Chancellor’s Club Fellowship

Fellowship details

Application Status
application status icon
Anticipated
Deadline
10/30/2025
Amount
$24,000 Stipend
Period of Funding
January 2026 through June 2026
Citizenship Requirements
No requirement
Contact

Overview

Chancellor’s Club Fellowships are intended to recognize our most academically superior doctoral and MFA students — those who exhibit outstanding promise as scholars, researchers, and public leaders. Please note, nominated students must be first-generation college students, with neither parent having received a four-year degree.

Award Information

Chancellor’s Club Fellows will be awarded a six-month stipend for a total of $24,000 for the period of January through June . These fellowships do not include tuition and fees. Awardees’ Schools will be expected to cover the cost of the tuition and fees for Winter and Spring quarter.

Important Dates

Application Open: September 8, 2025
School Nomination Deadline: October 30, 2025 by 5:00pm PST

Please note that Schools and Departments set earlier internal deadlines for limited submission or “school nominated” fellowships such as this. Therefore, interested students should contact their program or department regarding deadlines that pertain to them.

Eligibility Criteria

All Schools are invited to nominate one outstanding doctoral student who meets the following minimum criteria:

  1. Plan to complete their Ph.D. or MFA degree by the end of Fall quarter 2026
  2. Have a minimum graduate-level UCI GPA of 3.7
  3. If a doctoral student, be advanced to candidacy for the Ph.D. by October 30, 2025
  4. Demonstrate financial need
  5. Be willing to present their dissertation research at a Chancellor’s Club dinner or other function
  6. Exhibit excellent interpersonal and leadership abilities
  7. Be a first-generation college student, with neither parent having received a four-year degree

Nomination Process

Each School’s package should be submitted by the School’s Associate Dean and must include:

  • A completed Chancellor’s Club Fellowship Nomination Form
  • A completed Chancellor’s Club Student Information Form, including the financial need, student profile, and student research sections
  • The student’s current curriculum vitae
  • A confidential letter of recommendation from the faculty advisor/mentor including the student’s planned term of graduation and expressing the advisor’s level of confidence in the student’s ability to complete as planned

Nominations will be evaluated using the following criteria:

  • Demonstration of financial need
  • Evidence of strong communication skills
  • Demonstration of leadership ability
  • Academic achievements and promise
  • Likelihood of degree completion by the end of Fall quarter

Stipulations

  • Students receiving this award are required to file all final degree paperwork by the end of Fall quarter 2026. Award funds will be returned by the school to Graduate Division if the student does not meet this requirement.
  • The faculty advisor’s letter of recommendation should include the student’s expected graduation date and express the advisor’s level of confidence in the student’s ability to complete as planned.
  • Students should review the Terms and Conditions to ensure that they are eligible to receive fellowship or scholarship funding before applying.
  • For students already receiving financial aid, acceptance of additional funding may affect their overall financial need-based support package. In such cases, students are strongly encouraged to consult with the UCI Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships.

Contact

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