The fellowship program provides financial support to McNair Scholars through their first year of graduate study at UNT until they qualify for admission and/or funding for doctoral work. The award is competitive.

The maximum award amount is $12,667, which includes $9,500.25 for one academic year (fall, spring, summer) of full-time graduate study.  Departments may increase the total amount of the award by supplements with teaching or research assistantships if available.

Eligibility

The fellowship competition is open to Scholars in any of the McNair programs in the United States who complete their bachelor's degrees as a McNair Scholar and who have not yet begun graduate study. The competition is open to McNair Scholars seeking admission to a UNT master's degree program or to a UNT doctoral program immediately upon the completion of a bachelor's degree.

Students who have already received any other University of North Texas Graduate Fellowship and/or have begun graduate study prior to the Fall 2010 semester are ineligible for this fellowship.

Applying for the McNair Scholars Fellowship

Applications and awards are limited to students who have not previously been enrolled for graduate credit at the University of North Texas. McNair Scholars who wish to apply for a fellowship should:

1. Complete the top part of the application form.
2. Give the completed form to their faculty mentor or McNair Director. The mentor or director completes the Candidate Assessment part of the application.
3. If not previously submitted, complete the University of North Texas graduate application form. Your McNair Director should attach a page to the application verifying that you are a McNair Scholar. With this written verification, you will not need to submit an application fee.
4. Request that UNT receive your official university transcripts and official Graduate Record Examination or Graduate Management Admissions Test scores from the Educational Testing Service.
5. Additional information, such as letters of recommendation and personal essays describing aspirations for graduate study and career goals may be included.
6. Complete any other admissions requirements of the department offering the graduate degree program you want to pursue. These may include:

•  a departmental admission form
•  personal statements
• letters of reference
•  entrance examinations
•  interviews
• auditions
• portfolios or other program-related materials.

NOTE:  Please submit specific degree program admission materials directly to the department.

Your completed application packet should be sent to the Toulouse School of Graduate Studies through your McNair Director. Ask your McNair Director to send the application packet to the following address:

UNT McNair Scholars Graduate Fellowships
1155 Union Circle #305459 (USPS)
1147 Union Circle, ESSC #354 (UPS/Fedex)
University of North Texas
P. O. Box 305459
Denton, TX 76203-5459 

Award conditions for McNair Scholars Seeking a Master's Degree

For students seeking a UNT master's degree, the McNair Scholars Fellowships will provide one year of support for full-time study.  The fellowship amount is $9,500.25 for the first twelve months of the student's full time graduate study. Students who have not completed the master's degree in one year, but who are in good standing and making progress toward the degree may renew the fellowship for an additional fourth semester or second academic year at $3,166.75.

Award conditions for McNair Scholars Seeking a Doctoral Degree

McNair Scholars Fellowship recipients who are admitted to UNT doctoral degree programs directly upon completion of their bachelor's degrees will receive $9,500.25 for the first twelve months of full-time doctoral study. In addition, they will receive $3,166.75 for a fourth semester or second year of doctoral study, unless they have received another Graduate School Fellowship. Departments are encouraged to supplement the McNair Scholars Fellowships in whatever ways their resources will allow.

Monthly disbursement amount

The fellowships will be awarded in monthly disbursement payments of $791.69 for the sixteen  months of the fellowship. Fellowship recipients do not receive their first disbursement payment until the first of the month following the beginning of their fellowships.

Enrollment requirements

Fellowships require year-round, full-time graduate enrollment, which means a minimum of nine hours of 5000 or 6000 level UNT courses applicable to the degree being sought during fall, spring, and a minimum of six hours of 5000 or 6000 level UNT courses applicable to the degree being sought during the summer.

In the summer semester, a student may be allowed to substitute up to three hours of prerequisite/leveling courses or language or other appropriate research tool courses for up to three hours of otherwise required courses.

Questions about McNair Scholars Fellowships

Will this fellowship waive tuition and fees?

Fellowship recipients will still have to pay tuition and fees. However, fellowship recipients, regardless of their state of residence, will pay only the very reasonable tuition charged to Texas residents.

Is there funding available to continue support of the graduate degree after the McNair Scholars Fellowship is completed?

Toulouse School of Graduate Studies Doctoral Fellowships, in the amount of $20,000 for one year, are available on a competitive basis for UNT students who have completed the initial 30 hours of graduate work toward the doctoral degree and for those who have completed their master's degrees and have been admitted to a UNT doctoral program.

Candidates for the Doctoral Fellowship program are by departmental nomination only. Additionally, individual departments and schools offer graduate fellowships and assistantships.

If you have questions or need additional information,  please contact the UNT Toulouse School of Graduate Studies at (940) 565-2383 or toll-free 1-(888) UNT-GRAD.  Or you can send an e-mail to gradsch@unt.edu.

To learn about undergraduate McNair opportunities, visit the University of North Texas Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program.