The Graduate College offers several fellowship and grant programs to support University of Illinois graduate students. Students do not apply directly for these awards. Instead, departments submit nominations according to the competition schedule shown below. Students wishing to be nominated should contact their department’s Director of Graduate Studies for details.
Major Awards:
Illinois Distinguished Fellowships
Graduate College Doctoral Merit Fellowships
GRADUATE COLLEGE MASTER'S MERIT FELLOWSHIPS
Master's recruitment fellowships to promote incusion and diversity by supporting students who represent a broad array of life experiences and perspectives.
DISTINGUISHED GRADUATE FELLOWSHIPS IN THE HUMANITIES & ARTS
Doctoral recruitment fellowships for the University's top incoming students in select humanities and fine arts programs.
ASPIRE Doctoral FELLOWSHIPS
Doctoral recruitment fellowships for participants in the Graduate College's Aspire Early Application & Campus Visit program.
ASPIRE MASTER'S FELLOWSHIPS
Master's recruitment fellowships for participants in the Graduate College's Aspire Early Application & Campus Visit program.
Travel Grants for Master’s Projects AND Dissertation Research
Dissertation Completion Fellowships
Specialized Awards:
Conference PRESENTATION Awards
Diffenbaugh Fellowships
Marion Morse Wood Fellowships
Emergency Grants
Competition Schedule for 2023-2024
|
COMPETITION |
NOMINATION DEADLINE |
Anticipated Notification of Results |
| Travel Grants (Fall) - Dissertation / Master's | Dec. 1, 2023 (extended) | Jan. 12, 2024 |
| Illinois Distinguished Fellowships (Rd 1) | Jan. 11, 2024 | Feb. 14, 2024 |
| Doctoral Merit Fellowships and Master's Merit Fellowships (Rd 1) | Jan. 11, 2024 | Feb. 14, 2024 |
| Distinguished Graduate Fellowships in Humanities & Arts (Rd 1) | Jan. 11, 2024 | Feb. 14, 2024 |
| Aspire Doctoral and Aspire Master's Fellowships | Jan. 11, 2024 | Feb. 14, 2024 |
| Diffenbaugh Fellowships | Jan. 29, 2024 | Feb. 28, 2024 |
| Marion Morse Wood Fellowships in Interpersonal Communication | Jan. 29, 2024 | Feb. 28, 2024 |
| Illinois Distinguished Fellowships (Rd 2) | Feb. 19, 2024 | Mar. 28, 2024 |
| Doctoral Merit Fellowships and Master's Merit Fellowships (Rd 2) | Feb. 19, 2024 | Mar. 28, 2024 |
| Distinguished Graduate Fellowships in Humanities & Arts (Rd 2) | Feb. 19, 2024 | Mar. 28, 2023 |
| Travel Grants (Spring) - Dissertation / Master's | Mar. 19, 2024 | Apr. 26, 2024 |
| Dissertation Completion Fellowships | Apr. 2, 2024 | May 10, 2024 |