Becoming a Turner Fellow

Eligibility

• Candidate must be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States.
• Must demonstrate how they will contribute to the diversity of the student body in the program.
• Show how they have overcome disadvantage or other impediment to success in higher education.
• Candidate must be a qualified student who holds, or expects to receive by August of the initial Fellowship academic year, a bachelor’s or master’s degree from an accredited college or university.
• Student currently enrolled in a master’s degree program who desires to pursue a doctorate may also be nominated.
• Candidate must be accepted into one of the qualifying graduate degree programs at Stony Brook University prior to nomination.
• Only incoming master's or doctoral students are eligible.

Selection Procedure
No formal application is required by eligible students for entry into the Turner Fellowship program. Candidates are nominated by Graduate Program Directors of the department or program to which the candidate has been admitted. When filling out the application for admission to Stony Brook University, the student should identify his/her ethnic or racial background and indicate that he/she wishes to be considered for a Turner Fellowship Award.

Letters requesting nominations are sent by the Dean of the Graduate School to the Graduate Program Directors of qualifying graduate programs in the fall semester of every academic year. The nomination file from the Graduate Program Directors must include:

• A copy of the complete Stony Brook graduate education application.
• Three letters of recommendation.
• Undergraduate and graduate (if applicable) transcripts.
• Certification of GRE scores.
• A short statement from the Graduate Program Director indicating support for the nomination.
• The candidate’s one-page personal statement indicating why the candidate should receive a Turner Fellowship.
• The statement also should include what the candidate would contribute to the Turner Fellowship Program.

The Turner Advisory Committee, a group made up of the Dean of the Graduate School, the Assistant Dean, faculty, staff, and current Turner Fellows, serves as a selection review committee. The typical entering class of Turner Fellows has an average undergraduate overall GPA of 3.4 and a median GRE score of 500 verbal and 530 analytical. In addition, the review committee is interested in important extracurricular activities that demonstrate the applicant’s commitment to community service. Please include relevant information regarding your public and community service in your Turner Fellowship statement. Turner Fellowship Awards are not solely based on the nominee’s academic record. Along with strong academic qualification, we seek to select fellows who will serve as future leaders in their professions, their community, and the wider society.

Stipends/Awards
The total value of a Turner Doctoral Fellowship is at least $100,000 over a five-year academic period.

All Turner Fellows receive:

• Full-tuition scholarship
• More than $15,000 annual stipend for Ph.D. students, or $10,000 annual stipend for master’s students
• Subsidized health insurance

All funded graduate students must apply for in-state residency during their first semester and must apply for Tuition Assistance Program after one year of residence in New York State.

For doctoral candidates, five academic years of full support are guaranteed to students who make satisfactory academic progress in their original programs. Master of Fine Arts candidates will receive three years of full support, also subject to good academic standing. All other master’s degree fellows are guaranteed two academic years of full support provided they maintain the academic requirements.

In addition, eligible Turner Fellows may apply for:

• Support to Ph.D. students for summer research funding
• Financial support for presentations at conferences
• Financial support for preparation of dissertation

Conditions
The Turner Fellowship carries no obligation of service to the department or program. Turner Fellows in doctoral programs receive a Turner Fellowship stipend and a half-time (ten hours per week) appointment as a graduate assistant, research assistant, or teaching assistant. Because research is a component of graduate study, Turner Fellows may be involved in research projects that contribute directly to their degree objectives. Fellows are encouraged to present scholarly papers at national conferences. Fellows are also encouraged to meet regularly with their advisors, the Associate Dean for Underrepresented Student Affairs/Recruitment and Turner Fellowship Coordinator to discuss relevant academic issues and other matters of concern.