Please follow instructions carefully and adhere to the deadlines indicated. Applications and
supporting materials postmarked or submitted after the deadline will not be considered for the
Fellowship. Note that, if you submit your application online, you
may log in to this site periodically to learn whether your supporting
materials submitted via mail have been received.
Contact graduate admissions offices and specific departments at the institution(s) in which you have an interest. Read the
catalogs and other descriptive materials related to the program in which you wish to enroll.
Click the "Choosing a University" tab above for guidance on
selecting the appropriate school. You must apply directly to
each university's graduate school program in addition to applying to
the McKnight Doctoral Fellowship Program. You must be admitted into
at least one Ph.D. program at a participating university by February
28th for your application to be considered for a Fellowship.
Register for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), whichever is
appropriate to your field of interest. Click the "Standardized
Testing" tab above for more information.
Request official transcripts from each institution
which you have attended (both undergraduate and graduate). Request
that each Registrar’s office forward one official copy of the
transcript to the FEF office. It normally takes three weeks or more for transcript requests to be processed. Please allow yourself
ample time to complete this step. Applications are not processed for
Fellowship consideration without official transcripts from all institutions attended.
Complete the application and all required forms. Send your résumé or vita
to the FEF office to be added to your file but not in lieu of filling in all information requested in
the application. You may wish to use the following checklist as a guide for completing all steps in the application process:
Contact graduate admissions offices and/or departments at your universities of choice,
and ensure that you meet their application deadlines.
Register for the appropriate standardized test and/or request that your current scores be sent to the Florida Education
Fund. The FEF must receive an official written/printed score report from ETS (FEF will not accept electronic reports). Remember to request
the same number of test scores as institutions to which you intend to apply, plus a written/printed copy for the FEF office. The FEF’s code is 0054.
Request that official transcripts from each institution which you have attended be sent to the Florida Education Fund. Remember to
request the same number of transcripts as institutions to which you intend to apply, plus a copy for
the FEF office. You must request that the other original transcripts
be sent directly to the university programs to which you are
applying.
Complete the McKnight Doctoral Fellowship Program Application,
including the Statement of Purpose.
Request that three (3) individuals who can speak to your academic potential complete the McKnight Doctoral
Fellowship Program Confidential Recommendation Form and submit a letter of recommendation.
You may download the Recommendation Form by clicking here.
Submit a copy of your résumé or vita to the FEF office.
Submit original sets of transcripts and standardized test scores to
the FEF office.
If you are applying to one of the seven state participating universities, complete the
Residency Affidavit that
you may download by clicking here.
Even if you are NOT claiming Florida residency, you must sign the
Affidavit in the appropriate space.
Mail all materials to the FEF, 201 E. Kennedy Blvd., Suite 1525, Tampa, FL 33602.
Postal Mail Submission Waiver:
FEF is allowing applicants applying for the McKnight Doctoral Fellowship for academic year 2025-2026 to submit
supporting materials (résumé or vita, Residency Affidavit, Recommendation Forms and letters, and transcripts) via email to mdf@fefonline.org.
NOTE that, to be accepted, emailed (1) Recommendation Forms and letters must be emailed directly from the recommender
and (2) transcripts must be emailed directly from the college or university registrar's office.
NOTICE OF AWARDS AND ADMISSION DECISIONS: Recipients and alternate recipients of McKnight Doctoral Fellowships will
be notified by mail after April 10th. Applicants will be notified of acceptance or rejection for admission and/or financial aid by
each university to which an application has been submitted.