Tribal Membership Initiative Fellowship
The Tribal Membership Initiative fellowship is administered by the UC San Diego Division of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA) to state-funded UC San Diego graduate students enrolled in federally recognized Native American and Alaska Native tribes. These groups’ federal and state recognition depends not on their racial or ethnic designation, but on the political designation as enrolled members of a community to which the state has a political arrangement that includes responsibilities and obligations. The Tribal Membership Initiative Fellowship meets and exceeds the requirements of the University of California Native American Opportunity Plan (NAOP).
Eligibility
A candidate for the Tribal Membership Initiative fellowship must be able to document affiliation as follows:
- Native Americans and Alaska Natives must be able to document enrollment in a federally recognized tribe. This can be done through tribal ID cards or verification of enrollment number, etc. View this website for a list of federally recognized tribes.
- The Tribal Membershi Initiative is open to all eligible students. The Tribal Membership does not consider race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, and/or other protected categories as part of the application and selection process.
Fellowship Application Instructions
- Applicants who wish to be considered for the Tribal Membership Initiative must complete the standard UC San Diego application for graduate study which includes providing letters of recommendation, test scores, and academic records/transcripts.
- The application contains a section on the personal information page that asks applicants if they would like to receive consideration under the initiative. If yes, they must indicate their tribal affiliation on the application and provide the required documentation.
- Native Americans and Alaska Natives must be able to document enrollment in a federally recognized tribe. This can be done through tribal ID cards or verification of enrollment number, etc. View this website for a list of federally recognized tribes.
- Applicants should submit this documentation during the online application process or to the department/program to which they have applied.
- Applicants should notify the department/program to which they have applied that they would like to be nominated for the TMI Fellowship.
- Questions about the Tribal Membership Initiative fellowship can be directed to avyang@ucsd.edu.
- Deadline: All nominations must be submitted by August 30 in order to be awarded for the next academic year.
Award
|
Award by Degree Type |
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|
Sponsor |
Award Components |
State-funded PhD* |
State-funded MFA or EDD* |
State-funded Masters (excluding MFA)* |
|
GEPA Support |
Duration (in quarters) |
9 |
6 |
3 |
|
Expiration (years, post-matriculation) |
5 |
3 |
2 |
|
|
Stipend (per quarter)** |
$8,333 |
$8,333 |
$8,333 |
|
|
Systemwide/ Campus Tuition & Fees 2024-2025 (per quarter)*** |
$6,913.25 |
$6,913.25 |
$6,913.25 |
|
|
Document Fee-one time |
$100 |
$100 |
$100 |
|
|
Bonus (one-time, at matriculation)**** |
$5,000 |
$5,000 |
$2,500 |
|
|
Department Support |
May be in any of several forms including: fellowship payment, teaching assistant salary inside and/or outside the department, graduate student researcher salary, and/or other support. |
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|
Duration (in quarters) |
6 |
3 |
3 |
|
|
Stipend or salary ( minimum per quarter) |
$8,333 |
$8,333 |
$8,333 |
|
|
Systemwide/ Campus Tuition & Fees 2024-2025 (per quarter) |
$6,913.25 |
$6,913.25 |
$6,913.25 |
|
|
Non-Resident Supplemental Tuition (NRST) (per quarter) (1st year only) |
$5,034 |
$5,034 |
$5,034 |
|
* Students admitted into self-funded programs are ineligible for the TMI. More information may be found here: Self-Supporting (MAS, MDSO, MPH, MS, MSDDPM) Degree Programs, School of Global Policy & Strategy, and Rady School of Management Registration Fees.
** Stipends are set up from October through June. Since Campus pays stipends in arrears, the October stipend will be received on/by November 1st.
*** Pease visit Tuition and Fees website for an overview of the tuition and fees for the graduate programs at UC San Diego. Tuition and fees in excess of the award must be funded by the student.
**** Bonus is set up to be received on/by September/October 1, depending on when the TMI is Awarded.
Background & Rationale
For further information about the background and principles underlying this program, please refer to the FAQ’s about the University of California’s Native American Opportunity Plan.
Proposition 209 Compliance
In accordance with applicable Federal and State law and University policy, the University of California does not discriminate, or grant preferences, on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, and/or other protected categories. All programs and initiatives coordinated by the University of California Division of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs are designed and implemented in full compliance with Proposition 209 and the University of California Anti-Discrimination Policy.
More information about Proposition 209 can be found here.
More information about the University of California Anti-Discrimination Policy can be found here.