Appointment Policy

It is never too soon to schedule an appointment! Even if the funding opportunity you are interested in applying for is not yet accepting applications this cycle, we can still meet to create an application timeline and discuss which components you can begin working on now. 

We generally recommend requesting appointments 120-180 days before the funding opportunity deadline in order to be able to schedule multiple draft appointments and to ensure your application is competitive.

If you request an appointment within 90 days of the funding opportunity deadline, we will not be able to provide you with assistance on your application.

Please fill out the external funding appointment request form. You will receive a response within 5-10 business days.

Appointments are usually for currently enrolled graduate students; however, there are some graduate funding opportunities for which undergraduate students at Texas State can apply, such as the NSF GRFP, and for which our external funding coordinators offer assistance. Prospective graduate students are encouraged to search our Funding Databases page to get started.

Appointments are available during normal business hours: Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

We offer appointments in both face-to-face and online formats. Face-to-face appointments are available on both the San Marcos and Round Rock campuses.

Early morning, lunchtime, or after-hours consultations may be arranged by request, particularly for students who work full time and/or take evening classes.

In San Marcos, The Graduate College is located on the second floor of the J.C. Kellam Administration Building (JCK), Suite 280. At Round Rock, our coordinator is in Avery Hall, Suite 201.

In addition to face-to-face consultations, we offer online consultations using Zoom, a video and web conferencing provider that enables online meetings with video, audio, and screen sharing capabilities. There is no need to download any software or purchase a plan, but you will need a webcam and microphone.

  Indicate your preferred format on the external funding appointment request form.

When you request an appointment, we ask that you provide your availability within the next month. We try to schedule your appointment to take place within 10-14 business days of the date of request.

  Appointments are scheduled based on the availability you list on the external funding appointment request form. The more days and times you provide as possible options, the more likely we are able to fit you into our schedule. You may also indicate preferences for certain days or times, such as “Mondays between 9 and 11 a.m.” or “first available” on the form. We always try to accommodate your preferences when booking appointments.

A typical appointment lasts around one hour. In an "initial" consultation, one of our coordinators will review the guidelines with you, making sure that you are eligible to apply and that the particular opportunity is a good fit for your funding needs and timeline. During "draft" appointments, we will review drafts of your materials and/or discuss other aspects of the application and submission process. Additionally, if you receive external funding, we will go over your paperwork with you during "post-award" appointments, which can include disbursement procedures, award terms and conditions, and reporting requirements.

If you will be only a few minutes late, please send an email.

If you are more than 15 minutes late, we may cancel your appointment and ask you to reschedule so that we do not run behind for other appointments.

If you are sick, please cancel and reschedule your appointment when you are healthy. If you need to cancel for another reason, please notify us as soon as possible so that we can open the appointment time slot to another student.

If you cancel, you may not be able to reschedule immediately. An opening for your rescheduled appointment may not be available for 7–10 business days.

For your initial appointment, just bring your questions and your preferred note-taking materials! For draft appointments, please bring a printed copy of your draft(s) for collaborative review. If a printer is not easily accessible, email us your documents before your appointment's start time so we can print them for you. 

  If you would like your documents to be reviewed prior to your consultation, send them at least 48 hours (2 business days) in advance of your meeting.

Absolutely! Your advisor is an important partner in most applications for external funding – particularly in the case of grants – and is therefore welcome to attend.

No. The application materials you submit for external funding must be your original work. Draft appointments are intended to provide feedback to you about your writing, and you will receive suggestions to help you revise, edit, and proofread your documents during the draft appointment. Due to ethical considerations, edits will not be corrected using "track changes."