Grievance Procedures

The College of Liberal Arts grievance procedures allow students to appeal any academic matter in which they feel they have been treated unfairly, after having first attempted to resolve the issue through communication with the instructor or Graduate Director. A student may rescind the grievance at any point, thus halting the process. All appeals are in accordance with the general principles set forth in the Graduate School policies.

AccessNet Accounts

An AccessNet username and password provides you with the ability to log in to the majority of Temple University’s online resources and services, including TUportal, TUmail, and Blackboard. The particular resources available to you will vary depending on your designated role within the university (prospective student, applicant, student, employee, alumni, or contractor/vendor).

Email Accounts

If you are a new student, you will automatically receive a TU Gmail account once you have paid either your tuition deposit or Graduate Matriculation Fee. This information is mailed to your home. If for any reason you did not receive it, you may look it up online at the Computer Services Help Desk web site.

Full-Time Status

Graduate students are considered full-time when they take nine (9) or more credits per semester.  Funded students on assistantships or fellowships are coded as full-time if they take six or more credits per semester.  Once coursework is complete, students are coded as full-time when they take one credit of thesis, preliminary exam prep, pre-dissertation research, or dissertation research.

Funding Opportunities

The Graduate School website provides essential information about financial assistance for current graduate students, including student loans, fellowships, and grants.

We allocate assistantship lines to departments within the college that offer doctoral degrees. The departments, in turn, allocate those lines to incoming and continuing doctoral students based on academic merit. A full-time assistantship requires 20 hours of work per week with the benefits of tuition remission, a stipend, and health insurance coverage.

Typically, the strongest candidates are nominated by the respective department for Graduate School Fellowships. Fellowships typically provide support, including a stipend and tuition, for four years. Shorter terms apply for those enrolled in a non-doctoral terminal degree program. Often, the fellowship recipient is supported for the first two years with no service required or permitted. For the remaining period, fellowship recipients are required to perform up to 20 hours per week of service as a teaching assistant or research assistant.

Health Insurance

If you will be a full-time student at Temple, you will be eligible to purchase one of the student health insurance plans  offered through the University.

If you will be employed as a full-time Graduate Assistant or Teaching Assistant at Temple, you will be a member of a bargaining unit represented by the Temple University Graduate Students’ Association (TUGSA), and the terms and conditions of your employment are set forth in the TUGSA contract. Being a member of the bargaining unit represented by TUGSA does not mean you are automatically a member of TUGSA.

Members of the TUGSA bargaining unit are eligible to purchase student health insurance at reduced group rates. Your appointment letter will indicate the amount of your subsidy.

TU Identification Number

For your security and privacy, Temple University issues a unique identification for each member of its community, commonly referred to as the “TU ID.” This is used in place of the Social Security number. Your TU ID number is located on your Student ID card, and accessible through the TU Portal.

Paying Your Bill

Temple uses on-line billing statements system called e-bills; your bill will be emailed to you through TUpay. If you have received a fellowship or assistantship, then the tuition charges will be paid by the university.  All students on assistantships are required to pay their portion of the fees.

Registering For Classes

Each department within the college handles the initial registration  for graduate students differently. You should receive specific information from your department. If not, then please contact your Graduate Director directly. If you are eligible to register on-line, you will use OWLnet which is a web-based online system that allows access to your academic and financial records. You can log in using your TU ID and your Temple personal identification number (PIN) or your AccessNet ID and password. OWLnet is available seven days a week – from Sunday at 1:00 PM to Saturday at 10:00 PM, except 4:00 A.M. to 6:00 A.M. Monday through Saturday.

Student IDs

Photo IDs, called OwlCards, are issued to new students once they have enrolled for their first semester.

Enrollment is complete when a student confirms his or her registration by paying the minimum amount due on the bill. The original photo ID is issued free of charge. ID cards are issued on Main Campus at the Diamond Dollars Office, 1910 Liacouras Walk, Room 202 or at the Center City Campus, 1515 Market St., 1st floor.