The Arthur A. Schomburg Fellowship is a graduate fellowship program for eligible underrepresented students who will pursue graduate study on a full-time basis at the University at Buffalo. The Schomburg Fellowship Program is administered by the Graduate School and is funded by the SUNY Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Schomburg Fellowship funds are awarded in block grants to academic units, which then determine individual award recipients.
Academic Practicum Policy: Recipients of support through the Arthur A. Schomburg Graduate Fellowship program who are not appointed to a teaching, research or graduate assistantship (i.e., “fully funded” fellows) are required to complete an academic, research or service practicum during the period in which they receive Schomburg Fellowship funding. Master’s level fellowship recipients must complete one semester of practicum, while doctoral level fellows are required to complete two semesters.
The academic department that nominated the Schomburg fellow will implement this policy. All activities that fellows plan to pursue must be pre-approved by their academic department — and if applicable — the outside agency that will benefit from the project. Practicum activities may include, but are not limited to, teaching at the pre-collegiate level; academic tutoring; career or personal counseling; theoretical or applied research; and technical assistance either on campus or in the Western New York community. When consistent with the individual fellow’s academic and career objectives, teaching at the undergraduate or graduate levels (while appropriately enrolled in a “supervised teaching” or “independent study” course) is permitted with the approval of the academic department as a means of fulfilling the practicum requirement.
In certain instances where, for example, a fellow may already be required to teach or perform research or service as a part of his/her degree program, this experience may fulfill the fellowship practicum requirement.
Fully funded fellows must submit a completed Arthur A. Schomburg Academic Practicum Completion Form to the Office of Fellowships and Scholarships.
Summer Support Policy: Funding provided by the State of New York for the Arthur A. Schomburg Fellowship Program is limited and requests from Schomburg fellows for support during a summer term are considered only if funds are available. Awards are generally limited to one summer over the period of an individual fellow's academic program, unless exceptional circumstances are presented.
If sufficient funds exist, summer support may be requested only by Schomburg fellows who meet at least one of the following criteria:
If awarded, summer tuition scholarship support covers tuition only (not fees or other charges). Such tuition support is limited to the general graduate tuition rate in effect for that summer term.
If awarded, summer stipend support will be $250 for each week of the required summer enrollment period (e.g., a total of $1,500 for a six-week course period; $2,500 for a 10-week course period), regardless of the number of courses taken during that period.
Requests for special summer support should be in the form of a letter from the fellow addressed to the Graduate School (409 Capen Hall) and should include information describing the specific coursework to be completed and how that coursework relates to the eligibility criteria listed above. Requests must be accompanied by a letter of support from the fellow's academic department that includes confirmation that the summer coursework in question is required of all students under the program and/or certification that the fellow will complete his/her academic program by the end of the summer term and/or that the fellow's completion of required clinical components of the program during the summer will enable the student to finish the degree program a semester early.
Eligibility Criteria: The Schomburg Fellowship Program is intended to support the recruitment and retention of high achieving doctoral and professional students in pursuit of terminal degrees. Only in exceptional cases may master’s students who meet all eligibility requirements for this program be selected for funding. Recipients of Schomburg Fellowships must be new to the degree program; however, students who have previously earned a master’s degree or who are currently enrolled in a master’s degree program and are applying to transition into a doctoral program are eligible to receive a Schomburg Fellowship.
The State University of New York offers these graduate fellowships to U.S. citizens or permanent residents who can demonstrate that they would contribute to the diversity of the student body of the university, especially those who have overcome a disadvantage or other impediment to success in higher education. In awarding these fellowships, academic units may give consideration to students who are of a race or ethnicity that is underrepresented in its graduate or professional programs but may not make awards solely on that basis. Students must be planning to enroll full-time during the award period and must have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0.
How to Apply: Each school or college has an internal admissions and selection process. Please contact your academic department for more information.
Campus Liaison: Elizabeth Colucci, Office of Fellowships and Scholarships
