FAQs for Scholarships & Fellowships Offered by The Graduate College

We have a variety of funding opportunities, both internal and external, for our master's and doctoral students to explore. 

Internal funding is awarded by an entity of Texas State University. The Graduate College offers the following options for which you can apply directly:

• Graduate College Scholarship
• Thesis Research Support Fellowship
• Dissertation Research Support Fellowship

We also recommend visiting your departmental and college websites for additional scholarships that may be available through those units.

External funding is awarded by entities outside of Texas State University. You can view hundreds of scholarships, fellowships, grants, internships, and other awards through our Graduate Funding Opportunities database.

Please keep in mind that funding opportunities, both internal and external, are typically competitive in nature, and therefore, not guaranteed. We encourage you to review our website for more details and to contact us at gradcollege@txstate.edu if you have questions.

Yes – in fact, we encourage international students to attend our Shop Talks to learn more!

Please see the specific scholarship's or fellowship's page for deadline information: 

• Graduate College Scholarship
• Thesis Research Support Fellowship
• Dissertation Research Support Fellowship

You should apply as soon as the application is available. Scholarships open on October 1, and — even if you haven't completed your application for admission — it's better to get started sooner than later. Research fellowships are available twice yearly, and, again, we encourage you to apply as soon as the application opens.

Scholarship and fellowship requirements vary. Please review our scholarships and fellowships page for more information. 

You can still submit an online application, but if you do not meet the requirements, you will not be considered. We encourage you to use the "check eligibility" feature of the application system to confirm the scholarships and fellowships for which you are eligible.

Committees review all graduate scholarship and fellowship applications.

The number varies based on the scholarship and number of applicants.

The scholarship will be discontinued. If the scholarship has already been disbursed and the minimum enrollment has not been maintained, the scholarship needs to be repaid.

Out-of-state students may be eligible for in-state tuition if they receive a competitive Texas State scholarship awarded by a committee of at least $1,000 for the academic year. We will submit the in-state tuition form to Student Business Services.

The funding will be returned to The Graduate College and you must reapply to be considered for future terms.

It depends on your question! Please review the chart below for guidance.

Sign into the Bobcat Online Scholarship System (BOSS). The first time you access the scholarship system, you will need to complete the general application. Once you have done so, you will be able to see a list of opportunities, or available scholarships. The scholarships for which you meet initial eligibility requirements will be shown as recommended. 

  The general application, while required, is not the complete application for most scholarships. Make sure to read the instructions fully and submit all additional materials required for each scholarship prior to that scholarship’s deadline.

The required documents for the scholarship application will be submitted through BOSS, the online scholarship system. 

If your application requires letters of recommendation, the system will notify recommenders that their names have been submitted as references. They will be provided with a link to access the online scholarship application system.

Documents received by mail cannot be used to complete your application.

Contact your previous professors and include in your correspondence how they knew you. If you are unable to contact your professors, watch the video “Requesting Letters of Recommendation” which covers exceptions for non-academic recommenders. 

If your references feel that the letter they provided for your admissions application is appropriate for your scholarship application, they can submit the same letter. However, they will need to resubmit the letter in the scholarship system. 

This is not recommended as it will weaken your application.

Not at this time. We do hold a workshop every semester that provides tips and best practices for requesting letters of recommendation for funding applications. Please review the video “Requesting Letters of Recommendation” for more details.

Yes, unless specified otherwise in the scholarship description.

You can check with your program, department, or college. You can also learn more about external funding opportunities via our website and video series. You can search our Funding Databases page for more external funding opportunities.

Yes, you can still apply for a scholarship. Please check your email for your TXST Net ID which is required for the Bobcat Online Scholarship System.  Your admissions application must be complete by February 1 in order to be considered. You must be admitted to your program of study to receive the award. Typically, the scholarships are awarded in early April.

Yes, Graduate College Scholarship recipients will need to submit a new application every year.

Typically, scholarship recipients will be notified at the end of the spring semester.

Disbursement occurs no earlier than ten calendar days prior to the start of classes. If disbursement has not occurred, we will follow up with Financial Aid and Scholarships. If you pay your tuition before your scholarship has been disbursed, Student Business Services will mail a check to you or will direct deposit the reimbursement into your account.

No, you must reapply.

The scholarship/fellowship will not be awarded.

You must inform the dean of The Graduate College, Dr. Andrea Golato, via email at gcscholar@txstate.edu of your enrollment plans, and the dean will consider your request. Normally, the scholarship amount is reduced.

You may use the same Offer Email as your official award letter for the I-20. The Offer Email is addressed directly to you and contains the award amounts for the specific semesters for which you are awarded. It may also specify if you qualify to pay Texas state resident tuition. Recipients of The Graduate College Scholarship may also print out their signed agreement from the BOSS scholarship system. 

Please direct all I-20 inquiries to International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS)

Tuition and Fees information can be found on the Student Business Services website.