Tuition grants are scholarships disbursed through the Office of Financial Aid and/or the Old Dominion University Research Foundation that are earmarked specifically for payment of tuition. They may be offered to regular or provisional degree-seeking graduate students who are enrolled full- or part-time. Tuition grants may be combined with other forms of scholarship or fellowship support. The decision to award a grant, including the amount, is made by one of the following: the principal investigator of an externally sponsored project, the department chair, or the college dean or designee. Students holding tuition grants who withdraw from courses may be held personally liable for repayment of funds utilized.

Tuition waivers are partial-to-full remittances issued by the Office of Finance and/or the Old Dominion University Research Foundation specifically to accompany graduate assistantships. They may be offered to regular or provisional degree-seeking graduate students who are enrolled at least three-quarters time in fall and spring and at least half time in summer with some notable exceptions (see the section on "Enrollment Requirements" under the policy on Graduate Assistantships"; see also the related Catalog policy on "Enrollment Status").

The decision to award a waiver, including the percentage, is made by one of the following: the principal investigator of an externally sponsored project, the department chair, or the college dean or designee. Students holding tuition waivers who withdraw from courses may be held personally responsible for the repayment of funds utilized. Domestic graduate students who receive tuition waivers and who reside out-of-state are encouraged to establish Virginia residency as soon as possible.