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Scholarship Program and Schedule

As of 9/1/09, the DAGSI scholarship and fellowship programs are on hold indefinitely. DAGSI will not make new awards for academic year 2010/2011. The AFRL/DAGSI fellowship program will continue, however. Please refer to the AFRL/DAGSI program menu for further information.

NOTE: Please read the information below carefully. Beginning in January 2008, significant changes to the DAGSI scholarship program were made. These changes impact all applicants in 2008 and beyond. Students holding DAGSI scholarships awarded prior to 2008 were not affected by the new rules.

The DAGSI scholarship program has two major objectives:

  • To support and strengthen the graduate educational programs at the DAGSI partner institutions
  • To support Ohio business and government entities by developing talented, highly skilled candidates for the engineering workforc

DAGSI scholarships are funded by the state of Ohio, under the Ohio Board of Regents. Awards are made to top-ranked graduate students in engineering and related fields who enroll in programs at the graduate engineering schools of the Air Force Institute of Technology, the University of Dayton, or Wright State University.

Two general types of scholarships are available: Competitive Tuition Scholarships and Program Enhancement Scholarships.

1. COMPETITIVE TUITION SCHOLARSHIPS

Tuition scholarships are available for full- or part-time M.S.- and Ph.D.-level graduate study in any program offered by the graduate engineering schools at the DAGSI partner institutions AFIT, UD, and WSU. Scholarships are awarded once a year, in early April, for the following academic year beginning with the student’s choice of summer or fall term. Each applicant is evaluated on research interests, academic merit, and, if relevant, on prior work experience and performance. DAGSI will support a scholarship student for a maximum of two years.

Top candidates for full-time doctoral study may receive an assistantship stipend in addition to tuition. DAGSI assistantships are $21,000 for new and continuing students. At the discretion of the engineering deans, the highest ranked applicants may be offered additional funding through faculty research grants or other university, college, or department sources. A student applying for a tuition plus assistantship award must be either a new Ph.D. student starting summer or fall term OR a first year Ph.D. student at the time of application. Students in the second year of their doctoral program or beyond at the time of application are ineligible for a tuition plus assistantship award except under special circumstances (contact DAGSI with any questions).

A full-time Ph.D. student who applies for but does not receive an assistantship automatically will be considered for a tuition-only award.

Because DAGSI awards are funded by the state of Ohio, DAGSI’s objectives must be congruent with the state’s objectives. DAGSI takes alignment of a student’s research interests with state and regional technology focus areas into account when evaluating applicants. In addition, the state now looks at how effective its agencies are at identifying and generating funding from additional sources. Therefore, DAGSI will partner with faculty and with business and industry to share in the support of each assistantship student for his/her full academic program. Tuition-only students are asked to share information on the source(s) of their non-DAGSI funding, which will provide a clearer picture of the full impact and effectiveness of DAGSI’s scholarship program.

Each application is evaluated by DAGSI using the following criteria:

  • Academic merit: minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.3 required for students applying for a masters-level award; minimum undergraduate and masters GPAs of 3.5 required for students applying for a doctoral-level award; strong endorsement by referees; relevant research and teaching experience; other academic achievements or endorsements such as honors and awards, publications, presentations, patents, etc.
  • Research interests: Ph.D. students with research interests in the following target areas tied to regional and state technology/industry focus areas are preferred. However, an outstanding student with interests outside these areas is not precluded from receiving a DAGSI award.
    • Advanced materials and manufacturing
    • Aerospace engineering
    • Clean and renewable energy
    • Information technology; advanced data management
    • Instruments, controls, and electronics (including sensor technology)
    • Power and propulsion
    • Bioengineering, biomedical/biotech engineering, and related fields in human sciences
  • Work experience (if applicable): for students with relevant work experience, endorsement by supervisors or colleagues in the workplace
  • Quality of the application materials: clarity and completeness of the responses; quality of and thought behind the responses

DAGSI’s objective is to support each scholarship recipient for two years of his or her graduate program. Effective with the 2008 scholarship competition, a student who receives a DAGSI award will receive one year of funding, for the next academic year. To receive the second year of funding, all new scholarship students are required to complete an additional step during their first year of funding, as follows:

