Applying to the Regalia Reimbursement Fund
Regalia Reimbursement Fund Overview
The GAU Executive Committee has established the GAU Annual regalia reimbursement fund to support the graduate assistants in their achievement of excellence at the University of Rhode Island. Funding is available for dues paying members of GAU for the reimbursement of expenses directly graduation regalia. Funding awards are intended to help cover cost of regalia, hood and tam
Please note, in order to qualify for funding, you must have been a dues paying member of GAU for at least one full semester before applying to the grant fund during your time as a student at the University of Rhode Island.
The GAU executive committee reserves the right to withhold funds until any additional documentation requested by GAU has been submitted and reviewed. For further information, please contact GAU by phone at (401) 874-2826, or via email at uri.gau@gmail.com.
How to Apply
Complete the Regalia Reimbursement Form.
To be included in the application:
Copies of all of your receipts of regalia purchases
Letter from grad school approving graduation.
Please note, if your packet is not complete by the deadline - December 30th for fall graduation and May 30th for spring graduation (final date of graduation) - your application will not be considered until the following open application cycle. Applications for regalia reimbursement must be submitted within 6 months of graduation to be considered.
Application Deadline
The application deadline for the Regalia Reimbursement is December 30th for fall graduation and May 30th for spring graduation (final date of graduation). Members may not request reimbursement more than 6 months after their graduation date.
Regalia Fund Restrictions
Funds are for members of Graduate Assistants United (GAU) only. If you are a graduate assistant but not a member of GAU, you do not qualify for this reimbursement.
The grant fund will be allocated a fixed sum each year, which shall be approved at the Fall General Membership Meeting. Funds will then be distributed proportionally to the total number of qualifying applicants, not to exceed the maximum award amounts listed below.
GAU will not reimburse for previously reimbursed regalia expenses (not within the academic session). If the applicant received funding from another source, this must be disclosed on the application under "Other Funding Sources."
Maximum Available Awards:
GAs will be eligible for regalia reimbursement up to the amount charged by the URI Student Store: $164 (PhD regalia) and $106 (Masters regalia).
The reimbursement amount from GAU is based on the proportion of semesters a GA has been a dues-paying GAU member, relative to their total semesters as a student at URI (excluding two semesters).
Reimbursement % = (Number of semesters as a GAU member) ÷ (Total semesters at URI − 2)
Ex. A PhD GA who has been at URI for 8 semesters and a GAU member for 5 semesters would receive an 83% reimbursement on the $164 PhD regalia. A Masters GA who has been at URI for 4 semesters and GAU member for 3 semesters would receive a 100% reimbursement on the $106 Masters regalia.
Eligible GAs must be or have been a dues paying member of GAU for at least 2 contract semesters.
Regalia must be purchased first before the reimbursement will be distributed (receipt is required as proof of purchase). This initiative can also be used along with the GSA's Regalia Reimbursement Program.
If GAs choose to purchase regalia outside of URI, the reimbursement will be limited to the equivalent URI regalia rate ($164 for PhD, $106 for Master’s), and will not reflect any higher external purchase price.
Reimbursement requests must be submitted within 6 months of the ceremony to be considered valid.