Graduate Pathway Scholarship

Graduate Studies is committed to providing supplemental funding to recruit outstanding doctoral students whose educational, socioeconomic, or life circumstances reflect resilience, leadership, and a demonstrated commitment to broadening participation in graduate education. These supplemental funds are competitive, limited, and require departments to identify a prospective student early in the admissions window and nominate that student for supplemental funding. Departments and/or programs can nominate one applicant.

The award amount will be $5,000.00 annually for two years.

Applications must be submitted by the department chair or graduate program director and include:

1. An explanation of the exceptional potential for the student to succeed in graduate education, including a brief rationale for nominating the student;
2. Confirm offer of an assistantship of at least .50 FTE
3. Demonstrate the department’s commitment to the student’s success (i.e., naming of an advisor; peer mentoring programming; or available research/travel funds for graduate students).

The Graduate Pathway Scholarship is not contingent on the prospective student holding a competing offer of graduate admissions. Instead, departments should immediately identify a highly qualified student at the start of the admissions cycle; nominate that student for supplemental funds; and, if awarded by Graduate Studies, offer the student the supplemental funds as incentive to accept UNM’s offer of admission.

Nomination Deadline

February 15, 2027, 11:59 PM MST.

Graduate units may not submit more than one nomination in a given year.