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The University of Texas at Austin

McNair Scholars Graduate School Fellowships

Description

The McNair Scholars Graduate Fellowships Program was initiated by the Graduate School to encourage undergraduate McNair Scholars to pursue graduate education at The University of Texas at Austin.  This competitive fellowship program is for incoming students.

Available at more than 100 colleges and universities throughout the country, the McNair Scholars Program, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, prepares undergraduate students for doctoral studies through involvement in research and other scholarly activities.  Through the program, students receive academic counseling, financial aid assistance, mentoring, research opportunities, seminars, summer internships, and tutoring.  Participants are from disadvantaged backgrounds and have demonstrated strong academic potential.  About two-thirds of McNair Scholars are low-income, potential first-generation college students. The remaining participants are from groups that are underrepresented in graduate education.

Eligibility

To be eligible for a McNair Scholars Graduate School Fellowship you must be:

At The University of Texas, an application fee waiver is provided to McNair Scholars who apply for graduate admission except for MBA, MPA, or Law School.

Consistent with the criteria set out in the Graduate School’s admission policy, selection for this fellowship will be based on a holistic review of the student’s file. 

Nominations that include provisions to leverage this one-year fellowship with subsequent support in the second and/or third year of study will be given the highest consideration.  To retain a McNair Scholars Graduate School Fellowship, students must register for a minimum of nine credit hours each long semester (fall and spring), must maintain a 3.0 grade point average, and make satisfactory progress towards the degree.

Stipend

The total award for the McNair Scholars Graduate School Fellowship is between $19,000 and $20,000 for nine months.  This includes a $12,000 stipend for nine-months, plus a supplement for medical insurance (currently $1,119) and Tuition Benefit Assistance (currently $3,258 per semester) applied toward required tuition and fees. 

Nomination Process / Deadlines

Students must be nominated for these awards by their graduate adviser.  There is no deadline per se for Graduate School Recruitment Fellowships, but all nominations should be submitted by March 11, 2009. These applications will be reviewed quickly by an internal panel within the Graduate School to verify the applicant’s merit for the award, so that an award letter can be processed in conjunction with the letter to admit.

Nominations can be forwarded for review prior to the departmental admissions deadline. A complete nomination includes:

Questions may be directed to Dr. Marvin Hackert, Associate Dean (512-232-3604; m.hackert@mail.utexas.edu) or Mary Alice Davila, Associate Fellowship Manager (512-232-3603; madavila@mail.utexas.edu). Submit all nomination materials to: Mary Alice Davila, Associate Fellowship Coordinator, Graduate School, The University of Texas at Austin, Main Building 101, G0400, Austin, TX 78712-0531.