The mission of the Jefferson Scholars Foundation is to serve the University of Virginia by identifying, attracting, and nurturing individuals of extraordinary intellectual range and depth who possess the highest concomitant qualities of leadership, scholarship, and citizenship.

Jefferson Scholars Graduate Fellowships were established in 2001 through private donations to the Jefferson Scholars Foundation and the College Foundation. These prestigious fellowships, awarded solely on the basis of merit, are consistent with Thomas Jefferson’s belief in a natural aristocracy of scholars and leaders who would share their talents with the wider world for the common good. Candidates demonstrating exceptional potential as scholars and possessing a willingness to share their passion with a broad audience are nominated by departments and selected based on a national competition conducted in Charlottesville each February.

Eligibility for Those Seeking Matriculation in Fall 2008: Applicants for candidacy for the Ph.D. at the University of Virginia in every department of the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences are eligible. Applicants for the M.F.A. in Creative Writing also are eligible.

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Criteria: Exceptional potential in scholarship and a willingness to share that knowledge with a broad audience.

Deadlines: To be considered for a Jefferson Fellowship interested students must submit their applications to the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences no later than the deadlines stated by the individual departments. Application deadlines vary by academic department. A complete list of departmental deadlines may be found here.

Many departments consider Jefferson Fellowship candidates early in the admissions process. Please consult your department for more information about its designated Jefferson Fellowship deadline. Applicants are nominated by each department, and thus students may not apply directly to the Jefferson Scholars Foundation.

Selection Process: Candidates must be nominated by their departments. Once nominations are received, the Jefferson Scholars Foundation and the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences will host all candidates at a selection weekend in Charlottesville February 21-23, 2008.

Terms: Tuition, fees and health insurance, plus a living stipend totaling $30,000, renewable for five years. Respective departments may assign teaching responsibilities. Additionally, recipients may apply for up to $7,500 in additional research funds.