The Thomas W. Smith Academic Fellowship (Award for Academic Excellence)

Thomas W. Smith Academic Fellowships are funded through a donation by Mr. Thomas W. Smith to recognize academic excellence. Subject to maintenance of good academic standing, awards are renewable until the recipient completes their minimum degree requirements.

Eligibility

To be eligible, an applicant must:

  • Have at least 45 credits completed
  • Have at least 6 CUNY credits in progress as a CUNY BA student
  • Have at least 6 credits remaining to complete the CUNY BA degree requirements beyond the semester during which they apply for the Fellowship (students cannot apply during their last semester in the CUNY BA program)
  • Have no incompletes on their record without valid explanation and documentation
  • Be in good academic standing; not under academic review
  • International students may apply

Award Details

The Thomas W. Smith Academic Fellowship recognizes academic achievement and excellence and is merit-based. Attention is given to the applicant's GPA and to the scholarly robustness of the applicant's academic interests and plans. The committee is interested in candidates’ scholarly pursuits and depth of experience in their fields, corresponding co-curricular activities, as well as any academic honors and recognitions. The committee also notes civic and community engagement.

GPA is not the only factor in the committee’s decision; however, you should maintain as strong a GPA as possible and include an explanation about any low or incomplete grades in your application. In this explanation, include your expectation of when any incomplete grades will be resolved and details on the steps you are taking to improve your GPA.

Awards of $4,000 per semester are made to full-time students (minimum 12 credits per semester); $3,000 per semester to part-time students taking 9-11 credits per semester; and $2,000 per semester for students taking 6-8 credits per semester. Recipients begin to receive funding in the semester following the one in which they apply for the fellowship. Awards are typically disbursed in October and March. For example, selected applicants from the fall application cycle become Smith Fellows in the following spring semester and their award is disbursed in March.

Award Requirements

Fellowship awards are dependent upon the availability of funds. If funds remain available, your participation in the Fellowship will be automatically renewed until you have completed minimum degree requirement which typically means around 120 credits. Therefore, CUNY BA has the right to determine funding eligibility after you earn 120 credits. In most cases, Smith Fellowship funding terminates when a student has reached 120 credits. If you are a CUNY BA student who is also a student of the Macaulay Honors College and you receive 5th year funding from Macaulay Honors College, please note that the Smith Fellowship will not extend to cover that 5th year of college. The funding will terminate when you reach 120 credits.

In addition to maintaining good academic standing, Smith Fellows must take at least six credits each semester following the award; attend an orientation session and other events and ceremonies throughout the semester; submit an end of semester report each semester; and have a graduation audit when they reach 90 credits. CUNY BA reserves the right to scale back or terminate funding if it is determined that a Smith Fellow is taking excessive elective credits. Please see the Guidelines Summary for Applicants for more information on fellowship requirements.

Smith Fellows who wish to receive funding during a term in which they are studying abroad must comply with the CUNY International Travel Guidelines. Smith Fellows should contact Kate McPherson to coordinate their plans and receive approval as far in advance of their time abroad as possible.

Application

Applications are accepted during the final months of the Fall and Spring semesters. Notifications of awards are sent out in December for the Fall semester and May for the Spring semester. A link to the application will be posted on this page when the fellowship is open.

When submitting your application, please ensure your responses are substantial and well thought out. Answer each question as accurately as possible. Carefully consider your answers and make sure you proofread before submitting your application. Also, please note the character limits on the form. You are encouraged to compose your responses in a separate document and copy and paste them into the online form.

Letter of recommendation for the Thomas W. Smith Academic Fellowship: A formal letter of recommendation is required. Your CUNY BA faculty mentor should write the letter. If you are new to the CUNY BA program and do not yet have a mentor, then your recommendation can be written by another CUNY faculty member. Please do not ask a CUNY BA staff member to write your recommendation letter. We consider this a conflict of interest. The letter of recommendation should be emailed to scholarships@cunyba.cuny.edu as soon as possible.

Apply Here

This opportunity is accepting applications from November 1 to November 30. To apply, complete the online application. 

X