By Letty Fernandez

RIO GRANDE VALLEY – UTRGV has been ranked No. 10 in the nation by Study.com for Graduate Schools with No GRE Requirement During Covid-19, in recognition of its efforts to help prospective graduate students.  

As students encounter hurdles on their educational journey, especially during unprecedented times like these, the university has made it easier to pursue a graduate degree by waiving testing requirements and offering scholarships for the current fall and spring semesters while funding is available.

Study.com, an online distance educational website, recognized UTRGV for accommodating students during difficult times, emphasizing accessibility, affordability and quality of education as the most important attributes in the ranking lists.

The UTRGV efforts cited in the study include a decision in late March by the UTRGV Graduate College with the approval of the UT System, the UTRGV Division of Research, Graduate Studies and New Program Development, to temporarily suspend all Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) score requirements.

The GRE and GMAT testing requirement for most graduate programs has been suspended until Summer 2021.  
“Preparing for and taking GRE/GMAT tests have always presented a major hurdle for students, particularly those who are working. The closure of the testing centers due to the COVID-19 pandemic posed another barrier for students seeking graduate degrees,” said Dr. Parwinder Grewal, UTRGV executive vice president for Research, Graduate Studies and New Program Development and dean of the Graduate College.  

“UTRGV worked closely with the UT System to suspend the testing requirement,” he said. “This action has resulted in an increase in the number of students applying for graduate programs.”    

Other incentives offered this summer and for fall include:  

• An up-to-$1,000 summer tuition relief package for graduate students enrolled in six hours of classes in one summer session or over the course of both summer sessions.  

• A fall tuition relief package of up to $500 for all continuing graduate students enrolled full time in fully online programs and $1,000 for the continuing traditional graduate students  .    

• A $0 application fee for most graduate programs except professional programs for both summer and fall semesters.  
• Temporarily accepting the Duolingo English Test as an alternative to TOEFL or IELTS as proof of English proficiency.  
• The Graduate Dean’s Scholarships for $1,000 to $2,000 while funds are available for both summer and fall.  
• New Program scholarships of $3,500 for the accelerated online graduate programs in Criminal Justice, Engineering Management offered Summer 2020.   
• $3,500 New Program scholarships for accelerated online graduate program in Kinesiology and the traditional Applied Statistics and Data Science (MS) for Fall 2020.  

 

Melissa Barrera-Sosa, a single mother of three from Brownsville, said the pandemic did not stop her from taking advantage of the incentives UTRGV has offered, and she decided to return to college in the fall.  

“The incentives eliminated the financial burden, which for me was a huge relief. I had put my goal of going to graduate school on the back shelf. So, when I heard about the financial incentives and testing waivers, I was thrilled,” said Barrera-Sosa, who hopes to earn a doctorate in Communications and eventually become a college professor. 

For more information on graduate programs, visit the UTRGV Graduate College website at https://www.utrgv.edu/graduate/.