Graduate Enhancement

The funds are made available to departments to strengthen their graduate programs by enhancing their graduate recruitment and program activities overall but especially to support the enhancement of Graduate Assistantships or Fellowships.

The award window for Graduate Enhancement is currently closed.

Open to all graduate students of Taft-eligible units that are registered for at least one credit hour.

Funds are made available to departments; departments are given considerable discretion to award these funds to students in a manner that supports the fund's purpose of strengthening their graduate programs. Taft does not restrict the departmental decision process and individual awards do not have to be approved by any Taft committee.

Awardees remain eligible for other awards.

The following guidelines must be following when awarding enhancements of Graduate Assistantships or Fellowships:

• Departments may increase the Graduate Assistantship stipend or supplement stipend funding to meet Graduate School minimums (paid as Graduate Assistantship stipend, through payroll) through the Graduate Enhancement program.
• Departments also use the funds for graduate fellowships, under which the student does not perform teaching or research duties for the department. Awards made as such must be no less than $1,000; the stipend must be at least as large as the minimum Graduate Assistantship stipend set by the Graduate School, for twenty (20) hours of work per week.
• It is inappropriate to use Taft awards to make across-the-board increases to all students.

• Yearly allocations must be expended by end of the fiscal year for which they are allocated. 
• Departments may use up to $2,000 of their allocation for recruiting and advertising their graduate program.
• Rollover will be allowed for into a second year, and by special permission, a third year, provided there is justification for the carryover as well as project start and end dates.