Financial Assistance
The Center for Mexican American Studies offers financial assistance designed to recruit new doctoral students to The University of Texas at Austin, and to help current graduate students complete their studies and go on to successful professional careers. This financial assistance is made possible by President Bill Powers and his commitment to the students, faculty, staff, and community that CMAS serves, with the support of the Graduate School at UT Austin.
CMAS Graduate Recruitment Fellowship
The CMAS Graduate Recruitment Fellowships are multi-year awards that are intended to recruit new graduate students to pursue a doctoral degree (Ph.D./Ed.D.) at The University of Texas at Austin. Graduate students who have earned a Master's degree from UT Austin, as well as continuing doctoral students, are not eligible for this award. Recipients of the CMAS Graduate Recruitment Fellowships must demonstrate superior qualifications and are required to enroll, as well as participate, in the Graduate Portfolio Program in Mexican American Studies.
The CMAS Graduate Recruitment Fellowships are meant to supplement departmental awards and will be administered through the Graduate School. CMAS Graduate Recruitment Fellowships will supplement departmental funding so that in each year of funding the total amount will be $20,000. Departments must guarantee two years of funding to which CMAS will add two additional years, one of which includes a year-long dissertation fellowship.
Departments should nominate no more than one student per academic year by providing CMAS with the following items:
- Letter of Nomination (from the departmental graduate adviser which must discuss the qualifications of the student and outline the commitment the department will make in the first two years of the award)
- Complete Admission File (a copy is acceptable once the nominee has been admitted)
The deadline for departmental nominations has been extended to 5:00 pm on Monday, January 31, 2011.
CMAS Dissertation Fellowship
The CMAS Dissertation Fellowship is intended to support a graduate student completing a doctoral dissertation (Ph.D./Ed.D.) at The University of Texas at Austin for one academic year. The award includes funding for the fall and spring semesters. The award cannot be renewed for a second year. The recipient of the CMAS Dissertation Fellowships must demonstrate superior qualifications and be completing a doctoral dissertation (Ph.D./Ed.D.) that is consistent with the scholarly aims of the Center for Mexican American Studies. The award requires that the recipient be participating in the Graduate Portfolio Program in Mexican American Studies.
The CMAS Dissertation Fellowship includes a fellowship stipend provided by CMAS in the amount of $20,000 allocated in nine monthly payments beginning September 1, 2010 and ending May 1, 2011. CMAS will also pay for tuition and fees for the fall semester 2010 and spring semester 2011. Finally, the award includes a supplement that can be used to purchase health insurance. This award cannot be held with other assistance provided by CMAS, and is subject to the income reporting policies of The University of Texas at Austin.
A complete application will consist of the following items:
- Letter of Application (submitted by the student summarizing the dissertation topic and outlining the anticipated schedule for completion of the dissertation)
- Letter from the Dissertation Committee Chair (supporting the application and verifying the anticipated schedule for completion of the dissertation)
- Curriculum Vitae
- CMAS Financial Assistance Form
The application deadline is 5:00 pm on Friday, January 14, 2011.
CMAS Borderlands Fellowship
The CMAS Borderlands Fellowship is intended to support the professional development of a graduate student completing a doctoral dissertation (Ph.D./Ed.D.) at The University of Texas at Austin for one academic year. The award includes funding for the fall and spring semesters. The award cannot be renewed for a second year. The recipient of the CMAS Borderlands Fellowship must demonstrate superior qualifications and be completing a doctoral dissertation (Ph.D./Ed.D.) that is consistent with the scholarly aims of the Center for Mexican American Studies. The award requires that the student be participating in the Graduate Portfolio Program in Mexican American Studies.
The recipient must be near the completion of his/her doctoral dissertation project but have not submitted the dissertation to the Graduate School for final review or applied for graduation. The recipient is expected to use the fellowship award to support work toward the development of a conference paper or publishable article. The recipient will teach one class in the 2011/2011 academic year and will give a public lecture based on the work undertaken during the fellowship.The CMAS Borderlands Fellowship includes a fellowship stipend provided by CMAS in the amount of $10,000 allocated over the course of the fall semester 2011. CMAS will also pay for tuition and fees for this semester and include funds for the purchase of health insurance. The recipient will then be appointed at an assistant instructor for the spring semester 2012. The recipient must be eligible hold an appointment as an assistant instructor, which includes having credit for a 398T supervised teaching course.
The CMAS Borderlands Fellowship cannot be held with other assistance provided by CMAS, and is subject to the income reporting policies of The University of Texas at Austin.
A complete application will consist of the following items:
- Letter of Application (submitted by the student summarizing the dissertation topic and outlining the anticipated schedule for completion of the dissertation, along with a proposed defense date)
- Letter from the Dissertation Committee Chair (supporting the application and verifying that the applicant will be working toward the development of a conference paper or publishable article)
- Curriculum Vitae
- Course Description (for a lower-division undergraduate topics course, such as MAS 319)
- CMAS Financial Assistance Form
The application deadline is 5:00 pm on Friday, March 18, 2011.
CMAS Professional Development Award
The CMAS Professional Development Award is intended to support the professional development of enrolled graduate students at The University of Texas at Austin.
Recipients must demonstrate superior qualifications and be completing a graduate program of work consistent with the scholarly aims of the Center for Mexican American Studies. The award requires that recipients be participating in either the Master of Arts degree program in Mexican American Studies or the Graduate Portfolio Program in Mexican American Studies.
The award will provide recipients with up to $500 that can be applied to a flight to attend a professional conference or research site in the continental United States during the spring semester 2011. Applicants must provide CMAS with the following: a cover letter describing the benefit the award will provide the student, CMAS and The University of Texas at Austin; a complete application form (please use the Graduate Student Professional Development Award provided by the Graduate School); verification that the student will be attending a professional conference or conducting academic research; and confirmation from the student's home department that they will not be receiving travel assistance to the conference or research site.
Applicants must submit the cover letter, application form, and verification at least 30 days prior to travel so that CMAS can secure the best rate for the flight.
A complete application will consist of the following items:
- Cover Letter
- Professional Development Award Application (please use the Graduate Student Professional Development Award provided by the Graduate School)
- Conference/Research Site Verification
- Department Assistance Confirmation
All financial assistance materials must be mailed to:
Program Coordinator
Center for Mexican American Studies
University of Texas at Austin
1 University Station, F9200
Austin, Texas 78712
Questions regarding financial assistance for graduate students can be directed to Luis Guevara, CMAS Program Coordinator, at (512) 475-6769 or lvg@mail.utexas.edu.
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