Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Planning to pay for graduate school can be challenging. Most scholarships and financial aid opportunities are coordinated either through your program or through the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships. The Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships will guide you through the financial aid process and provide assistance regarding the types of aid programs at the University. All interested students seeking financial aid opportunities, including external scholarship opportunities, are strongly encouraged to review the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships’ website: https://home.hamptonu.edu/financialaid/.

Interested students should start by reaching out to the Graduate Program Coordinator and Chair to determine what merit scholarships you might apply for in your fields. Students should also reach out to Ms. Terri Swab, Assistant Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships, to identify other scholarships. You may reach Ms. Swab here: terri.swab@hamptonu.edu, (757) 727-2899. Additional information on specific aid opportunities may be found below.

• FAFSA. For federal student aid, students must complete the FAFSA (online).
• VTAG. Graduate students ) who are domiciled residents of Virginia and pursuing degrees in health-related professions (Communicative Science and Disorders, Nursing, Medical Science, Physical Therapy) should apply for the VTAG—Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant—which offers up to $12,750 per academic year to eligible graduate students pursuing degrees in the health professions at Hampton University. Learn more here: Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant Program | Virginia State Council Of Higher Education, VA. If you are considering applying for the VTAG, reach out to Ms. Swab for more information.
• Students admitted as Special (non-degree) Students are not eligible to receive federal funding. Private Loan options may be available.
• Provisionally admitted students who are required to enroll in preparatory coursework before being considered for regular admission to the graduate or professional degree programs may have additional loan options. Reach out to Ms. Swab for more information.
• Federal Work-Study. Under the Work-Study Program, eligible students can work parttime to earn money to help with educational expenses. including through the Graduate College. Work-study positions pay $12/hour for up to 15 hours per week. Students must complete the FAFSA first to apply. Funding is limited.
• Graduate Assistantships (GAs)
  • Admitted students may wish to consider applying for Graduate Assistantship (GA) positions at Hampton University. The application process for GAs in the Residence Halls is outlined below. For all other GA positions, interested students should submit their resumes to hugrad@hamptonu.edu and monitor the Graduate College Canvas site.
  • The term “Graduate Assistantship” applies to a wide variety of awards that are made to a graduate student in return for the performance of assigned duties and responsibilities.
  • Graduate Assistantships may be granted to research assistants, residential assistants, and teaching assistants.
  • The term does not include fellowships or scholarships, that is, those awards that do not require a work-related service on the part of the student.

  • In general, students may not hold more than one graduate assistantship at one time.

  • Multiple awards are appropriate if the awards include graduate fellowships that do not require a work obligation on the part of the student. For example, it would be permissible to have one award to cover tuition and fees and another provide stipend support.
  • Graduate Assistants must satisfactorily perform the duties assigned by their supervisors.
  • Graduate Assistants cannot be paid for completing work associated with courses for which they receive academic credit. In cases where they are paid to work on projects related to academic requirements, the work responsibilities must reflect time and effort beyond that required for credit.
  • It is important to ensure that work responsibilities associated with Graduate Assistantships do not negatively impact the student’s primary responsibilities. These responsibilities should bear a meaningful relationship to the student’s course of study.
  • Students cannot be obligated for more than 20 hours of work per week for these assistantships.
  • The Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships does not award Graduate Assistant positions. Rather, it is the responsibility of the respective administrative unit to make selections.
  • Graduate Assistantships in the Residence Halls. GAs who work in the residence halls receive tuition remission of up to 80% of the first 9 credit hours as well as room and board and a monthly stipend of $355. In exchange, GAs who live in residence halls co-supervise, train, and evaluate staff; work a minimum of 20 hours scheduled desk time; and make themselves available as an on-call presence.
  • Students interested in working in the residence halls should send a cover letter, resume, and a copy of their letter of acceptance to housing@hamptonu.edu. For more questions regarding Residential Assistantships, please reach out to Beatrice Little, Area Director, at beatrice.little@hamptonu.edu. Phone: 757-727-5486.
• Financial Aid for Military, Dependents, and Veterans. Qualified individuals and students should review the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships’ website for more information. The Office of the Registrar should be contacted for eligibility.
• Community Foundation Grants. Do not forget to search your local community foundation(s): https://www.tgci.com/community-grants-funding. Use this link to select your state, then scroll down to Funding Sources in your state, and then selected the Community Foundations in your state link. These are hubs for local resources available to citizens of various communities and neighborhoods across the United States. After checking for the foundation’s resources, we recommend asking a member of the foundation if he or she might suggest any additional scholarship or grant resources from other local organizations. Because community foundations typically only award scholarships to local community members, starting your search locally can decrease the amount of competition you may have for scholarships, grants, and other financial aid resources.
• Check the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships Database: Don’t forget to use the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarship’s External Scholarship Database, which offers a curated list of scholarship opportunities. The list is updated yearly.
• Disclaimer. The Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships and the Graduate College is neither responsible nor liable for omissions not listed herein given the gravity and
  scope of student financial aid programs in general. This source document does not constitute all the student aid regulations, policies and/or office procedures pertaining to
  aid programs offered via federal, state, or institutional. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships’ staff on all matters relating to information listed on the website (or not listed on the website) as it relates to accuracy or clarification of financial aid policies and procedures.

