The UA Graduate College's Graduate Access Fellowship is intended to broaden the access of U.S. students to graduate education and to promote the diversity of our graduate student body. Eligibility for these fellowships is restricted to incoming domestic graduate students who have shown academic achievement despite facing challenging social, economic or educational obstacles. Each fellowship provides up to $3,000 to incoming students pursuing a Master's, or $10,000 to those pursuing a PhD. The latter includes PhD-bound master's students in programs that require completion of the Master's before admission to the PhD, those pursuing an MFA requiring a minimum of 60 units, and those pursuing an MLA. PhD-bound awardees will initially receive $3,000 and the remainder upon successful transition from the Master's track to the PhD. Graduate Access Fellowships may be supplemented by other financial support provided by the academic program.

Prospective students may not apply directly. Departments can nominate individuals who, in addition to academic merit, meet one or more of the following eligibility criteria:

1. Documented financial need as an undergraduate, e.g., Pell Grant eligibility, Work Study.

2. First-generation student, i.e., having parents or guardians who have not earned a baccalaureate degree.

3. Other significant or serious challenges in gaining access to higher education or personal experiences with disadvantage.

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