Graduate Financial Aid and Scholarships

PURPOSE: To encourage research among graduate students and to recognize their scholarly achievement, the Graduate School offers special travel scholarships to students who present the results of their research at professional meetings and conferences.

Amount: Award amounts range from $100 to $400, depending upon the distance to the conference, and the conference type (virtual or in-person). An additional $100 will be available to support recruitment activities at the conference. Funding is limited, awards are not guaranteed

Please read all information below, which includes instructions and expectations for both the student and department.

Eligibility:

• Be in good academic standing in a graduate degree program at time of conference.
• Have an approved Plan of Study on file (unless fewer than 12 graduate hours have been accumulated).
• Submit proof that the presentation was accepted at a conference, with proof of registration cost.
• Students may receive only one award of this type within one academic year (fall through summer).

 Expectations of Student:

• Student must submit the Application for Special Research Award - Student Travel at least 2 weeks PRIOR to the conference.
• Student will attend conference as planned and provide proof of attendance to the Graduate School upon return.
• Student can be awarded an additional $100 if they agree (in advance, on this form) to spend at least one hour of the conference in a recruiting role and provide proof upon return (see “If Travel Award is Granted” section for more details).

Expectation of Faculty:

• There is a question on the form asking whether you will be providing support for the remaining travel expenses for the student. If you are not able to provide that support, please include a financial plan for how the student will pay for the remaining costs for attending the conference.
• Faculty can apply for funding through the Shared Funding Request Form for recruitment activities that can be found on the Faculty Resources/Faculty Forms section of the Graduate School website. If the conference the student will attend has been awarded Shared Funding for recruitment activities, the faculty or staff member attending the conference will oversee and help facilitate the recruitment process for which students presenting at the conference can receive (upon return) an extra $100 in exchange for spending an hour of the conference supporting recruitment efforts (see below for more details).
• Proof of completion of this activity will need to be provided to the Graduate School upon return – in addition to the requirements from the Shared Funding agreement, proof of the student’s participation in the recruitment activities must be provided as well through the submission of the Recruitment Documentation Form, available through the Travel Awards section of our website.

If Travel Award is Granted:

• The Travel Award will be deposited to the student’s bank account if they have set up direct deposit with the University. If not, a check will be issued. If the student has an outstanding balance with the university, the travel award will apply toward the outstanding balance.
• Students must provide receipts (hotel, transportation, registration, etc.) to the Graduate School within two weeks of return from the conference. Students who do not provide receipts will be required to repay the Graduate School for the full amount of the award.
• If the student has declared on this application that they are willing to recruit at the conference, AND are able to provide evidence of this effort through the Recruitment Documentation form, found on the Travel Awards section of the Graduate School website, an additional $100 will be awarded to the student after return from the conference, upon proof of participation in the recruitment activity.
• The extra $100 is compensation for the student’s time supporting their program’s recruiting efforts. If the student’s department/college/university is hosting a recruiting table at the conference, the student will be expected to spend at least one hour helping to staff the table according to the needs of the faculty/staff host. If there is no formal recruiting fair, the student will need to spend at least one hour attending an undergraduate poster session and engaging those prospective students.
• Upon return, students will need to provide proof of completion of the recruitment activity through the submission of the Recruitment Documentation form, which must be signed by the faculty/staff member organizing the recruitment activity. If no formal recruitment activity was completed at the event, the student must provide the names of the undergraduate students they spoke with at the poster session – as well as what school the student was attending.

Student Government Association Travel Funding

Additional funding for travel is available through the Student Government Association (SGA) for students presenting research. Visit their website for more information.

No recipient will be excluded from consideration based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, marital status, status as a veteran or disability.

Annual Awards

Students must be nominated by a graduate faculty member to be considered for these awards. These awards are only available for students who will not graduate until the following Fall.

Nominations open on February 20, 2026.

Tilford Fellowship

To be eligible, a student must be admitted to a graduate degree program in good standing, be enrolled full-time, and demonstrate financial need. Preference is given to student who can demonstrate their dedication to understanding diverse perspectives and backgrounds and a clear intention to use their education for the betterment of the global community and the well-being of others. The typical award amount is $700.

Delano Maggard, Jr. Research Grant

To be eligible, a student must be admitted to a graduate degree program in good standing, be enrolled either full-time or part-time, have completed nine graduate credit hours, maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA and demonstrate financial need. This award entails the following additional criteria:

• Student must submit a budget for the research project; AND
• If the proposed research involves human or animal subjects, a copy of the approval from the Wichita State institutional Review Board or Animal Care and Use committee should be included. The typical award amount is for $500 - $1,000.

Dora Wallace Hodgson Outstanding Graduate Student Award (Master's and Doctoral / PhD)

To be eligible, a student must be admitted to a graduate degree program in good standing and be enrolled full or part time. The typical award amount is $1,000, and the fellowship may be renewed.

Nomination Process

Only one student per program, per award may be nominated. Program faculty will work together to determine who should be nominated and write a letter of support for the nominee. Nominated students (not the graduate coordinator) will need to provide the following supporting materials to the Graduate School:

1. 1. Current resume / curriculum vitae
   2. Student statement
   3. If nominated for the Delano Maggard, Jr. award, the student will need to provide a budget for the research project and, if the proposed research involves human or animal subjects, a copy of the approval from the Wichita State Institutional Review Board or Animal Care and Use.

Faculty needs to fill out the online nomination form and upload a letter of recommendation by April 1, 2026. Nominated students will be contacted by the Graduate School. We will ask student to upload their resume/CV and statement on or before April 15, 2026. Only complete nomination packets will be accepted and considered for review.

Winners of the Annual Student Awards will be recognized at the 3MT® Showcase.

Online Nomination Form        Past Awardees

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Semi-Annual Awards

Part-time Student Award (Educational Opportunity Fund)

To be eligible, a student must be admitted to a graduate degree program in good standing, be enrolled part-time (three to six graduate hours), demonstrate financial need, and cannot hold paid employment at Wichita State. Award amounts are available for up to $700.

Deadline is the last Monday in June for Fall awards, and the last Monday in October for Spring awards.

The application form can be found here.

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In addition to the above awards, the Graduate School distributes the following awards based on financial need and other considerations:

• Dr. Laiten L. & Verna Nye Camien Fellowship
• E.L. Cord Foundation Graduate Fellowship
• Ollie A. & J.O. Heskett Graduate Fellowship
• Donald D. Sbarra Endowed Fellowship
• Lawrence & Pauline Stettheimer Endowed Fellowship