College of Graduate Studies

2024-2025 Eagle Empower Graduate Scholars Fellowship

The 2024-2025 Eagle Empower Graduate Scholars Fellowship is designed to promote Tennessee Tech's commitment to a more inclusive and diverse campus that enriches the educational experience, promotes personal growth, a healthy society, a stronger workplace, and enhances America's economic competitiveness. This diversity may be developed through exposure to diverse persons, cultures, social, political, and economic ideas, and better prepares students as professionals in an increasingly diverse workforce and society.  This Fellowship is an effort to increase and enhance the overall diversity of our graduate student population.

The diversity of graduate student enrollment enriches the educational experience and is a tool to change future generations in a positive way. We learn from those whose beliefs and perspectives are different from our own, and these lessons can be best taught in the richly diverse intellectual and social environment of a diverse student body.

A flexible, holistic, and individualized approach is adopted in awarding the Eagle Empower Fellowships.  There are a limited number of fellows, and awards are highly competitive.  The following is a summary of the areas considered when making Fellowship awards:

• Personal characteristics such as motivation and ability to pursue graduate studies
• Underrepresented groups in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and nursing disciplines in order to build more healthy and diverse learning environments
• Underrepresented/under-served groups that have historically been educationally under-served and/or underrepresented and who may have viewpoints and perspectives that can serve to enrich the learning experience of all students
• "First-Generation" graduate students whose biological parents or guardians have not earned a college degree at the graduate level (master's or doctorate) within the United States. 

Eligibility

In order to become eligible for the Fellowships, applicants must be:

1. admitted in full standing to the Tennessee Tech Graduate College;
2. a U.S. citizen or permanent resident;
3. and meet at least two of the following criteria:
   1. Belong to a U.S. underrepresented/under-served gender in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, business, and nursing
   2. Demonstrate character, motivation and ability to succeed in graduate studies based on their undergraduate academic record and a written essay.
   3. Be a first-generation graduate student whose biological parents or guardians have not earned a college degree at the graduate level.
   4. Be a resident of one of the educationally under-served/underrepresented/distressed or at-risk areas in Tennessee (refer to list below):

Full and Part-time Fellows

A recipient of a full fellowship is expected to devote 20 hours per week to research, support, or teaching. Full fellowship pays tuition, fees and stipend at the prevailing rate in the department.

A part-time fellowship pays tuition and fees, and does not require service to a department.

A fellow making satisfactory progress in their program of study may receive funding for the length of their degree program, as long as funding is received from the state of Tennessee and the student meets the requirements as stated above.  Students should register for a minimum of 6 credit hours per semester in order to complete the degree within a reasonable  time frame.

Conditions for Maintaining Eligibility

• Recipient must have a term and cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0.
• Recipient must demonstrate satisfactory progress toward the attainment of a graduate degree.
• Recipient must re-apply if not enrolled for one or more semesters, or if changing to a different degree program.
• Recipient must comply with registration and degree requirements as provided in the Graduate Catalog.
• Recipient must enroll in courses that count toward the degree, and must be approved by the student's academic advisor.

Additional Eligibility Information

• Fees will not be paid for audit courses, repeat courses, personal enrichment courses, undergraduate courses, certification courses, or more than six hours of thesis, or 24 hours of research and dissertation.
• The fellow may not deviate from their approved program of study without consulting with the Graduate College.
• The fellowship covers only IN-STATE fees.
• If the student receives a funded Graduate or Teaching Assistantship, they will be excluded from receiving the Fellowship.
• Students in 'provisional' status are not eligible for this fellowship.
• This award only applies towards one graduate degree (unless they are a direct-admit, master's en-route student).
• The recipient may not have a previous graduate degree.
• Tennessee Tech University is under no obligation to continue the fellowship if the student transfers to another degree program or degree classification, or if funds are not available.
• Preference will be given to Tennessee residents as this fellowship is funded by the state of Tennessee.
• Students may not be relatives of Tennessee Tech University employees.
• Students may not be Tennessee Tech University employees.

Next Steps

If you meet the criteria listed above, you are now ready to apply for the fellowship.  A link to the fellowship application is below.  You will attach your resume and essay to the application as you submit it.

Your essay should describe how you meet the eligibility criteria listed above and how receiving the award would benefit you and the community in which you will live and work.

The College of Graduate Studies reviews applications in April/May for Fall awards and December for January awards.  There are less than 10 Fellowship positions available and we are unable to award new fellowships until our existing fellows graduate.  There are semesters when we may not make any new awards.  Take this into consideration as you apply for the fellowship.

Questions? Contact us at gradstudies@tntech.edu.