Scholarships
Invest in Success
Need help paying for college? We award over $10 million in scholarships each year. Scholarships are awarded based on academic achievement, extracurricular activities, volunteer services, employment and financial need.
At East Texas A&M, scholarships are designed to reward, encourage and assist graduate students in pursuing their studies, research and other goals. They are awarded on the basis of academic achievement, extra-curricular activities, volunteer services, employment and financial need.
Grad Scholarships: Next Step Scholarship
Next Step Scholarship
The Next Step Senior Scholarship is a one-time non-competitive scholarship available for graduate students and doctoral students graduating from East Texas A&M and returning for graduate school. Funding for this scholarship is limited. Check the webpage for updates on when applications open.
Back to menuGrad Scholarships: Donor Funded and Departmental scholarship opportunities
Donor Funded and Departmental scholarship opportunities
Admitted students are able to apply for donor-funded and departmental scholarship opportunities by completing our General Scholarship Application. Students admitted in a CBE (Competency-Based Education) program or accepted under the PSA program are not eligible to apply for donor-funded scholarships.
The 2023-2024 scholarship application cycle for donor-funded and departmental scholarships begins October 1, 2022. There will be three rounds of review of the applications. The priority deadline for most opportunities is January 15, 2023. There will be two additional deadlines March 15 and June 1. Any offers will need to be accepted by the acceptance deadlines for each of the three rounds. Any awards not accepted by the deadlines will be canceled and funds offered to other students. Canceled offers will not be reinstated. After applying, be sure to check the portal frequently for any new opportunities that may have opened up. Offer notifications will be sent via the student myLeo email address.
- Log in to myLEO and click on the APPS tab.
- Click on Scholarships.
- Click the “Sign-Up” button located in the upper, right corner of the page.
- Your LeoMail university email address and a user-created password is required to set up the account.
- A confirmation email will be sent to your LeoMail account, and you will need to click the link in the email in order to access the portal for the first time
- Log in to myLEO and click on the APPS tab.
- Click on Scholarships.
- Click the “Sign-In” button located in the upper right-hand corner of the page.
- Use your LeoMail university email address and your previously created password to sign in.
- Should you forget your password, click “Trouble Signing In” to enter your LeoMail email address, and then click “Recover Password”. A password reset email will be sent to you.
- Scholarship Portal (read-only)
When you first sign in to the Scholarship Portal, you will be in the General Scholarship Application. This application lets you apply for endowed and departmental scholarships. We will use this information to match you with scholarship opportunities. You will need to fill in all the questions. If any information is missing, you will be prompted to complete the missing information before you are able to submit the application.
Please pay close attention to the questions asked. There may be options that require selections such as “Other” or “Not Applicable.” For example, if the high school you attended is not shown in the “High School Name” section, you will select “Other,” and you will need to respond to the following statement: “If you chose ‘Other’ for High School Name, please specify.”
On the General Scholarship Application, you will also see an Applicant Record tab. The applicant information comes from our student information system. If you find that the information is incorrect, please e-mail [email protected] so that we can advise you on how to correct this information.
Once you have completely filled out the application, you will select “Finish” and “Continue.” You also have the option to save the application without submitting it until you are completely finished. You may do this by clicking on “Save and Keep Editing.”
Navigate to “Opportunities” then “Recommended.” The list of recommended opportunities shown is comprised of scholarships that will require you to answer additional questions, provide additional information or provide an essay.
In order for you to determine what information you need to submit for a particular scholarship, click on the “Apply” button next to the scholarship you would like to review. After completing the required information, you will click on “Finish and Submit.” Please note: This process will need to be repeated for each recommended scholarship for which you would like to be considered.
You will also notice the “All” tab on the “Opportunities” section. These are all of the scholarships available. Do not apply to any other scholarships listed on this tab. You should only apply to those scholarships on the “Recommended” tab.
On the “My Applications” tab you will see the scholarships that have been automatically matched with your information provided on the General Scholarship Application. You are automatically considered for these scholarships. No further action is required for these particular scholarships.