  • Ph.D. tuition plus assistantship awards: during the first award year, the student, together with a faculty member, submits a research plan for the remainder of his/her Ph.D. program (typically an additional 2-3 years) to DAGSI. There are two key components to the plan, which should be jointly developed by the student and the faculty: 1) demonstration that the student has funding for his or her entire graduate program beyond the two years of DAGSI support (e.g., commitment by the faculty member to support the student beyond the two years of DAGSI support; other awards or scholarships); and 2) an outline of a research program, with timeline leading to the student’s doctoral degree, along with some indication of how the program ties to regional/state technology initiatives. Students are NOT competing for funding at this stage. The major objective is to demonstrate that funding beyond two years of DAGSI support has been identified. The funding may come from faculty research grants or from another university, graduate school, department, or government/industry source. The quality of the proposal, alignment of the research with a targeted technology area, and firm commitment of support by the faculty will lead to one additional year of tuition plus stipend support by DAGSI. Plans will be due in February (see the current Program Schedule for relevant specific dates). See Scholarship Program Reporting Requirements for additional information.
  • DAGSI Ph.D. and M.S. tuition-only awards: during the first award year, the student submits a information to DAGSI outlining non-confidential sources of support beyond DAGSI tuition support (e.g., salary range; teaching or research assistantships; additional grants or scholarships). Again, students are not competing for funding at this stage. The information will provide DAGSI with valuable data on financial leverage and the impact of DAGSI support, which is critical to continued state support of DAGSI programs. See Scholarship Program Reporting Requirements for additional information.

Note that, for Ph.D. students, the second year of DAGSI support may be used at any time during the student’s tenure. Upon receiving a DAGSI award, the student will receive his/her first year of support from DAGSI for the next academic year. The second year may immediately follow the first, or the student may choose to use the second year of DAGSI support at a later time in his/her program, depending on the timing of other funding sources

To reiterate, DAGSI’s objective is to support each scholarship recipient for two years. Students compete once, at the time of application, but they do have to complete the second step in order to receive their second year of DAGSI funding. These requirements will enable DAGSI to support top students whose research aligns with regional and state initiatives, strengthening our workforce development efforts. Also, DAGSI will be aligned with major goals and initiatives for state-funded agencies.

A student’s academic performance must meet DAGSI, university, graduate school, and department standards for continuity of DAGSI support. The performance of each scholarship student will be reviewed by the Home Institution and by DAGSI each year while the student is under DAGSI support. Any student not meeting the minimum criteria will be required to develop and implement an improvement plan under the guidance of his or her advisor. Failure to improve within one or two terms will result in loss of the DAGSI scholarship.

If a DAGSI Ph.D. scholarship student applies for and receives an AFRL/DAGSI Fellowship, the Fellowship term will be reduced by the length of time the student has held a DAGSI scholarship. For example, if he/she has held a DAGSI scholarship for one year and receives an AFRL/DAGSI award, the maximum number of years for the Fellowship is two. A full-time student with a Ph.D. tuition-only award may, in his/her first year, apply for tuition plus assistantship. However, the total number of years of Ph.D. support remains two, so the assistantship award would last a maximum of one year. In general, a student holding an expiring DAGSI scholarship may not reapply once his or her scholarship term has been fulfilled. However, a student with a DAGSI M.S. tuition scholarship may apply for a Ph.D. tuition or tuition plus assistantship award and receive the full two years at the Ph.D. level.

The availability of scholarship awards and the length of time they may be held always are contingent upon the continued support of DAGSI by the state of Ohio.

Continuity of Enrollment While Holding a DAGSI Award

DAGSI scholarships are funded by the state of Ohio. DAGSI has a responsibility to ensure that the students supported maintain acceptable academic records and make good progress toward completion of their degrees. Therefore, the DAGSI Operating Committee has instituted the following policy.

