$18,000 to $25,000 stipend (depending on the field of study), plus tuition, subsidized health insurance, and a recruitment visit.
The McNair Graduate Fellowship is for outstanding McNair Scholars entering Ph.D. or MFA programs at IU Bloomington.
The McNair Graduate Fellowship is designed to encourage more underrepresented students to complete a Ph.D. degree. The fellowship is offered to outstanding first-generation, low-income, or minority college graduates with the goal of increasing the pool of underrepresented students pursuing careers in post-secondary education and establishing role models for future minority students.
The fellowship includes:
- Stipend
- Tuition
- Subsidized health insurance
- Funds for a recruiting visit to Bloomington
Each McNair Graduate Scholars will receive four or five years of support. At least one year of the award is pure scholarship with no duties beyond continued progress toward the graduate degree. Annual stipends range from $18,000 to $25,000 depending on the discipline. For the remaining years, details of the guaranteed funding package depend on the department and will be a combination of other scholarships and research and/or teaching assistantships that cover full stipend, tuition, and health insurance.
For out-of-state students in the natural sciences, the five-year McNair Graduate Fellowship is worth approximately $200,000.
Eligibility Requirements
Nominees should have an outstanding academic background, including a GPA of at least 3.5. Continued funding each year will be determined by the scholar’s adequate progress toward his or her Ph.D. or MFA degree.
In their nominations, departments will explain how funding of their nominee will increase the diversity of our graduate student community and/or contribute to the campuswide effort to support the role of underrepresented students at the graduate student and faculty levels. Nominees must be able to provide McNair certification as an undergraduate.
How to Apply
To be considered by a department for nomination to the McNair Graduate Fellowship, apply for admission to the graduate program of your choice by January 15.