As you complete the additional information required for your recommended opportunities, those scholarships will appear in the “Current” section. Each scholarship will appear as a box, with the status in the top right corner.
You may also log in to view updates regarding your application status for various scholarship opportunities in the “Current” section during the application review process.
The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships will notify applicants via their LeoMail account if a scholarship offer has been made.
The priority deadline to apply for most university donor-funded scholarships for the upcoming academic year is January 15. Scholarships with remaining funds to be awarded after the review of the applications by the priority deadline may be reopened for additional applications on a rolling basis until all funds have been committed.
Some donor-funded and departmental scholarships have rolling deadlines past the priority deadline.
Three Rounds For Donor-Funded Scholarship Review
- Priority Deadline – January 15, 2023
- Regular Deadline – March 15, 2023
- Final Remaining Deadline – June 1, 2023
Notice of Awards & Acceptance Deadlines
- Priority Deadline – February 9, 2023 – Must be accepted by March 1
- Regular Deadline – April 1, 2023 – Must be accepted by May 1
- Final Remaining Deadline – June 19, 2023 – Must be accepted by July 10
As new scholarship opportunities are added regularly, please continue to log in to the Scholarship Portal for any new scholarship opportunities that may become available.
Some recommended opportunities may require references. On the “Home” tab, you will see a tab titled, “Manage References.” When you add someone as a reference, we will contact them with instructions on how to upload their reference letter to complete the reference. You will see the status here. You may come back to this location to add additional references, if necessary.
It is suggested that you ask a reference for permission to use them as a reference. Once you have applied, let them know to expect an email with instructions. This will assist with the timely completion of your reference.
If you have additional questions regarding the Scholarship Portal or the General Scholarship Application, please email [email protected].
Grad Scholarships: East Texas A&M Graduate Scholarships
East Texas A&M Graduate Scholarships
- Keith & Nancy McFarland Scholarship
- H. M. Lafferty Doctoral Scholarship
- Jerry & Marilyn Morris Scholarship
- J. Cullen Sowers Graduate Scholarship
- Graduate Fellowship Endowment
- Nancy Ruth Lenoir Memorial Endowment
- Doctoral Student Scholarship Fund
- Drs. Wilfred and Bobbie Dietrich Endowment
- Multi-Cultural Alumni Endowment
Grad Scholarships: Fellowships
Fellowships
The Graduate School has limited funds to support summer fellowships on a competitive basis for master’s, specialist, and doctoral students who are in the final stage of completing their thesis or dissertation. These fellowships are for students who plan to spend the majority of the summer completing their thesis or dissertation and plan to graduate at the end of the summer or fall semester.
Competition opens March 1, 2024
Fellowship Award
Each fellowship award will be $1,000. If you are receiving financial aid during the term of the scholarship award, there may be a need to adjust the total financial aid award. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships (903.886.5096) for additional information about how this fellowship may affect financial aid. Note that fellowship funding is limited and only complete application packets will be reviewed for final award determination.
To be eligible for this fellowship, a student must:
- be a master’s, specialist, or doctoral student in good academic standing at East Texas A&M.
- have received proposal approval from the Graduate School/Thesis & Dissertation Services no later than April 12, 2024.
- be enrolled in at least three (3) hours of a thesis (518) course or dissertation (718) course during one of the summer terms for the fellowship period.
Complete application packages must be submitted before 5:00 p.m. April 12, 2024. Late submissions will not be accepted. You may access the current fellowship application link when the competition opens on March 1st.
Homer Tate Initiative Scholarship
Homer Tate Initiative Scholarship
The Homer Tate Initiative Scholarship was established to assist students with funding in their last term before graduation. Scholarships are limited to only undergraduate and graduate students in their last remaining 3 credit hours.
To qualify for the Homer Tate Initiative Scholarship, a student must:
- Be a FAFSA or TASFA financial aid applicant in good standing with Financial Aid.
