APPLICATION FOR
THE THURGOOD MARSHALL FELLOWSHIP
Graduate College
260W Walwood Hall
Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5242
Voice: 269-387-8212 Fax: 269 387-8232
www.wmich.edu/grad
Applicants to the Thurgood Marshall Fellowship shall exemplify the values and accomplishments
of Thurgood Marshall, the first black Justice in the US Supreme Court. Son of a dining-car waiter
and schoolteacher and also counsel for the NAACP beginning in 1934, Thurgood Marshall
successfully argued the landmark Brown vs. the Board of Education of Topeka (1954), which
nullified the legal basis for racial segregation. He held that the American Constitution, as the basis
of law, permits and requires changes to accommodate a deeper understanding of human values. In
his view, the noblest citizens are those who labor toward this refinement.
Deadline
Applications for 2016-17 must be submitted to the Graduate College on the following prescribed form.
The application deadline is February 15, 2016. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
Eligibility Requirements
1. A Thurgood Marshall applicant must possess United States citizenship.
2. A Thurgood Marshall Applicant must have submitted an application for admission to a master’s or
doctoral program at WMU to be considered for the Fellowship. Thurgood Marshall Fellowships are
awarded only to students who have been admitted to a master’s or doctoral program and will begin work
on their first master’s or doctoral degree. At the time of accepting a Thurgood Marshall Fellowship, a
student may not have accumulated more than 9 credit hours toward a graduate degree at WMU.
3. Applicants must have submitted transcripts to the Office of Admissions (as required by the University
application). Applicants must provide two letters of recommendation from former professors or suitable
others and submit a personal statement as described below in the application.
4. To hold a Thurgood Marshall Fellowship, a student must maintain good academic standing (GPA of 3.0
or higher) and register for at least six hours in each of the Fall and Spring semesters, and three credithours in each of the two Summer sessions. A Thurgood Marshall Fellow must also perform satisfactorily
as a graduate assistant or doctoral associate.
Name:
Date:
Please check the box below by the fellowship for which you are eligible.
Master’s level Thurgood Marshall Fellows receive a salary of $17,844 for one full year. In addition, 24 credit hours of
tuition (up to nine credit hours in fall and spring semesters, and up to three credit hours in each of two summer sessions) will be
paid by the fellowship per year. Master’s level Thurgood Marshall Fellows shall be Appointees of the Graduate College, and in this
capacity they will, at the discretion of their academic program, work for 10 hours weekly as a graduate assistant in teaching or
research application.
Doctoral level Thurgood Marshall Fellows receive a salary of $21,166 for one full year. In addition, 24 hours of tuition (up
to nine credit-hours in fall and spring semesters, and up to three credit hours in each of two summer sessions) will be paid by the
fellowship per year. Doctoral level Thurgood Marshall Fellows are considered Appointees of the Graduate College, and in this
capacity they will, at the discretion of their academic program, work for 10 hours weekly as a doctoral associate in teaching or
research application.
Renewal
A master’s TM Fellow may apply for renewal up to two additional years and a doctoral TM Fellow up to
four additional years. To be eligible for renewal, the fellow must a) be in good academic standing (3.00
GPA or above); b) have completed at least six credit hours each Fall and Spring semester and three credit
hours each Summer I and Summer II session in the year prior to renewal; c) have received a positive
Annual Review; d) have no incomplete lasting longer than one semester/session; and e) submit a course
outline for completion of the program. A renewal application is available from the Graduate College. The
renewal application will not be accepted until the completion of the third semester or session of an
appointment.
Residency Status
Important note regarding residency vs. non-residency status. This fellowship will cover the cost of
non-resident tuition for one year only. If a fellowship is renewed, the recipient will be expected to either
obtain residency status for the second year or pay the difference between resident and non-resident
tuition. The complete policy and application for residency are available online at
http://www.wmich.edu/businessandfinance/forms/docs/residency-application.pdf .
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Applicant Information
 Name:
Last
First
Middle
Maiden
 Local Address:
(
Street
City
State
Zip
City
State
Zip
 Permanent Address:
Phone no.
(
Street
)
)
Phone no.
 E-mail address:
 Country of Citizenship:
 State in which you claim residence:
 This (optional) information is requested from Thurgood Marshall Fellowship applicants for statistical
reporting to state and federal agencies.
African-American, Black
Gender:
Male
Hispanic
Native American/Alaskan
White/Caucasian
Female
 To which WMU master's or doctoral degree program have you applied or been admitted:
 For which academic term are you applying to begin this award?
Summer I 2016
Summer II 2016
Fall 2016
Spring 2017
______
______
______
______
 The number of graduate credits in your master's or doctoral program you expect to have completed by
the application deadline date of February 15, 2016:
. (Persons with more than 9
completed cumulative hours are not eligible.)
 Scholarships held to date:
 Other honors received:
 Publications:
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 Educational Background. List all educational institutions attended since high school, including Western
Michigan University. If your transcripts are already on file with the Office of Admissions or if you are a
Western Michigan University student, you are not required to submit transcripts with this application.
NOTE: List required information below. Do not refer to a vita or resume.
Institution
State
Dates of Attendance
Degree Received or Expected
to
to
to
to
 Professional Experience. Provide names of employers, dates of employment, and type of work. NOTE:
List required information below. Do not refer to a vita or resume.
a.
b.
c.
d.
Two Letters of Academic Reference
Have two former instructors or professors acquainted with your academic abilities submit letters
commenting on your potential for graduate study. If such references are not available, students should
provide letters of recommendation from two individuals who can attest to their academic capability in a
graduate level program: employers, clergy, business associates, etc. The two letters of recommendation
may be sent along with this application or submitted separately. A reference who wishes to submit a
confidential recommendation may include the letter in a sealed envelope, signed across the closed
envelope flap. NOTE: Departmental recommendation forms will not be accepted.
Personal Statement
On a separate sheet of paper, describe briefly (not more than 500 words, 1-page single spaced) your
plans for graduate study: (a) Define your professional goals; (b) explain why you are pursuing them; (c)
indicate how your planned program of study will help to achieve your professional goals (the Selection
Committee shall pay careful attention to the relationship between your goals and the life, values, and
accomplishments of Thurgood Marshall); (d) describe the most challenging obstacle you have overcome,
and tell what you learned from the experience. NOTE: Please date and sign your statement.
Signature of Applicant:
TM-F
Date:
End of Application
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