All incoming students are required to use Medicat to submit medical/immunization records. Register at https://hamptonu.medicatconnect.com/ using your Infotech credentials: HU
username (username is the first section of your HU email address before the @ sign), HUID#, HU email address, First Name and Last Name only. Once registered, take the following steps:

1. Select “Forms” to download your Physical Examination Form and Immunization Certificate to take to your healthcare provider for completion;
2. Select “Immunizations” and enter your immunization history from your completed immunization vaccination record;
3. Upload your Physical Examination Form and Immunization Certificate for Health Center staff to verify your information;
4. Select “Insurance” to upload a copy of your current Insurance Card.

•  Upon completion of these steps and after review of your information by the Health Center staff, your Medical Clearance status will be indicated in your MediCat patient portal within 72 business hours (excluding holidays). A status of Compliant/Verified means that you are Medically Cleared.
•  If you have questions about this process, contact the Health Center at
healthcenter@hamptonu.edu.

Information regarding the Hampton University Student Health Insurance Plan may be found in the flyer attached to this correspondence.

There is a bloc of graduate housing available in the Hampton Harbor Apartments: Hampton 
Harbor Apartments – Hampton University Real Estate Foundation. Students interested in learning more about on-campus housing should reach out to Ms. Latashia Pender, Director, Office of Residence Life and Housing, at latashia.pender@hamptonu.edu. Phone: 757-727- 5486. 

Affordable off-campus housing options are also available. Interested students should contact the Office of Off-Campus Housing for information about residential facilities that are available in the local community at 757-728-6746 or email offcampushousing@hamptonu.edu. The Office of Off-Campus Housing does not provide these facilities but maintains contact information for the convenience of our students.

Your Program Coordinator’s contact information was included in your admission packet. We hope that you will take the time to communicate with him or her to discuss any questions that you may have as well as to seek pre-registration advisement. After being advised, you are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity to pre-register through HU Experience: https://home.hamptonu.edu/experience/.

All vehicles are required to display current decals on their front and rear windows. To register your vehicle, follow the instructions on Office of Traffic Administration webpage:  https://home.hamptonu.edu/police/vehicle-registration/.

To receive your decals, graduate students must provide the following:

• Valid Driver’s License
• Current Vehicle Registration Card (vehicle must be registered to you or registered in the name of an immediate family member.)
• Note: if your last name and home address is not the same as the immediate family member, a notarized form needs to be completed. You can obtain the notary form from the University website http://police.hamptonu.edu/
• Validated University ID Card
• Graduate Fee Assessment Form
• All graduate student parking decals are $100.00 for the academic school year.

If any information changes after you register your vehicle, you must immediately notify the
Traffic Administration Office to avoid fines.

HU ID numbers are provided in your admissions letter.

