Program Description
The Mellon Mays Program is designed to support you both financially and academically in order to prepare you to apply for PhD Programs in the humanities and related disciplines.
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Benefits are allotted based on an financial grant from the Mellon Foundation and are not guaranteed to remain constant each year – nor are they retroactive.
Waiver of Tuition (excluding fees) for 2 years;
Living Stipend each semester for 2 years;
Two years of summer stipend (currently $4,500) to support research projects;
Funds to cover GRE preparation and application fees for doctoral programs
ACADEMIC SUPPORT
The academic strength of the program is based on three key components:
A. Professionalization
B. Transmitting Experience through Mentorship and Peer Support
C. Illuminating pathways from Undergraduate to Graduate School
Loan Repayment
MMUF fellows are eligible for repayment of up to $10,000 of educational loans. Fellows requesting loan repayment should contact the MMUF coordinator, who works directly with their institution’s undergraduate financial aid office to disburse repayment funds.
For each of their four years of full-time enrollment in a qualifying PhD program, the Mellon Foundation, through fellows’ undergraduate institutions will repay one-eight of fellows’ undergraduate debts (up to ($1250 per year for a total of up to $5,000). When fellows complete the doctorate, they qualify for an additional $5,000, which must be requested within three years of their receipt of the PhD. Fellows are required to submit a loan deferment form and verify graduate enrollment when requesting payments.
If a fellow has undergraduate loans totaling less than $10,000, the remaining balance may be used to repay graduate loans. Graduate loans may only be repaid upon completion of the PhD. The total amount of loan repayment may not exceed $10,000 and may be used toward designated educational loans from recognized lenders for graduate study.
Loan repayment and other continuing benefits of the MMUF program are available only to those fellows who enroll in PhD programs in eligible fields within 39 months of graduating from college. Fellows entering eligible PhD programs after being out of college longer than 39 months may write to the associate director of MMUF to be considered for continuing benefits on a case-by-case basis.
We achieve this through these 4 aspects of the program:
The Mentoring Program
In consultation with the program directors, fellows select a faculty mentor with relevant expertise and availability to meet at least monthly to advise on research and the graduate application process. In forging working relationship with the mentor and other faculty, students can begin to envision themselves as meaningful contributors to the academy.
Fellows work closely with their mentors to produce a senior thesis that will be used as a writing sample to apply for PhD Programs.
The Mellon Seminar
The Mellon fellows will convene at least bi-weekly for a seminar taken for academic credit. Food will be provided.
The content of the seminar consists of a) critical texts in the humanities and social sciences that can inform student research and prepare them to engage in academia’s interdisciplinary conversations, b) preparation for various components of the graduate application process, c) acclimation to an academic career. Occasional workshops may also be scheduled in addition to the regular seminar meeting.
The seminars also feature guest lecturers from both CUNY and other institutions who discuss their experiences within academia as a way of creating role models and transmitting relevant experiences inter-generationally.
The Summer Intensive Program
In the summer immediately following acceptance into the program, new fellows attend a writing and research seminar designed to sharpen their critical thinking skills while becoming familiar with academic writing. By the end of the summer program, new fellows will have laid the foundation for the research project that they will continue to develop during the two years of the program.
Research Opportunities
Students are required to give presentations at the annual NYC Regional MMUF conference.
In addition, the MMUF program can offer additional financial support to fellows who conduct relevant research during the summer, attend summer academic programs, and conferences for aspiring scholars.