Annual Fellowship Application Deadline: February 15
Graduate Diversity Fellowship Program
Annual Fellowship Application Deadline: February 15
Graduate Diversity Fellowship Program
SUNY Plattsburgh’s Graduate Diversity Fellowship Program provides tuition funding
for up to six students each year who successfully demonstrate through their application
that they will contribute to the diversity of the graduate student body.
FALL 2022 APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED
Applicants to the Diversity Fellowship Program will be asked to express, through a
short essay, how they can contribute to the diversity of their respective graduate
program.
Examples could include, but are not limited to:
Member of a group that is underrepresented in your field of study (e.g., male in a
historically female career or female in traditionally male career, or a minority in
a field of study with few minorities)
First-generation college student
Non-traditional student (e.g., single mother or father or older adult student)
Person with a disability
Coming from an economically disadvantaged background
Fellowship funds are determined by the campus and are based on annual funding available
from New York state. Typically three full in-state tuition awards and three partial awards are offered
each year*. Recipients receive a credit to their college account, and any funds in excess of
college charges may be used for other educational expenses, including books and supplies,
room, meals, personal and transportation.
*These awards are subject to changes annually based on funding levels from the State
of New York.
Eligibility
To be eligible for a SUNY Plattsburgh Graduate Diversity Fellowship, an applicant
must:
Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
Be a newly applying full-time graduate student to a master’s or certificate of advanced
study degree program
Be able to contribute to the diversity of a graduate degree program or field of study
Have overcome a disadvantage or other impediment to success in higher education
Have high intellectual and professional promise
Have completed a Diversity Fellowship application, as well as an application for admission
for fall by February 15
Applications for the Fall 2023 cycle will open in November 2022.
The deadline to apply for the Diversity Fellowship is February 15. This deadline is firm; late applications will not be considered.
Selection & Notification Procedure
Selection will be made by the diversity fellowship committee and based on the eligibility
requirements described above, quality of prior academic record, and financial need
(as reflected in a FASFA or copy of most recent income tax statement).
Announcements of awardees will take place in April after the review committee has
had the opportunity to review each candidate and make their recommendations. Selected
award recipients will be notified via email and will be given a deadline by which
they need to accept or decline the award. If a selected recipient declines their award,
it will be given to the next runner up as determined by the review committee.
Recent Diversity Fellowship Recipients
Here are our current Diversity Fellowship recipients! Learn more about who they are
and what receiving this award means to them.
“Receiving the Diversity Fellowship means that as a Muslim black girl from NYC I get
the same opportunities as everyone else. Completing undergraduate studies at SUNY
Plattsburgh allowed me to learn so much and meet a diverse group of people. I have
always gravitated to the business aspect of things, and now that I have earned my
degree in business administration with a minor in marketing, I believe that there
is still more for me to learn. Being able to continue my education here at SUNY Plattsburgh
is a huge honor because SUNY Plattsburgh sees what I’m capable of. I want to earn
my master’s in data analytics so that I can be as marketable as possible and won’t
be just another name on a resume. I always like to say it’s not what you go through
that molds who you are, but what you do afterwards that does.”
“I am so grateful to have been chosen to receive the Diversity Fellowship. I was born
with a rare genetic disorder called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. My medical bills are much
higher than the average person my age, so knowing I don’t have to worry about tuition
on top of that is a huge weight off of my shoulders. Before starting graduate school,
I worked as an SLPA for high school students. I loved being able to relate to my students
as I know what it’s like to grow up with disabilities. I’m so excited to be able to
continue growing and learning as a graduate clinician at SUNY Plattsburgh!”
“Receiving the Diversity Fellowship and even attending graduate school is an honor
and a privilege. This fellowship is giving me the opportunity to attend graduate school
without taking out excessive loans, and that will give me an incredible head start.
It means the world to me to be able to continue my education to become a teacher,
and the support that I'm receiving from this fellowship is what makes it possible.
I am excited to pursue my dream career and become a queer educator so that I can help
LGBTQ+ students pursue their dreams. I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity
and thrilled to have the opportunity to continue my education.”
“Gratitude doesn’t even begin to explain how I felt when I learned I was accepted
for the fellowship.
I think diversity is difficult to define because we are constantly growing through
new experiences as individuals, and learning from those around us. The definition
is almost always evolving. Everyone’s perspectives, abilities, hopes, etc., are all
diverse as a result of our own experiences and that is something that has always excited
me. I am proud to be a part of its many defining features.
I've found that strengthening and prioritizing diversity with all of its moving parts
has been the catalyst in what has made me who I am, and how I define my own success.
It is the very reason I continue to prioritize working alongside diverse populations
everywhere.
To finally have recognition for something I am passionate about and worked toward
for many years is seriously a dream come true. Knowing that I am finally able to have
a secure place in higher education is a new, incredible feeling to me, and for all
of this I am eternally grateful.
I want to thank my family for pushing me thus far and always believing in me, my dear
friends for continuing to lift me up, and lastly my community for teaching me I am
worthy of so much more.”
“I am honoured and grateful to be an awardee of the Diversity Fellowship. It has been
a long-time dream of mine to be in the clinical mental health field and I am excited
to be given the opportunity to pursue that dream at this stage of my life. My experience
of diversity has provided me with opportunities to learn and grow as a woman, shaping
me into the individual that I am today. I hope to inspire others to believe in themselves
and to know that pursuing a dream is but a decision away.”
“Receiving the Diversity Fellowship award is a tremendous blessing on my life! My program
offers an internship option that I once felt I would have to forgo. The assistance
of this fellowship has opened up the opportunity for me to participate in an internship
to bolster, supplement, and apply the knowledge I am receiving through coursework
from the great instructors here at SUNY Plattsburgh. I look forward to the connections
I will make and the wisdom I will gain from this experience, thus aiding my research
endeavors in the future. This award has not only eased the financial burden of higher
education but has greatly affirmed to me that I am on the right path in my health
and wellness career.”
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