GFAs are eligible for 60% of the whole program credits that is up to 25 credits out of the 42 credits for MPH students and 18 out of 30 for MS students, if their admission average is 3.2 and above.  In return, GFAs are expected to work for 8 hours per week with a faculty member on research, teaching, administrative or public health related tasks. GFAs are allowed to work for extra 12 hours per week on top of their 8 initial hours for a stipend. This is dependent on the supervisor and availability of grants. 

Continuity of GFA in each term depends on the below criteria:  

1 – Registered as a full-time student; that is 12 credits for MPH and 9 credits for MS students. 

2 – Maintaining a semester average above 3.2  

3 – Receiving a satisfactory GFA evaluation  

4 – Maintaining good student/academic conduct  

Applying the above-mentioned GFA criteria is conditional on the following: 

• GFA coverage will be distributed as the following: 

Fall 1: ~50% coverage 

Spring 1: 100% coverage 

Fall 2: ~50-60% coverage (remaining credits of the covered 18 or 25 credits)  

Spring 2: 0% coverage  

• If the evaluation of the GFA supervisor is poor, the student  may be prevented from continuing receiving GFA, or the % GFA to which he/she is eligible may be reduced. 
• Students who stop the program and apply for a GFA upon rejoining will be considered for GFA granting based on the distribution of the covered credits for the remaining semesters in the program. 
• Students who were admitted on probation will be eligible for GFA once they remove their probation after completion of 9/10 credits with a GPA of 3.2 or above. First time GFAs will follow the coverage distribution stated above starting the term they were granted GFA; that is, if the GFA was first granted in Spring 1, then the student’s GFA will cover the same percent as in  Fall 1 
• For students who are enrolled into the Public Health in Conflict and Protracted Crises certificate, the extra credits taken for the completion of the certificate will not be covered by GFA. 
• MPH and MS students completing their last credits who may not fulfill criteria 1 (full-time load) will be granted GFA as full time students. For MPH: last credits refer to credits remaining in the program that exclude the practicum. The semester in which the last credits are taken should not include the practicum given that GFAs are not offered to students completing their practicum.  
• For MS students, they can apply and obtain GFA for the semesters during which they are registered for their thesis.  
• MS or MPH applicants may be granted GFA if their credit load is less than 9 or 12  credits only when some of the courses that need to be taken are not offered in that specific term.  
• GFAs who are working full time, and are registered for their ILE (either ILE 1 or 2) course might not be considered for GFA. These will be considered on a case by case.