Fellowships

The Graduate School  sponsors a Bridge Fellowship for any student who wins a substantial external award, but the amount is less than their current funding level. The Graduate School will make up the difference.

The Graduate School and the Office of Research and Engagement will help students prepare applications for nationally competitive fellowships, grants, and scholarships.

• Advice on programs and activities to strengthen your educational experience;
• Information on fellowships and other opportunities to help you achieve your goals;
• Support and assistance throughout the fellowship application process;
• Help with strengthening essays and interview skills;
• Guidance for gathering strong letters of recommendation

The Graduate School provides summer support to doctoral and MFA students through the summer research fellowship program. The purpose of this program is to advance the breadth and depth of UNCG’s research, scholarship, and community engaged strategic goals. Providing these opportunities not only enhances practical competency, a critical outcome for all graduate students, but provides much needed support to advance the scholarly efforts of faculty, to increase the external funding and commercialization income for the university in order to meet UNC system metrics, and to support the health and vitality of our region.

Program faculty nominate eligible students for these awards.

 Eligible Students Are:

• Degree-seeking doctoral or MFA students in a Greensboro campus program.
• Enrolled for the current spring semester and the following fall semester.
• Not enrolled in summer classes unless the required courses are only available during the summer. This requirement is in place in order for students to focus on their summer research project.

Students awarded a summer research fellowship must present a synopsis of accomplishments to their faculty advisor.

 How to apply:

• Please check with your department for internal deadlines and processes.
• Awardees will be notified in April; payment will be at the end of June for work completed during Summer Session I.

UNCG Graduate School Fellowships are awarded on a competitive basis in recognition of a student’s demonstrated scholarship, scholastic and creative promise, and/or financial need. These fellowships are administered by the Graduate School and are awarded to full-time graduate students. These are non-service appointments and may be awarded to students in addition to the program award. Although most of these awards are designed to attract exceptional new students to our graduate programs, the Inclusiveness, Lyon, and UNC Campus awards are available to outstanding students who are currently enrolled.

Some of these awards require demonstrated financial need. Graduate students are highly encouraged to fill out the FAFSA early.

Faculty must nominate students for consideration; students are not allowed to apply for these awards.

Some fellowships and specific criteria for each award appear below.

Alumni-Excellence-Hayes Fellowships

These are the largest and most prestigious awards offered by the Graduate School. The Alumni Fellowship was established by the UNCG Alumni Association; the Excellence by the University; and the last by Mr. Charles Hayes, former chairman of the UNCG Board of Trustees and President of Guilford Mills. Recipients will receive at least a $22,000 stipend. Complete tuition remission will be provided for one year by the Graduate School.

• Nominees must be full-time doctoral students newly admitted for the next incoming fall semester, including doctoral-track students.
• Nominees must have exceptionally strong academic qualifications.
• Each department may nominate up to three individuals for these awards.
• Departments are expected to provide ongoing support, including tuition remission after the first year.

Nominees should have an extraordinarily strong academic record or other qualities that demonstrate their potential for success in their program.

Selection of recipients is based on clear evidence of exceptional academic achievement. Letters may include information from the student’s statement of purpose, letters of reference, or personal interviews. In the past, members of the selection committee have found these summaries especially helpful in deciding among highly competitive candidates.

Please note that nominations for the Alumni-Excellence-Hayes Fellowships are handled as one award with identical criteria for eligibility; we make no distinctions among them in the nomination process.

Vanessa Louise Hall Fellowship

Vanessa Louise Hall died tragically at age 18 in 1998. During her brief life, she practiced the principles of kindness, friendship, love, loyalty, sincerity, and respect. Her family created this award in loving memory of their daughter, and in consideration of their belief that education is extremely valuable both for individuals and the society in which they live. 

Nominees are required to: 

• be new doctoral students
• have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.5
• be students who strive for excellence in all areas of life. 

Preference for the Hall Fellowship shall be given to eligible students whose nomination highlights their strong academic record as well as a history of helping others and sharing their knowledge with others. 

Selection of recipients is based on clear evidence of exceptional academic achievement and alignment with the particular award. Letters may include information from the student’s statement of purpose, letters of reference, or personal interviews. In the past, members of the selection committee have found these summaries especially helpful in deciding among highly competitive candidates. 

Lyon Fellowship

This award was established in honor of Mrs. Ellen Lyon, who graduated from the Woman’s College (UNCG) in 1949 and was employed in social service and active in civic organizations. The size of the award will depend on earnings of the endowed fund but in recent years has been $4,000 – $5,000. Tuition remission will be provided if possible.

