Fellowship and Financial Policies

Duration of Support

Annenberg students normally receive a fellowship stipend and a waiver of tuition. The duration of support depends upon the number of course units transferred for credit (see table below). Students entering with an undergraduate degree receive eight semesters of support, while students entering with a relevant Master’s degree and transferring the maximum number of credits (five) are eligible for seven semesters of funding.

Funding Provided by Annenberg For Incoming Students

Students on stipend must maintain a full schedule of courses (three course units per semester) while working toward completing their minimum of 20 courses. With the permission of their advisor, students may take four courses in a semester to speed completion of the program. Students may not register for any classes at Penn as an auditor.

If a student completes the minimum of 20 courses for the Ph.D. and is still eligible for support, the student may take additional courses beyond the 20 (with approval from the advisor) within the Annenberg School, but not in other schools. Tuition for courses outside of ASC will NOT be paid once the student has completed 20 courses.

All students must remain in good standing and be participating in a program of active scholarship in order to receive continued funding. All funding decisions are subject to the approval of the Annenberg Dean and the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies.

Bridge Support

1. Before exhausting their approved semesters of TF/RF support, students may “bank” the unused semesters of support in case they are needed after the DRF is exhausted (i.e., if their dissertation has not been successfully defended by the end of DRF).
2. For students in good standing who have exhausted their TF/RF support but not yet begun DRF support, ASC will cover one an additional semester of tuition (Comm 9950), fees and health insurance (“bridge support”). If additional semesters (beyond the one semester) are needed before moving to DRF, the student is responsible for the costs of tuition (Comm 9950), fees and health insurance. These costs will not be reimbursed by ASC.
3. For students in good standing who have exhausted their DRF (and if applicable, their “banked” TF/RF) support but not yet defended their dissertation, ASC will cover up to two semesters of bridge support. If additional semesters (beyond the two semesters) are needed before defending the dissertation, the student is responsible for the costs of tuition (Comm 9950), fees and health insurance. These costs will not be reimbursed by ASC.
4. The combined number of semesters for which ASC will provide bridge support cannot exceed two semesters.
5. Bridge support will be paid directly by ASC in the semester in which it is used.

Dissertation Tuition

Ph.D. candidates must be enrolled continuously in COMM 9950 from the time they complete coursework until they graduate. This includes the semester in which the degree is conferred. Candidates who have successfully defended their dissertations are eligible to be reimbursed for COMM 9950 tuition for the term in which they graduate if they fulfill the following requirements:

• Dissertation is successfully defended and graduate forms are submitted to the Assistant Dean for Graduate Studies by the Graduate Division of Arts and Sciences' deadline. Completion form may not be submitted and is not valid until the final dissertation revisions are completed.
• “Application for the Degree” online form is submitted to the Graduate Division of Arts and Sciences by the required deadline.
• Dissertation submitted to the Graduate Division of Arts and Sciences by the Division’s deadline.

Students who don’t fulfill all these requirements are fully responsible for all fees and tuition costs for that semester and each semester until completion.