Twenty percent of the fellowships will be awarded in the social sciences, twenty percent in the arts and sixty percent in the humanities. A minimum of sixty percent of the awards shall be made to students who have no graduate credits. Eligibility is limited to students who are eligible to receive any grant, loan or work assistance pursuant to Section 484 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended. Eligibility is limited to U.S. citizens or nationals, permanent residents of the U.S., or citizens of any one of the Freely Associated States. Applicants must be eligible to be accepted to or currently attending a graduate program leading to a doctorate or MFA in an eligible field of study at an institution of higher education approved by an accrediting agency recognized by the Secretary of the Department of Education.
Applicants attending a foreign institution are ineligible.
Fellowships cannot be used for students studying for a religious vocation, or for study for a Masters degree or Ph.D. in clinical psychology or social work. Awards are made for one year, and are renewable to a maximum of four years contingent upon the student making satisfactory progress toward the degree. The stipend awarded to new Fellows commencing their fellowships in academic year 2001-2002, and thereafter on an annual basis, is set at a level of support equal to that provided by the NSF graduate fellowships. No stipend award, however, may exceed the Fellow's demonstrated level of need as determined by the Federal Student Aid need analysis formula. The Secretary will adjust the institutional payment prior to the issuance of grant awards based on the Department of Labor's projection of the Consumer Price Index for 2001.