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Graduate Access Fellowship and Tuition Awards

At a glance
Number Awarded: 
varies
Amount Awarded: 
Up to $4000 ($2,000 per semester) for Masters and $8,000 ($4,000 per semester) for Doctoral track - limit 4 awards per department/academic unit
Application Period: 
Fall 2020 new admits - UA Online, Accelerated Master's Program (AMP), J.D. or M.D. degree seeking students are not eligible to apply.
Funding Type: 
Cash Award/Stipend
Tuition Award
Process: 
By Application
Eligibility Category: 
Incoming Domestic Doctoral Students
Incoming Domestic Master’s Students
About

The UA Graduate College's Graduate Access Fellowship/Tuition Award is intended to broaden the access of U.S. students to graduate education and to promote the diversity of our graduate student body. Eligibility for these fellowships is restricted to incoming domestic graduate students who will be newly admitted  for the term of award and who have shown academic achievement despite facing challenging social, economic or educational obstacles. Each fellowship/tuition award provides up to $2,000 per semester to students admitted to a Master's program or up to $4,000 per semester to those admitted to the PhD. The latter includes PhD-bound master's students in programs that require completion of the Master's before admission to the PhD, those pursuing an MFA requiring a minimum of 60 units, and those pursuing an MLA.

Awards are dependent upon the availability of funding and are limited to 4 per department or academic unit. 

 

Deadline to Apply for 2020-21: July 15, 2020

(clarification 2-12-2020)   We accept applications/nominations and make funding decisions on an ongoing basis through July 15, 2020 after which we accept no more applications/nominations for 2020-21. 

Eligibility

University of Arizona Master’s or Doctoral graduate students who:

  • Will be newly admitted for the term of award and who will be enrolled in a Master’s or doctoral degree granting program on the University of Arizona main, UA South or Phoenix campuses (UA Online students, Accelerated Master's Program (AMP),  J.D. or M.D. degree seeking students are not eligible to apply.)
  • have a 3.0 GPA or higher admitting GPA,
  • Are U.S. citizens or permanent residents,
  • Have filed the FAFSA form for the academic year of admission, and
  • Have shown academic achievement despite facing challenging social, economic or educational obstacles by meeting 2 of the three following criteria:
  1. Documented financial need as an undergraduate, e.g., Pell Grant eligibility, Work Study.
  2. First-generation student, i.e., having parents or guardians who have not earned a baccalaureate degree, or who did not earn one until the applicant was already in college.
  3. Other significant or serious challenges in gaining access to higher education or personal experiences with disadvantage.
  • The application must include an email or letter of recommendation from the academic unit Department Head or Director of Graduate Studies addressing the information outlined below.

Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. 

Instructions
  1. Complete the Graduate Access Fellowship application form (either by the newly admitted student or by the academic unit), and
  2. Have the academic unit Department Head or Director of Graduate Studies submit an email/letter of recommendation to Dorian Voorhees that addresses the following:
    • Why the Graduate College should honor the request for funding,
    • What funding is being provided by the academic unit to recruit the new admit for the Graduate Access Fellowship term of award, and
    • A description of what the funding plan will be to support the admit during the terms subsequent to the first year.

For Admitted Students Applying Directly:

You must be officially admitted and have a UA NetID. Please login with your UA NetID and complete the form below. A letter or email of recommendation from the University of Arizona academic unit is required (instructions below).

For University of Arizona Academic Units Nominating An Applicant:

The applicant must be targeted for admission regardless of whether the applicant receives the Graduate Access Fellowship. The nomination may be submitted by the Department/Academic Program Head or Director of Graduate Studies. Please login with your UA NetID and complete the form below. A letter or email of recommendation from the University of Arizona academic unit is required (instructions below).

Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

Contact

For any questions please contact Dorian Voorhees, Associate Dean, Graduate College