Graduate Assistantships at University of Tennessee at Chattanooga 2026 (Fully Funded)

About This Scholarship

Graduate Assistantships at American universities represent one of the most practical and broadly accessible pathways to a fully funded US postgraduate degree. Unlike highly competitive merit scholarships that select a small number of recipients from enormous global applicant pools, Graduate Assistantships are offered by individual academic departments to students who provide teaching or research support in exchange for tuition waivers and a living stipend. For qualified Ghanaian students, this means the pathway to fully funded US graduate study is significantly more accessible than most scholarship programmes — if you are the right academic fit for a faculty member's research or teaching needs, an assistantship offer is achievable.

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is a comprehensive public university within the prestigious University of Tennessee system, accredited and offering graduate programs across engineering, business, education, health sciences, computational science, and the liberal arts. UTC's graduate assistantship package — a $4,500 stipend per appointment combined with a maintenance fee waiver — provides meaningful financial support for the duration of a well-structured graduate program. The university's location in Chattanooga, Tennessee, offers a low cost of living relative to major US cities, making the stipend more practically valuable than its dollar figure suggests.

Graduate Assistantships Coverage

This fully funded scholarship for international students covers the following:

A stipend valued at $4,500, paid on a regular basis as compensation for the service provided each term of the appointment

A waiver of the associated maintenance fees for the fall and spring semesters

International tuition fee waiver similar to out-of-state tuition

Tips for Ghanaian and African Applicants

• Contact faculty before applying: Graduate Assistantships at US universities are awarded by departments, not through central scholarship competitions. Identify faculty members whose research aligns with yours, reach out directly by email, and express your interest in both admission and a GA position. A faculty advocate significantly improves your chances.
• Research alignment matters above all: The strongest GA candidates demonstrate clear intellectual alignment with a faculty member's ongoing work. Read recent publications by potential supervisors and reference specific papers in your outreach email and statement of purpose.
• Prepare all US graduate application materials in advance: GRE/GMAT scores, TOEFL or IELTS scores, transcripts, letters of recommendation, and a strong statement of purpose are all required. The TOEFL is particularly important for Ghanaian applicants — UTC requires a minimum score.
• US student visa processing from Ghana: Allow 8–12 weeks for F-1 student visa processing from the Accra embassy after receiving your I-20 document from UTC. Book your visa appointment as soon as your I-20 is issued.

Graduate Assistantships Eligibility Criteria

A graduate student enrolled on a full-time basis (up to 12 hours in the fall and spring semesters and 6 hours in the summer term) to a graduate degree program and, in good academic standing to fill an assistantship position

Able to maintain full-time status (20 hours a week) through an entire semester when holding a graduate assistantship

In a position to demonstrate satisfactory advancement in the academic program to retain an assistantship position

If you meet the eligibility criteria for University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Graduate Assistantships, you can move forward with the application process!

Remember to apply for admission to University of Tennessee at Chattanooga first before applying for Graduate Assistantships.

A separate scholarship application is needed for this offer. To apply for Graduate Assistantships, please follow these steps:

Submit an online application