- Be enrolled in the last 3 credit hours required to complete the degree.
- Be graduating at the end of the semester for which the student is applying for the scholarship, and understand they must have a Graduation Application on file with the Registrar’s Office.
- Provide a complete application which includes information from their Academic Advisor as documentation of remaining course requirement to complete degree.
- Have a balance due after any offered financial aid is applied.
- Students pursuing Competency Based degrees, such as the Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences (BAAS) in Organizational Leadership and Competency Based Criminal Justice (CBCJ), are not eligible to apply for East Texas A&M University scholarships.
- Complete the Application form for Homer Tate Scholarship.
- Applications must be submitted on or before the 12th class day of the fall or spring semester of the 4th class day of the summer semester.
- Scholarship applications are reviewed in the order received.
- Check your LeoMail for communication regarding the scholarship.
- Funding is limited, so apply today!
Frequently Asked Questions
I am an International Student. Am I eligible to apply?
Unfortunately, no. You must also be a financial aid applicant with a FAFSA or TASFA application on file.
What if I was offered financial aid, but declined it?
If the offered amount was sufficient to cover your balance, then you would not be eligible to apply for the scholarship. “Financial aid” includes scholarships, grants, and loans. Keep in mind that most federal and institution funds will not disburse for students in 3 credit hours.
What is a graduation application?
A graduation application is your application to graduate from the university and receive your diploma.
I applied. What happens now?
Please continue to monitor your LeoMail for communication regarding the scholarship.
What if I have additional questions not covered in this FAQ?
Will I increase my chances of being awarded the scholarship by providing a resume or academic records?
What if I graduate in a different term than the current one?
You would be eligible to apply for your very last semester.
If you choose to apply early, please understand that applications will be processed for the current term only, after the application deadline. For example – if you are graduating in Summer II, and it is currently the May Mini, your application will not be processed until after the census date of Summer II.
We will continue to open the scholarship application each semester, until funding is depleted.
What if I am on a payment plan?
If awarded the scholarship, it could still pay the amount you were billed for applicable tuition and applicable fees.
What if financial aid already paid my balance?
What if I already paid my balance out of pocket?
If awarded the scholarship, it would still pay the amount you were billed for tuition and applicable fees (unless you were offered sufficient financial aid to cover your balance, and declined it). Keep in mind that most federal and institution funds will not disburse for students in 3 credit hours.
What if I am transferring in coursework?
Please provide documentation of the outside coursework, and apply for Homer Tate for your last 3 hours at this institution. Homer Tate funds cannot be applied to outside coursework. You may be eligible to complete a Consortium Agreement. Eligibility for Homer Tate will be determined by the Scholarship Office.
Outside Scholarships and Fellowships Links
Outside Scholarships
Scholarships and awards from outside private and non-profit institutions and organizations are a great way to help finance your education.
East Texas A&M compiles a list of several outside scholarships although students are encouraged to also search on their own. The scholarship directories below are a valuable resource for researching and finding many scholarships on one site for which you may be eligible.
If you are the recipient of any type of award, typically scholarships or corporate sponsorships from a source other than East Texas A&M, you must report it to the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships as soon as possible using the Outside Resource Form. An adjustment in your financial aid offer may be needed according to the guidelines of the aid programs currently offered. You may be required to repay financial assistance you have already received if you are no longer eligible for those aid programs.
You can send the Outside Resource Form to [email protected].
As a recipient of an outside scholarship or corporate sponsorship, please inform the donor to document the student name and semester with which the money applies to the check or letter included. All scholarship/sponsorship/endowment money should be sent to:
Financial Aid and Scholarships
East Texas A&M University
P.O. Box 3011
Commerce, TX 75429
The links below are provided for informational purposes only. Inclusion does not constitute an endorsement. Neither the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships nor East Texas A&M can guarantee the accuracy or the timeliness of the information on these sites.
Always be cautious and ensure that any scholarship found is legitimate and not a scam.