Fellowships Administered by the Graduate School

Note: The Graduate School Fellowship programs are undergoing several major changes for 2012-2013. Most importantly is that 80% of the Graduate School's local funds to support graduate students will now have decentralized award decisions.

It is important that you check with the Dean's Office of your unit for procedures, stipend levels, guidelines and deadlines regarding the following types of fellowships:

Recruitment Fellowships for Incoming Students

• Graduate School Recruitment Fellowships
• Microelectronics and Computer Development (MCD) Fellowships
• Fellowship Supplement to TAs or GRAs (Super-TA or -GRA Awards)

Diversity Fellowships for Incoming Students

• Graduate School Diversity Recruitment Fellowship Program
• Graduate School Diversity Recruitment Supplement
• Graduate School Diversity Mentoring Fellowships

Fellowship Support for Current Students

• Graduate School Continuing Fellowships
• Editorial Assistantships

The new procedures will enable more flexibility. Deans will decide how best to allocate fellowship funds within their units, with flexibility for distributing those funds across programs and types of fellowships listed above. Deans will also have flexibility on setting stipend levels. However, note that the funds provided to the student will have to cover not only the stipend, but also any tuition assistance, medical insurance and travel award paid to the student. The Graduate School will coordinate waivers of out-of-state tuition, within limits. Funds allocated to the colleges will carry over from one fiscal year to the next.

The following fellowship programs will continue to be administered centrally by the Graduate School:

Recruitment Fellowships for Incoming Students

• Donald D. Harrington Endowment Fellowships
• William Powers, Jr. Recruitment Fellowships

Diversity Fellowships for Incoming Students

• McNair Scholars Graduate School Fellowship Program
• South Texas Graduate School Fellowship Program
• West Texas Graduate School Fellowship Program

Fellowship Support for Current Students

• Donald D. Harrington Endowment Dissertation Fellowships
• William Powers, Jr. Dissertation Fellowships
• Graduate School Continuing Named Fellowships (includes some Endowed Fellowships and the David Bruton, Jr. Graduate Fellowships)
• New in 2012: Nomination for Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) International Student Research Fellowships

Graduate Dean's Prestigious Fellowship Supplement

Outside fellowships administered by the Graduate School

• National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Fellowships
• Jacob K. Javits Graduate Fellowships
• Ford Foundation Pre-doctoral Fellowships and Dissertation Fellowships
• Dolores Zohrab Liebmann Fellowships
• Fulbright Hayes Dissertation Fellowships

Medical Insurance: SB-29, which passed during the 2011 legislative session, enables holders of major fellowships ($10,000 or more in stipend) to access the university's group medical insurance plan during the months they are on the fellowship. There is no funding provided in the bill, and state general appropriation funds cannot be used to pay the premiums, but now students at least have the option of enrolling in this superior plan.

All Graduate School Fellowship recipients will be entered into the Graduate School Online Awards System. As soon as further details are available, that information will be announced to graduate advisers and graduate coordinators and also posted on the Web.