  • Students receiving scholarship support must be enrolled full- or part-time every term, with the exception of summer term for tuition-only scholarship students. Full-time Ph.D. students with assistantships must enroll year-round. Any scholarship student who fails to enroll for a term or semester without having petitioned in advance for a deferral of the DAGSI award (see below) will lose the scholarship immediately. In other words, if a student’s name is not on the active list we receive from the university each term and there is no petition on file, the scholarship will be terminated.
  • Only under special circumstances may a student take time off without the loss of his or her DAGSI scholarship (e.g., a death in the family; a medical issue; or job-related issues, for part-time students in particular). Other extenuating circumstances may apply. Any student faced with an emergency requiring a leave of absence from the graduate school must contact the Dean of Engineering at his or her Home Institution as soon as possible to initiate a petition requesting a deferral of the DAGSI scholarship. The Dean and the DAGSI Director will consider such petitions on a case-by-case basis.

How to Apply for a DAGSI Competitive Tuition Scholarship

  1. Select your desired Home Institution (AFIT, UD, or WSU), the degree you wish to pursue (MS or Ph.D., full- or part-time), and your intended field of study (e.g., electrical engineering). Click here for contacts and courses at DAGSI partner schools.
  2. Apply and be admitted to the Graduate Engineering School at your chosen Home Institution. DAGSI will not award scholarships to applicants who have not been admitted or received "Conditional Upon Graduation" admittance to their Home Institution. Your application to graduate school is SEPARATE FROM, and should not be mailed with, the DAGSI competitive scholarship application. Please note that the application process and deadline for admission varies with each institution. Follow the process established by your particular Home Institution. You must be admitted to your graduate program prior to March 10 (see Program Schedule to confirm date). Proof of admittance is required as part of the application package; details are provided in the introductory section of the scholarship application form.
  3. Complete the DAGSI competitive scholarship application on-line and submit it electronically as instructed on the form. Assemble your supporting documents (transcripts, reference letters, proof of admittance, and any other documents you feel support your application) and send them TOGETHER, IN ONE PACKAGE, DIRECTLY to DAGSI, where they will be added to your application. Everything must be received at DAGSI by the due date, typically March 10 for the supporting documents and March 15 for the completed on-line application (see current Program Schedule for exact dates).

Note: if a student applies to and is admitted to more than one DAGSI institution, the DAGSI Operating Committee has the discretion to decide which institution the award will be associated with. An effort will be made to give the student his or her first choice; however, the final decision will be made by DAGSI. Once the decision is made, DAGSI will not transfer the award to another institution prior to the student’s enrollment in a graduate program. For example, if a student applies to and is admitted to both UD and WSU, the DAGSI Operating Committee has the discretion to determine which school the award will go to. If the award must go to UD because of DAGSI’s requirements, but the student’s first choice is WSU, the student must forfeit the award and reapply the following year.

If a scholarship student begins his or her program at one DAGSI school but decides to transfer to another DAGSI school, the student must request permission from both Deans of Engineering to transfer the scholarship award.

Competitive Scholarship Application Form

Competitive Scholarship Program Schedule

NOTE TO PART-TIME PH.D. STUDENTS

DAGSI recognizes that part-time Ph.D. students who work while attending school face special challenges in completing their dissertation research. A provision has been made for part-time Ph.D. students who have completed coursework, passed qualifying exams, and been admitted to Ph.D. candidacy.

  • If the student's employer will grant a year's work release time, DAGSI will make one year of assistantship plus tuition available so the student can pursue full-time dissertation research.
  • The Deans and the DAGSI Director are willing to work directly with the employer if necessary, to support the student in seeking release time.

Please see the Dean of Engineering at your Home Institution if you are eligible and wish to pursue this option.

2. PROGRAM ENHANCEMENT SCHOLARSHIPS

Full tuition scholarships are available for up to two courses per term taken by a student outside his or her Home Institution. These scholarships are intended to extend the benefit of the DAGSI partnership to students outside the full tuition program, enabling them to enrich their studies by taking classes at any member school.

