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University Fellowships

Article on University Fellowships

Undergraduate and graduate students in the United States looking for one form of financial assistance or the other have the opportunity of benefiting from a lot of fellowships set up specifically for them. Some of these fellowships include: federally funded fellowships, state funded fellowships, privately funded fellowships and of course, university fellowships.

Institutional or University Fellowships

Institutional fellowships typically refer to fellowship programs offered by specific universities or institutions for students studying or intending to study in the particular school. What this means is that students with no study affiliation to the specific school cannot benefit from any of these fellowships. As such, there is a form of restriction in the choice of institution and oftentimes, the course or field of study. This restriction notwithstanding, university fellowships go a long way in alleviating the financial burden of a large number of students.

Getting a University Fellowship

The financial aid department of any university provides adequate and precise information about the types of fellowships available in the university. Thus, this is the first point of call in the search for institutional fellowships. Thanks to the internet, every student, whether new or continuing, can easily obtain this information from the school’s website or by paying a visit to the financial aid section in the school’s administrative block. This is the easiest way to find out about the fellowships available in the university.

Criteria for University Fellowships

Typically, the requirements for eligibility fall under three basic categories: academic merit, special abilities or leadership qualities and financial need. As stated earlier, these conditions are in addition to being a student of the institution. All these points are properly scrutinized to determine eligibility status. Apart from these points, fellowships are also often attached to specific colleges, faculties or departments under the university. As such, students studying or intending to study under these faculties should check them out.

Some Examples of University Fellowships

It is impossible to exhaust all the fellowships available, so a few of them will just be mentioned here. They include: The University of California President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program (which awards 15 to 20 fellowships ranging from $55,000 to $65,000 annually depending on the discipline), The University of New Mexico Graduate Fellowship in Advanced Electromagnetics (which awards $15,000 annually to electrical engineering students interested in specializing in electromagnetics for their Ph.D.) and Tufts University Graduate Fellowships for Masters Degree Candidates in Child Development.

Obligations of a University Fellow

The growth and development of any society is measured by how much is given back by its members; a university fellowship also works in this manner. There are some expectations from a fellow by the university. Typically, a university fellow is expected to demonstrate a high level of scholarship and responsibility towards the furtherance of the goals of the institution. Oftentimes this involves (but is not limited to) a career in the university as a researcher or a lecturer as a way of giving back to the institution.