The Graduate Inclusion & Access Scholarship (GIA) seeks to support the growth and development of an all-inclusive, thriving graduate community across all academic programs at George Mason University.
At Mason, an all-inclusive graduate student community is essential to enhance the quality of the intellectual environment for all our students and faculty.
This scholarship, awarded on a competitive basis, is available to domestic first-generation college students who are new, incoming fall semester, full-time doctoral degree students, and have demonstrated financial need.
Eligibility Criteria:
- First-generation college student.
- A domestic applicant.
- Cumulative GPA of 3.3 or better for the most recent earned or in-progress baccalaureate degree and any degree in progress).
- Applying as a new, incoming, Fall semester full-time student to a George Mason University doctoral program. However, scholarships will only be awarded to those selected applicants that are ultimately offered full-time admission without provisions or conditions.
- Demonstrated financial need.
Selection Criteria:
- A demonstrated record of professional/extra-curricular achievement and/or community involvement, as reflected on the CV and essay.
- An essay that successfully responds to the prompt as described within the application.
- The completion and submission of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) (FAFSA® Application | Federal Student Aid) to the federal processor as required by that stated deadline. Those applicants who have difficulty filing the FAFSA should contact the Graduate Division at geaward@gmu.edu. See below for more details.
Designated Mason faculty and staff will review the application materials and make recommendations for GIA scholarship recipients to the Senior Associate Provost for Graduate Education.
Scholarship recipients are eligible for up to five (5) years of renewed financial support, dependent upon the student maintaining:
- Full-time enrollment as defined by the University Catalog
- Good graduate academic standing each term; and
- A cumulative GPA of 3.5 for the duration of scholarship eligibility.
Recipients will be required to hold a graduate 20-hour per week assistantship within their field of study for the duration of the scholarship. Recipients will be expected to focus on their studies and assistantship, actively engage with faculty mentors and their scholarship cohort, contribute to university-focused services, and participate in professional development and scholarship cohort activities.
GIA awarded financial support includes:
- A stipend of $36,000 over twelve (12) months:
- $27,000 for the Academic Year
- $9,000 for the Summer
- Tuition support of up to eighteen (18) credits toward their degree per academic year.
- Subsidized Graduate Health Insurance is offered annually.
Financial Need:
All applicants must complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) (FAFSA® Application | Federal Student Aid) to the federal processor no later than the stated deadline in the scholarship application. Please note, only the latest published FAFSA form may be submitted.
How Do I Apply?
After you have submitted your doctoral program application, more information about this GIA Scholarship application process, including the submission application portal link, will be sent to you if you are a domestic applicant. You do not need to have a doctoral program admission decision for your scholarship application to be reviewed. However, GIA scholarships will only be awarded to those selected applicants that are ultimately offered full admission without provisions or conditions.
If you have any questions in the meantime, feel free to contact Mason's Graduate Division via email at geaward@gmu.edu