Scholarships are available for courses that strengthen a student's program and/or are unavailable at the Home Institution. The scholarships are available only to degree-seeking graduate engineering students in good academic standing at one of the three DAGSI partner institutions. The course (s) must be approved by the student's faculty advisor and subsequently by the Dean of the school of engineering at the student's Home Institution. Awards are made on a first come/first served basis until DAGSI funds allocated to each school for Program Enhancement awards are exhausted.

The process is initiated by the student prior to class registration, in consultation with the faculty advisor, with the Program Enhancement Application Form. The student must also fill out a DAGSI Cross Registration Form. The advisor and the department head must sign the form, which then is sent to the Dean of Engineering. The Dean makes the final decision, taking into account the availability of the desired course, the fit with the student’s program of study, the faculty advisor's recommendation, the student's justification, and the availability of funding. Program Enhancement Scholarships are course-specific. If a student wants to drop an already-approved course and sign up for a different one, he or she must fill out a DAGSI Drop Form and reapply for a scholarship through the faculty advisor and Dean. Continuity of funding in this situation is not guaranteed.

Program Enhancement Application Form

Use of Tuition Scholarship Funds

Please note the following guidelines and criteria for the use of DAGSI tuition scholarship funds. These apply both to competitive tuition scholarships and program enhancement scholarships.

  • DAGSI scholarship funds are for tuition only, paid at the current rate per credit hour set by the school offering the course. DAGSI does not cover additional fees and charges, such as registration fees, course drop-out fees, graduate application and graduation fees, charges for copies of transcripts, computer usage fees, or other miscellaneous items. Payment of such charges is the responsibility of the DAGSI student.
  • DAGSI defines a full-time graduate student as one who takes at least the minimum number of credit hours to be considered full-time as defined by the student’s Home Institution. A DAGSI Ph.D. student who has received full tuition plus assistantship or fellowship must remain a full-time student. Other DAGSI students may change their full/part time status from one term to another with no scholarship penalty.
  • DAGSI will not pay for audited courses, which do not generate credits toward the degree sought.
  • DAGSI will not pay tuition for a course taken outside the partner schools of engineering, unless the course is critical to the student's approved program of study and research. Any petition must be signed off by the faculty advisor and approved by the department head and the Dean of Engineering at the Home Institution.
  • DAGSI will not pay for a remedial or undergraduate course, unless the course is critical to the student's approved program of study and research. Any petition must be signed off by the faculty advisor and approved by the department head and the Dean of Engineering at the Home Institution.
  • DAGSI will neither pay the school nor reimburse a student for any dropped course charges. Issues involving dropped courses are strictly between the student and the school and are governed by the written policy of the school. Under such policy, the student may be liable for payment.

Questions? Call us directly at (937) 781-4001, email, or fax us at (937) 781-4005, or write to the Dayton Area Graduate Studies Institute, 3155 Research Blvd. Ste. 205, Kettering OH 45420.

Competitive Scholarship Program Schedule (on hold for 2009/2010)

EVENT
DATE
Application Forms Available - ONLINE ONLY
Operating Procedure Reviewed and Updated
Application Log-In Procedures Reviewed
Evaluation Teams and Team Leaders Appointed
Scholarship Student Review
DAGSI Student Status and Academic Standing Requested from Registrars
Student Data Received and Forwarded to Deans for Review
Student Support Information and Research Plans Due at DAGSI
Review of Student Support Information and Research Plans Complete
Final Decision on Continuation
Notification Mailed to Students
New Awards
Deadline for submission of supplemental documentation (i.e., letters of recommendation, proof of admission, etc.)
Online Application Receipt Deadline
Master Log Completed, Applications copied and sent to Home Institutions by DAGSI
Team Evaluations Begin
Team Evaluations Completed
Operating Committee Ranking Complete*
Notification Mailed to Students
Scholarship Awards Announced

*Scheduled 8:30 AM, B. Jang's offices, 405 Russ Center, WSU.

Questions? Call us directly at (937) 781-4000, FAX us at (937) 781-4005, or write to The Dayton Area Graduate Studies Institute, 3155 Research Boulevard, Suite 205, Kettering, Ohio 45420.

Member University Information

Air Force Institute of Technology Information

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The University of Dayton Information

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Wright State University Information

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