Lyman T. Johnson Fellowship

For Incoming First-Year Students
Applications Open: January 22, 2024
Application Deadline: Rolling; reviews begin February 15 and end April 15

Amount: Academic year (Fall-Spring) stipend of $20,000 (PhD) or $10,000 (Masters), plus a standard graduate tuition scholarship (does not cover all course, lab, instrument and distance learning fees). Student health plan enrollment is provided for all recipients.

Lyman T. Johnson was the first Black student to enroll as a graduate student at the University of Kentucky in 1949 after a successful legal challenge. He embodied a courage in pursuit of scholarship and development that continues to inspire all who work and study at UK. In his honor, the Lyman T. Johnson (LTJ) Fellowship is available for students entering one of the many programs at the University of Kentucky Graduate School. Applicants must describe, in an essay, how their pursuit of graduate education reflects the values of the fellowship’s namesake. The application must be accompanied by the support of the program’s Director of Graduate Studies. Awards are highly competitive, as we receive many more applications than can be funded each year.

You can find a more in-depth biography about Lyman T. Johnson and his legacy here: https://oid.uky.edu/legacy-lyman-t-johnson.

PhD students who receive an LTJ Fellowship are eligible to apply for a second year of funding for completion of the dissertation. An application is required, and recipients must have maintained a minimum 3.2 GPA, be making good progress toward their degree and have participated in appropriate professional development activities. An LTJ recipient may apply in their 3rd, 4th, or 5th year (for year 4, 5, or 6). Students are expected to complete their dissertation in the fellowship year, and so will ordinarily not receive any subsequent support.

Masters students are eligible for one year of support only.

Criteria for Eligibility:

New students must be admitted to both the Graduate School and an academic program and have an activated LinkBlue and UK email address before they can apply. Applications will be evaluated based on holistic, individualized assessment of each applicant, including:

The applicant’s response to the essay prompt
Leadership experience, extracurricular activities, awards and recognition, and/or community service, as evidenced in the applicant’s c.v. or other materials
Academic preparation and promise
Letters of recommendation
Students must apply for the LTJ through the Graduate School Fellowship Portal. Students’ application will include:

Two letters of recommendation (please provide email addresses for two recommenders; these may be letters used for the original application to the program)
A copy of the unofficial transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended
A resume or Curriculum Vitae
A brief essay on how the applicant’s pursuit of graduate education reflects the values of the fellowship’s namesake
The name and email of the student’s Director of Graduate Studies, who will receive an email from the fellowship application system to provide an assessment of the student’s potential to succeed in their program