics/Vision Science graduate program to be eligible for the GTF. The GTF will support funding for 9 SCH (semester credit hours) for fall and spring and up to 6 SCH for summer.
• To be considered for funding, a student must have an undergraduate degree or its equivalent and be admitted to a UH College of Optometry graduate program, devoting full time (9 credit hours per semester and up to six hours during the summer) effort toward a Ph.D..
• Continuing students must have shown satisfactory progress in the degree program as defined by the College of Optometry graduate program in Physiological Optics/Vision Science.
• Continuing students must have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.00 (all digits significant) in the Ph.D. program.
• Students who enter the doctoral program with a master's degree may hold the fellowship for no more than four academic years.
• Doctoral degree seeking students who enter the doctoral program directly from a baccalaureate program may hold the fellowship for no more than six academic years.
• Graduate students holding the fellowship must agree not to be employed (on or off-campus) for more than 20 hours per week (50% FTE) without prior approval. Violation of this provision will result in withdrawal of the funding during the semester in which the violation occurs.
• The Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research with advice, as needed, from the Graduate Review Committee, will decide on an annual basis the number of awards based upon funds available.
• Distribution of GTF positions, the number available, and policies will be reviewed as resources change.

UH/UHCO Competitive Fellowships

• Based on funding availability in any given year, graduate students may be eligible for financial assistance through competitive fellowships at the University of Houston Graduate School or the UH College of Optometry.
• To learn more about the University-level fellowship programs, please click here.