Psychology Department Graduate Scholarships
Tuition Funding
Financial support is guaranteed to all students during their first four years in our graduate program ...
and is usually available to all students throughout their graduate training. The financial support is in the form of a salary from (or under the auspices of) the department and a tuition benefit from the university. For the 2023-24 academic year, the annual salary is $27,000 for students in good standing. Funds may be provided in a number of different ways, including university-sponsored fellowships, research and teaching assistantships, graduate instructorships, Veteran's Administration training stipends, and part-time clinical and research positions in the community. Graduate students also receive an 80% subsidy of the cost of their health insurance.
Applicants to the program are automatically considered for departmental financial assistance, and need not submit any additional forms to qualify. Students who are accepted into the program will receive detailed information about their sources of support when they are notified of their acceptance.
Graduate Psychology Department Scholarships Currently Offered:
Scholarship Name: B. Jack White Memorial Award
Available to: Graduate students in Psychology
Amount: $2,500
Deadline: April 1
About: Jack White was on the faculty of the Psychology Department from 1957 to 1987. Jack was so much of the Department's soul that when he died in November of 1988, the Department launched a campaign to raise funds for a memorial award in his name. The award is given annually to an advanced psychology graduate student who has shown overall excellence in performance, taking into account coursework, research productivity, teaching, and departmental service.
Scholarship Name: Clayton Awards For Excellence In Research
Available to: Graduate students in Psychology
Amount: up to $4,000
Deadline: April 1
About: Thanks to a generous gift from the Joseph A. and Ruth S. Clayton trust, the department
now has funds
available annually to "recruit and support outstanding graduate students." The two
award announcements
contained in this document, the Clayton Award for Excellence in Research on Underrepresented
Populations
and the Clayton Award for Excellence in Graduate Research, represent efforts to support
outstanding
graduate student research and to further the professional development and degree progress
of graduate
students. Award amounts are approximate and depend on the funds available at the end
of the fiscal year.
Priority will be given to students who have not previously received awards from this
fund.
Scholarship Name: Frederick T. Rhodewalt Award for Innovative Scholarship
Available to: Graduate students in Psychology
Amount: $1,000
Deadline: April 8
About: Fred Rhodewalt came to the Department of Psychology in 1979 as a visiting professor, and over the years served as Chair of the Department of Sociology and as Associate Dean of the Graduate School. He was a creative thinker, a persuasive writer, and a nationally recognized scholar in the area of personality; he modeled and encouraged critical thinking, creativity, and openness to new ideas. In this spirit, the Frederick T. Rhodewalt Award is given to a graduate student to recognize and encourage creative, innovative or transformative research. Graduate students at any level are eligible.
SCHOLARSHIP NAME: KEVIN HAWLEY MEMORIAL AWARD
Available to: Graduate students in Psychology
Amount: $1,000
Deadline: April
About: Kevin Hawley was a graduate student in our department from 1985-1992 who sadly passed away in 1994 after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Those students fortunate enough to know Kevin remember him as an exceptional scholar, a warm friend, and an inspiration to all. Kevin was a productive and innovative student with broad academic interests. He was also the type of student who willingly shared his expertise and experience with others. Not only was he regarded as an essential academic resource, but students suffering from school and/or existential angst often solicited Kevin's wise advice, support and humor. As a result of his scholastic excellence, generous service to others, congenial temperament, inspirational fortitude in the face of adversity, and general zest for life, Kevin acquired the utmost respect and gratitude of the entire student population. With this in mind, the annual Kevin Hawley Memorial Award for the most esteemed graduate student as voted on by the graduate student body has been established.
Return completed nomination ballots to Nancy Seegmiller, Department Program Manager.
Scholarship Name: Nancy Patterson Klekas Outstanding Service Award
Available to: Graduate students in Psychology
Amount: $1,000
Deadline: April 8
About: Nancy Klekas was a beloved member of the Psychology Department community for nearly 30 years. The Nancy Patterson Klekas Outstanding Service Award recognizes a graduate student who has demonstrated the values central to Nancy's life: integrity, a strong sense of community, and a commitment to service. Just as Nancy went above and beyond her official role as accounting supervisor, this award is intended to acknowledge a student who has gone beyond his or her usual role, by assisting others and enhancing the community. Service to the community may be reflected in committee activities, volunteered services, mentoring, or efforts to build partnerships or to strengthen the community. Graduate students at any level are eligible. Nomination letters may come from faculty, staff, or other students.
Past Scholarship Winners
CSBS Graduate Fellowships
Please consider applying for fellowships offered directly through the College of Social and Behavioral Science.
Scholarship applications are now available.
Submissions are due April
Graduate Psychology Student Emergency Funding
Available to: Graduate Students in the Psychology Dept. at the University of Utah
Amount: $500 per year
Deadline: None. Requests are accepted all year (we know emergencies happen at any time).
Contact: mutualaidfund@psych.utah.edu
About: The Mutual Aid Fund provides emergency need-based aid to psychology graduate students at the University of Utah who are experiencing acute financial hardship. Graduate school is stressful enough, and this resource was created to make sure the psychology graduate community can support their students. Unexpected emergency expenses caused by difficult life events add stress, so the purpose of the Mutual Aid Fund is to provide a straightforward and prompt method by which current University of Utah psychology graduate students can receive confidential financial aid. For limits of confidentiality, please see the FAQ section in the "Mutual Aid Fund Details" link below.
If you would like to donate to the fund, please see the "Mutual Aid Fund Details" link and the "How to Donate" video below.
Graduate Travel Funding
The Department of Psychology recognizes that conference attendance is important to the growth of graduate students as researchers and has allocated funds to help graduate students pay for their travel costs when they are presenting at a conference. Students should read the instructions and requirements for applying for graduate travel support.