The School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies is committed to providing financial support for UofL departments and programs to assist in the matriculation and graduation of qualified, underrepresented ethnic minority students.  Programs may nominate students from historically underrepresented ethnic and racial groups, including US citizens and permanent residents who are African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Alaskan Natives, and Pacific Islanders. In order to provide some criteria by which to select recipients of these funds, we have established the following guidelines for scholarship candidates:

1. An award candidate must have been admitted through the unit/departmental admission procedure.
2. Both masters and doctoral degree students are eligible.
3. An award candidate must be nominated by the director of graduate studies (DGS) or chair of the enrolling department.  (Students cannot apply independently for this award because it requires a departmental match).
4. Masters students will be funded for the standard 10 month academic year. Doctoral students are funded for 12 months.  All students must be enrolled on a full-time basis to receive funding.
5. In order to support the retention and graduation of the greatest number of students, SIGS will fund one year of study for masters students and two years for doctoral students. As a stipulation of the award, the student’s program must agree to commit an additional 10 months of funding for masters students or an additional two full years of funding for doctoral students.  Funding from the program must include stipend at the same or higher rate as that from SIGS, tuition and insurance.
6. Departments may request funding for either a scholarship or an assistantship. An assistantship is recommended when the work to be performed contributes significantly to the student's academic experience.

To nominate a candidate for an ethnic minority scholarship the academic department must fill out the web form at http://graduate.louisville.edu/forms/ethnic-minority-assistantship-nomination-form.  A letter of nomination, addressed to Dr. Beth A. Boehm, Dean of the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies, from the program’s DGS or the department chair, specifying the student's ethnic identity and including an accounting of the student's academic potential.  The letter should also indicate whether the request is for a scholarship or assistantship. If an assistantship is requested, the nature of the work should be described briefly. 

• A letter of support, addressed to Dr. Boehm, from the chair of the department or the unit dean, indicating commitment of subsequent year(s) financial support as specified under #5 above.
• Review of nominations for Fall 2013 will begin immediately after the March 1, 2013 deadline