• To obtain your HU ID card, follow the instructions you receive via email to log in to your new Hampton University email address.
• Once you log in to your new HU email account, locate the email you received pertaining to HU ID cards and click on the personalized (If you did not receive a personalized link, email HUPDPhoto@hamptonu.edu to request one.)

• Upload your passport-style photo using the link
• All photos are reviewed and approved to ensure that they meet University (See guidelines here: https://home.hamptonu.edu/app/photo-instructions/.
• If you need a passport-style photo to be taken of you on campus, please go to the photo station on the second floor of the Student Center (Freshman Studies Area) to have your photo taken.
• If you need special access to specific buildings, classrooms, or laboratories, speak to your Program Coordinator (PC). Your PC will share your name and HUID number with Physical Security to request access.
• When your ID cards are ready and available for pick up, you will be notified via
• Pick up your ID card in the Graduate College, Wigwam Building Room
• For questions about your photo, please contact HUPDPhoto@hamptonu.edu. For questions about your HUID card, please contact Traffic Administration Office at (757) 727-5258 or hupdtraffic@hamptonu.edu. The office is located in the rear of Whipple

The International Office focuses on global educational outreach, international student affairs and issues, cross-cultural social activities, and international academic enrichment opportunities for all students, faculty, and the community at-large. The International Office is located in Armstrong Slater Building, First Floor. For further assistance, call (757) 728-6914.

International students should provide the following items to the International Office at internationaloffice@hamptonu.edu to process your I-20:

1. A copy of your passport
2. Financial documentation, such as a bank statement or an official scholarship letter, if you have been awarded a scholarship
3. Your address and phone number in your home country
4. If you are a transfer student, a copy of your current F-1 visa and your current I-20

The Pirate Notification System (PNS) is Hampton University’s urgent notification system, comprised of a variety of methods by which the University can contact students, faculty, and staff. Ways to contact include:

• Text messages (SMS) to mobile devices
• Calls to home, office, and mobile phones
• E-mails to non-Hampton University addresses
• E-mails to Hampton University addresses are sent by default

Alerts will be sent by the Hampton University Police Department or the Student Business Services Office, depending on the nature of the situation.

The Pirate Notification System is a free service and will not charge you a subscribers’ fee. Standard text message and phone rates for your phone provider will apply.

Students, faculty and staff are automatically imported into PNS. Users are then invited via email to create an account on the Member Portal and input additional methods of contact. Members are encouraged to register immediately as the email invitation will expire.

If you have already created a PNS profile and want to update it, click here: https://member.everbridge.net/index/453003085612590.

Important Numbers

Students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to refer individuals who may be struggling with their personal well-being, academic or professional success, personal health or who may be exhibiting worrisome or concerning behavior using the Behavioral Health and Intervention Team Referral Form: https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?HamptonUniv&layout_id=26. Individuals can also refer themselves for support.

The Behavioral Health and Intervention Team (BHIT) exists to support students and the greater University Community. The BHIT team will review all referrals and respond directly or in collaboration with other university resources to address concerns and provide support.

Form submissions are monitored only during University business hours (9:00am – 5:00pm, Monday – Friday).

Referrals received after business hours, over weekends, University holidays, and/or during closures will not be reviewed until the following business day. Upon submitting a referral, you will receive a confirmation of receipt. BHIT will respond as soon as they are able.

Student records, including incident reports, are protected by FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act). Therefore, any information regarding the outcome of this form or of a meeting with BHIT will not be shared with others without direct written consent from the student to which the information pertains.

Newly admitted students are automatically added to the Graduate College Canvas site. There, you’ll have access to opportunities and resources that will help you in your graduate experience. Check the site frequently for important reminders and announcements. If you have any questions about Canvas, please reach out to hugrad@hamptonu.edu or call 757-727-5454.

Please familiarize yourself with the Hampton University website (www.hamptonu.edu), the HU Experience portal (https://home.hamptonu.edu/experience/), and the Hampton University Academic Catalog (Course Catalog – HU Academics), as well as the Graduate College Handbook (Grad_College_Handbook-compressed-for-websiteupdated.pdf). These documents contain important information that will assist you during your matriculation.