Financial Assistance

Scholarships

The Dept. of Earth Sciences awards several scholarships annually to geoscience majors: the Glasscock Scholarship in Geology, the Earth Sciences Alumni Scholarship, and the David Shepard Award.

Glasscock Scholarship

The Glasscock Scholarship is a stipend of around $1500, funded by Michael R. Glasscock, III, M.D., in memory of Mr. Lonnie Glasscock, Sr., a "self-taught petroleum geologist" who was highly successful in the early oil-boom days of east Texas. The award is given each year to a geoscience major, based on a combination of scholastic promise, character, and financial need; some preference is given to students with a small town Tennessee background. The Glasscock scholarship is generally given to a junior or senior level geoscience major.

Walter L. Helton Alumni Scholarship

The Walter L. Helton Alumni Scholarship is created by an endowment fund raised by successful graduates of our program. These alumni have chosen to help create the next generation of young geologists --their future co-workers in our profession-- as an appropriate manner of showing their appreciation for the sound geologic training they received as students here. The scholarship consists of a stipend of (currently) $1000, and is awarded by the faculty to a geoscience major who has demonstrated a commitment to the geosciences and to the department, and who has achieved a superior academic record; financial need is also a consideration. For the 1998-99 academic year, two $1000 Alumni Scholarships were awarded.

Dave Shepard and Lavelle Smith Awards

The David Shepard Award and Lavelle Smith Awards are provided by the Middle Tennessee Gem and Mineral Society, and are given each year to a geoscience major who has successfully completed the mineralogy course sequence (GEOL 3110-3120). These two $500 awards are based on scholarship, and are generally given to second year geoscience majors.

Richard Fraser Scholarship

In addition to these four scholarships awarded to upperclassmen, the Department of Earth Sciences awards the Richard Fraser Memorial Scholarship to an incoming first-year student choosing to major in geoscience.

Assistantships

Other forms of financial aid exist. The Department of Earth Sciences provides meritorious geoscience majors with opportunities to "learn and earn" through lab assistantships and grant-funded research assistantships. Lab assistants are provided with office space, LAN connections, and a small salary. Grant-funded research assistantships include geologic experience as field assistants to geoscience faculty, sample and specimen preparation work for faculty, and other work related to faculty research projects; salaries vary according to the grant and the work involved.

Other Financial Aid

The Department of Earth Sciences also provides financial aid to students to partially defray the costs of field trips. An endowed account donated by Towner Petroleum, Inc. generates funds to be used to help pay student field trip costs. Also, the Geo-Club undertakes fund-raising project to raise money for field trips.

TTU Department of Earth Sciences | P.O. Box 5062| Cookeville, TN 38505 | Phone: (931)372-3121 | Fax: (931)372-3363