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Dr. Maria Teresa Velez Leadership Scholarship

At a Glance

Number Awarded
1 award is available for 2026-27
Amount Awarded
$25,000 plus full base (main campus) tuition and individual student health insurance
Application Period
Deadline to apply is March 15, 2026
Process
By Application
Funding Type
Cash Award/Stipend
Tuition Award
Eligibility Category
Domestic Doctoral Students

About

Background

In honor of Dr. Maria Teresa Velez, former Associate Dean, University of Arizona (U of A) Graduate College, and her lifelong commitment to promoting graduate student diversity and inclusion and pushing for the highest of excellence, the Graduate College established the Dr. Maria Teresa Velez Leadership Scholarship. This award is given annually to a doctoral student who, through their teaching, research, or outreach and service, has demonstrated a commitment to furthering inclusion in education, higher education, and the community at large.

Award amount

The award consists of $25,000 plus full base (main campus) graduate tuition and individual student health insurance (excluding fees and any differential tuition) for one year only. The selected Fellow may not hold concurrent graduate assistant/associateships or student wage positions or defer the award for the following year.

Application Opens: December 15, 2025

Application Deadline: March 15, 2026

Eligibility

Domestic U of A doctoral student (U.S. citizen or permanent resident)

Admitted to a main campus doctoral program at the University of Arizona (UA Online, JD, MD, DVM, and Pharm-D students are not eligible to apply)

Have passed their written and oral PhD comprehensive examinations

Good academic standing with a current cumulative graduate GPA of 3.0 or higher

Instructions

Applicants will apply through Scholarship Universe. The application consists of the following:

  1. Personal statement from the nominee describing goals, efforts and accomplishments in contributing to or achieving increased inclusion in education, higher education, and/or the community at large.
  2. Current Curriculum Vitae
  3. A letter of recommendation from a faculty member at the U of A. The letter should address the inclusion experience of the applicant. 

The applications will be reviewed by a committee of University of Arizona faculty and staff.

Contact

For questions, please contact Kerry Cowen, Scholarships and Grants Management Administrator, (520)621-9336 or kcowen1@arizona.edu