• The award is based on merit. 
• Nominations are open to any graduate student in any degree program. 
• Nominees may be newly admitted or continuing master’s or doctoral students. 

Preference for the Lyon Fellowship shall be given to eligible students whose nomination highlights their strong academic record as well as a strong dedication to service. 

Selection of recipients is based on clear evidence of exceptional academic achievement and alignment with the particular award. Letters may include information from the student’s statement of purpose, letters of reference, or personal interviews. In the past, members of the selection committee have found these summaries especially helpful in deciding among highly competitive candidates. 

Lula Martin McIver Fellowship

One million dollars of a six-million-dollar anonymous gift to UNCG was used by the Graduate School to establish these awards in 2011. Awards typically range from $4,000 to $8,000. 

In order to support inclusiveness in graduate education at UNCG, the Graduate School will provide awards to outstanding students whose presence contributes to inclusiveness at the university. Inclusiveness is defined broadly and may include factors such as low-income background, a history of overcoming disadvantage or discrimination, nontraditional age for a student, being a member of an underrepresented group in a field or discipline, being the first in one’s family to enter graduate school, having cultural differences, or unique work or service experience. 

• Nominees must possess outstanding academic records. 
• Nominees may be newly admitted or continuing master’s or doctoral students. 
• These are one-year awards, although departments may re-nominate previous winners.
• Inclusiveness is defined broadly to include a variety of life experiences, and nomination letters should explain clearly how the nominee contributes to an inclusive UNCG campus and/or program. Among the factors that might contribute to greater inclusiveness for graduate programs would be low income background, a history of overcoming disadvantage or discrimination, nontraditional age for a student, membership in an underrepresented group in a field or discipline, being the first in the family to enter graduate school, having cultural differences (such as may arise from being foreign-born or raised within a distinct culture), and unique work or service experience. 

Selection of recipients is based on clear evidence of exceptional academic achievement such as high undergraduate or graduate GPAs and high scores on the entrance exam, (if they are required for your program), audition/portfolio assessments, as well as very strong letters of departmental support (please adhere to the 3-page total limit for each nomination). Letters may include biographical highlights taken from the student’s statement of purpose, letters of reference, or personal interviews. In the past, members of the selection committee have found these summaries especially helpful in deciding among highly competitive candidates. 

UNC Campus Scholarships

These scholarships were established by the UNC system and are intended to increase diversity in doctoral programs. The amount of the award varies but has ranged from $2,000 to $8,000 in recent years. 

While primarily relying on the criterion of exceptional financial need, the award is designed to assist in the diversification of the University’s student body to include the presence of first-generation students, students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds, and traditionally underrepresented populations. 

• Recipients must be residents of North Carolina and enrolled full-time in a doctoral program. 
• Financial need must be substantiated. Students need to submit the FAFSA in a timely manner, so that ratings will be available at the time of selection. 
• Special funding is designated for a Native American doctoral student. A copy of the nominee’s card indicating tribal affiliation should be included with the nomination.

Selection of recipients is based on clear evidence of exceptional academic achievement such as high undergraduate or graduate GPAs and high scores on the entrance exam, (if they are required for your program), audition/portfolio assessments, as well as very strong letters of departmental support (please adhere to the 3-page total limit for each nomination). Letters may include biographical highlights taken from the student’s statement of purpose, letters of reference, or personal interviews. In the past, members of the selection committee have found these summaries especially helpful in deciding among highly competitive candidates. 

Weil Fellowship

This fellowship was first given in 1924 and honors Henry Weil, a successful businessman and philanthropist in Goldsboro, NC. The size of the fellowship will depend on earnings of the endowment but in recent years has been $7,000 – $8,000. Tuition remission will be provided if possible. 

• Nominees must be UNCG alumni, having earned their baccalaureate degree at UNCG, and must demonstrate exceptional academic achievement. 
• Nominees must be newly admitted to a master’s or doctoral program at UNCG (incoming in Fall) and must enroll for full-time study. 

Preference for the Weil Fellowship shall be given to eligible students whose nomination highlights their strong academic record as well as their strong ties and affinity towards UNCG. 

Selection of recipients is based on clear evidence of exceptional academic achievement and alignment with the particular award. Letters may include information from the student’s statement of purpose, letters of reference, or personal interviews. In the past, members of the selection committee have found these summaries especially helpful in deciding among highly competitive candidates.