Frequently Asked Questions
Is there an Information Flyer I can print to share with colleagues who may be interested in this grant?
Yes. We would really appreciate your assistance in recruiting! Click here for the Information Flyer.
How do I know if this doctoral grant program is a good match for me?
Review the grant's purpose and the timeline for program completion. If the grant's purposes directly coincide with your career goals and interests and experiences, this doctoral grant may be a good match for you. If the timeline for program completion is a pace and rigor you can commit to and be successful with, this doctoral grant may be a good match for you.
If I know I am interested in working with elementary and secondary students with low-incidence disabilities or low-functioning autism, is this doctoral grant a good match for me?
No. Our focus is on elementary and secondary students with high-incidence disabilities.
Should I apply for this doctoral grant program if I'm not positive it is a good match for me?
Given all the information you've read on this web site, and after having an individual discussion with one of the doctoral grant's PIs, if you think this doctoral grant may be a good match for you, apply for it. If you are selected, that is when you will really need to make a decision. For those applicants whom we select, we will be providing individualized and specific guidance prior to your acceptance so that both of us are as sure as we can be that we are good matches for each other!
Can I complete the program on a full-time or a part-time basis?
Yes. Refer to this grant's doctoral program to familiarize yourself with the pace and rigor of the grant's Program of Studies.
Can I complete the program at a pace that is a better match for me (e.g., one course per semester)?
No. We have received grant funding based on what we have obligated to accomplish with doctoral students within a specific timeline. If this timeline is not a good match for you, do not apply for this grant.
Must I complete the program within a specific time period?
Yes. Refer to the grant's doctoral program, which includes the sequence of courses and timeline for completing the doctoral program.
If I am selected for the doctoral grant, accept it, and then decide it is not a match for me, what are my financial obligations for the federal dollars I have received?
If you have accepted and agreed to complete this grant's doctoral program, you will be obligated to either complete the entire program and the service (e.g., continued employment for a specific period of time in a position that is a direct match to this grant's purposes) obligation. More details will be explained about your financial and service obligation before you accept the grant (if it is offered to you), because we also want to make sure you are very clear about what you are agreeing to and what the consequences are if you decide later (for whatever reasons) that you are not able to fulfill a portion or the entirety of your financial and service obligation.
What are the likely times and locations for these PhD courses?
Doctoral courses are typically offered at late afternoon and evening times (4:30 pm to 7:10 pm; 7:20 pm to 10:00pm) on Monday through Thursday evenings. Internships may require daytime obligations, which sometimes can be completed during the summer months (dependent on the internship site and the doctoral student's internship goals). All courses will be held at Mason's Fairfax campus. It is not typical that courses are scheduled for Fridays or weekend days.
Will there be any online courses?
No.