The Award
The Presidential Fellowship provides an award for eight semesters for doctoral students and five semesters for MFA students. Remote and/or part-time students are not eligible for the Presidential Fellowship Program. In person professional development experiences are a highlight of the program and are provided to all Presidential Fellows.
The amount of the award is presented below. Students must remain in good academic standing throughout their participation in the Presidential Fellowship Program. They must participate in GRAD 801 and obtain a passing grade. Failure to maintain good academic standing or passing GRAD 801 each semester results in dismissal/withdrawal from the Presidential Fellows program.
Doctoral Fellows
$48,000 over eight semesters
MFA Fellows
$30,000 over five semesters
Nomination Deadlines
- Round 1: January 31, 2025
- Round 2: March 7, 2025
Criteria for Selection of Presidential Fellows
Selection of Presidential Fellows is based on the following criteria. The nomination letter submitted by the Graduate Director should highlight each of these criteria.
- qualifications of the student including unique qualities that make them an outstanding potential Presidential Fellow
- student's potential contribution to the mission of the University/College/Program
- track record of significant accomplishments and special interests
- exceptional creativity
- commitment to improving the lives of others
- capacity for leadership
Program/Department Requirements
The program must provide the fellow with the standard level of assistantship as determined by the Provost. For the academic year 2025-2026 that is $21,000 or higher for a 9-month appointment. Tuition and fees may also be provided.
Submission Process
Graduate Directors can only submit a nomination after the prospective Fellow has been admitted to the program. If the nominee will be advised by the Graduate Director, all Department nominations should come from the Department Chair. In the case that a prospective Fellow may be advised by the Department Chair, all Department nominees should come from a neutral third-party Department representative.
The nominating Department must submit the following items as the application for the Presidential Fellowship. The items should be submitted in one PDF file to the Dean of The Graduate School with ‘Presidential Fellowship Nomination’ in the subject line. Programs may submit a maximum of two nominations. Nominations should not be ranked but must be submitted in the same round.
- Department Nomination Letter (one per nominee) that addresses each of the criteria stated above. The nomination letter must include the amount of the graduate assistantship stipend offered to the student and a full description of the anticipated funding package provided by the program. Failure to provide this information will disqualify the student from consideration.
- Components from the Student’s Graduate School Application:
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- personal statement
- CV or resume
- letters of recommendation
How Nominations Work
Selections for the Fall 2025 cohort will be made throughout the Spring 2025 semester. The two nomination deadlines are provided to accommodate the wide range of application deadlines across our doctoral and MFA programs. Graduate Directors will be notified when a selection is made. The Graduate Director will be responsible for notifying the recipient and requesting verification that the recipient accepts the Presidential Fellowship. Fellowship recipients will have until April 20, 2025, to accept the fellowship. After that the Fellowship may be withdrawn and awarded to another eligible applicant.