CUNY Graduate Center Receives Additional $3M for Doctoral Student Fellowships

The CUNY Graduate Center today announced that it has been allocated an additional $3 million in New York State funding to support doctoral student fellowships starting in fall 2023. This budget increase will allow the Graduate Center to significantly improve funding packages that are provided to most of its more than 2,500 new and continuing doctoral students.

“The CUNY Graduate Center is a premiere public graduate school in the heart of one of the most vibrant cities on earth,” said President Robin L. Garrell. “We attract diverse and talented doctoral students to study in our 31 programs. Improving their funding packages, particularly through fellowships, has been one of my top priorities. The New York economy benefits tremendously from doctoral education at CUNY. Many of our alumni seek and find employment in New York State, as educators, entrepreneurs, and leaders in industry and civic organizations. I thank Governor Hochul; New York State legislators; CUNY leadership; and the faculty, students, administrators, and community members who advocated on our behalf for this vital increase in doctoral student funding.”

With the additional $3 million, Graduate Center doctoral students in years one through five who have received five-year fellowship packages – which include stipends and teaching or research appointments – will receive an additional $2,000 a year in stipend support.

A portion of the $3 million will be distributed to Graduate Center doctoral programs in proportion to their enrollments. These funds can be awarded to their students through several mechanisms, including support for students receiving tuition-only fellowships; enhanced fellowships to recruit outstanding applicants; fellowships to support dissertation writing for up to one year; and support for international students. The minimum distribution is $1,000 per student.

The Graduate Center is one of the largest doctoral degree-granting institutions in U.S. It ranks second nationwide in the number of Ph.D. degrees awarded in the humanities and arts, third in psychology doctorates, and 13th in Ph.D. degrees awarded to Latinx individuals. In New York State, the Graduate Center ranks fourth in awarding STEM Ph.D. degrees. About 90% of incoming doctoral students receive five-year fellowship packages. Students study in the Graduate Center’s 31 programs that span the social sciences, humanities, arts, and physical and life sciences.

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