Recruitment fellowships are prestigious awards funded by the Graduate School to attract top-quality graduate students to The University of Texas at Austin. Graduate advisers have the vital role of identifying and nominating eligible applicants.
To be eligible, students may not be currently or previously enrolled in the Graduate School, and must rank within the top 10 percent of all students in their discipline.
Donald D. Harrington Recruitment Fellowships
The Donald D. Harrington Graduate Fellows Program was established by Sybil Harrington as a tribute to her late husband. She envisioned a program that would support gifted and ambitious young scholars at the university. These talented students would, in turn, share their knowledge and success with future generations.
Fellowships, including a stipend of $45,000 for 12 months, tuition and required fees, an allowance for student medical insurance, and $2,000 for miscellaneous expenses, are awarded annually to the most highly qualified applicants or nominees in the following categories:
Harrington Doctoral Fellows
Harrington Doctoral Fellows are chosen from among the successful external applicants to programs leading to a doctoral degree—Ph.D., Ed.D. or DMA. The fellowship is awarded for five years. Three of those years are full fellowship years. During the other two years, the program provides support for all three semesters (fall/spring/summer) that is supplemented by the Harrington Fellowship to keep the stipend level constant. The length of the Harrington Fellowship may be adjusted for doctoral programs that are less than five years per their degree plan. Funding after the first year is contingent on satisfactory academic progress.
Harrington Master’s Fellows
Harrington Master’s Fellows are chosen from among the successful external applicants to programs leading to professional or terminal master’s degrees—for example, the MFA, MSSW or MSLIS. The fellowship may be awarded on a one- or two-year basis. In the case of a two-year award, funding after the first year is contingent on satisfactory academic progress.
Graduate Advancement Fellowships
Graduate advancement fellowships help recruit a diverse graduate student body at The University of Texas at Austin. Consistent with the criteria set forth in the Graduate School’s admission policy, selection for these fellowships will be based on a holistic review of the student’s application file.
Unless otherwise noted, each provides a $35,000, 12-month stipend, health insurance assistance and a tuition assistance benefit.
McNair Scholars Graduate School Fellowships
The McNair Scholars Graduate School Fellowships Program was initiated by the Graduate School to encourage undergraduate McNair Scholars to pursue graduate education at the university. Available at more than 100 colleges and universities throughout the country, the McNair Scholars Program prepares undergraduate students for doctoral studies through involvement in research and other scholarly activities. Students who were McNair Scholars during their undergraduate work are eligible for nomination.
South Texas Graduate School Fellowships
The South Texas Graduate School Fellowships are for incoming graduate students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents and who have received their undergraduate degree from any of the following public universities in South Texas:
- The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (formerly The University of Texas – Pan American)
- The University of Texas at San Antonio
- Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi
- Texas A&M University – Kingsville
- Texas A&M University – San Antonio
- Texas A&M International University – Laredo
West Texas Graduate School Fellowships
The West Texas Graduate School Fellowships are for incoming graduate students who received their undergraduate degree from any of the following public universities in Brewster, Ector and El Paso counties:
- Sul Ross State University
- The University of Texas of the Permian Basin
- The University of Texas at El Paso
- West Texas A&M University
Graduate School Mentoring Fellowships
These competitive fellowships are available to U.S. citizens or permanent residents admitted to a graduate program at UT Austin for the first time who meet a diversity need for that program. The nomination must demonstrate the outstanding academic credentials of the student and explain how the student would contribute to the diverse educational environment of the program. Mentoring awards are allocated to the Colleges and Schools, and each Dean’s office will determine which programs are eligible to nominate a student/faculty mentor for this award.
Nominations
Graduate advisers should check with their dean for information about nominations. All awards for recruitment fellowships must be entered into the online Graduate School Awards System, accessible in EASI. Admission coordinators may contact Shannon Neuse in GIAC for assistance. Graduate advisers or Graduate Studies Committee (GSC) chairpersons may contact Diana Larkin.
Nominations for the McNair, South Texas and West Texas fellowships will be reviewed by a GSC shortly after the deadline. Programs will be notified quickly of those who satisfy the eligibility criteria. 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 strongest consideration.