Fall is upon us, campus is again flooded with students, and classes are already in full swing. To the new students in all programs, we at GradFund would like to say, “Welcome!” Especially for first- and second-year graduate students, we would also like to remind you that now is the time to apply for early graduate study fellowships.
What Are Early Graduate Study Fellowships?
Early graduate study fellowships, hereafter EGSFs, are perhaps the most lucrative class of graduate awards, often providing multiple years of support for a student’s living expenses and tuition. For some students, EGSFs may also be the most prestigious graduate awards for which they will be eligible to apply. Like other graduate awards, EGSFs are offered by government agencies and private organizations, and eligibility guidelines vary according to the individual funder’s goals.
Who Should Apply for EGSFs?
EGSFs have a limited window of eligibility. For many award programs, the last moment of eligibility is in the fall of a student’s second year in graduate school. A growing list of funders now limits eligibility at the fall of the first full year of graduate study. This often means that students must apply for EGSFs during the first semester in graduate school, before having a chance to get settled into their graduate programs or identifying a research advisor. If this is you, do not despair! Writing essays and applying for EGSFs can be a great way to get to know your faculty and develop tentative research plans early to give your graduate career a jump-start.
How Do I Get Started?
Even if you are a novice at grant-writing, we encourage all students who are eligible for EGSFs to apply this fall! To find out more about specific EGSFs, Rutgers graduate students can log into the GradFund Database and search for Early Graduate Study Fellowships. You can search the Pivot Database for additional possible awards as well. Finally, Rutgers students can schedule a Planning Meeting with our office for one-on-one guidance. Most EGSF deadlines are between September and November, so get started today!
[…] are broadly distributed throughout the academic year. Awards with large financial payoffs, such as early graduate study fellowships and dissertation research grants and fellowships, tend to concentrate their deadlines in […]