NEWS * NEWS * NEWS * NEWS
JDP Student Scholarship Fund Established The Joint Degree Program in Law, Health & the Life Sciences is pleased to announce that we have created a Scholarship fund for Joint Degree Program Students. We are grateful to JDP Advisory Board member Margo Struthers, JD for providing the founding gift for this important fund.
Susan M. Wolf Scholarship Announced The Joint Degree Program is pleased to announce that Professor Susan M. Wolf, JD has created the Susan M. Wolf Scholarship for Joint Degree Program Students. Professor Wolf is the Director of the Joint Degree Program and Chair of the Consortium.
From the Law School
Funding for your Law School studies is available from several sources. The Law School awards one full scholarship annually to a Joint Degree Program student (which may be split among more than one student), covering tuition. The Law School also awards a limited number of merit scholarships and all students may apply for federal financial aid. Law faculty also employ selected students after their first year as Research Assistants (RAs).
From the Joint Degree Program
The Joint Degree Program awards additional scholarships. The Harold M. Fredrikson Memorial Scholarship was established by the law firm of Fredrikson & Byron to provide partial support for Law School tuition. The Minnesota Intellectual Property Law Association (MIPLA) has provided partial scholarships since 2000. Rotary District 5950 provided a partial scholarship in 2002-03. The Consortium and Joint Degree Program also hire law students as Research Assistants.
We are aggressively seeking additional grants and contributions from community partners to support Joint Degree Program students.
From the Graduate School
Support available for your Graduate School studies varies by graduate program and whether you are seeking a MS or PhD degree. Check with the Director of Graduate Studies of your graduate program. Most graduate programs fully support their PhD candidates through some combination of financial awards and assistantships. Programs vary more in their support for Master's candidates. Joint Degree Program students are eligible to be nominated by their department for the Graduate School's prestigious Graduate Fellowships and Dissertation Fellowships.
Under current Graduate School rules, graduate students who hold at least a 25% time appointment as a Teaching or Research Assistant get tuition benefits equal to twice the percentage of their appointment. For example, those holding a 25% appointment get a 50% tuition benefit while those holding a 50% appointment get a 100% tuition benefit.
Graduate School students are also eligible to apply for the Mark and Judy Yudof Fellowship. This award is for graduate students (Master's or PhD) pursuing interdisciplinary work whose content is focused in the areas of science policy and ethics. One award is made annually, granting full resident tuition plus a stipend of $18,000 for the academic year. For more information, see www.grad.umn.edu/fellowships/endowed/
From the School of Public Health
The School of Public Health makes available at least one scholarship per year (amounting to a full tuition waiver for up to 3 years) to support a Joint Degree Program admittee throughout the course of the student's joint degree study in the JD/MPH (which may be deferred for 1-2 years while attending Law School in first and second years). When possible, the School will also provide opportunities for assistantship positions that are of clear educational value to the student. MPH students who hold at least a 25% time appointment as an RA or TA pay resident tuition rates.
From the Medical School
The Medical School, through the Minnesota Medical Foundation, will give scholarship priority to exceptional students accepted in the MD/JD program, as well as providing at least 3 nonresident tuition waivers per year for nonresident MD/JD students, bringing their tuition down to resident levels.
From the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs
Each year the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs and the Center of Science, Technology & Public Policy award one Graduate Assistantship in Science, Technology and Public Policy. This assistantship is competitive and is only awarded to the most qualified candidate. For more information on financial aid and graduate assistantships at the Humphrey Institute, visit www.hhh.umn.edu/admissions/index.html
Research Funding
The Joint Degree Program makes funding available to assist Joint Degree Program students with their research, writing, and publication. Publication is a critical way for Joint Degree Program students to make their expertise known and to enter the professional conversation and is important throughout any career. Each year, the Joint Degree Program awards up to $1000 per applicant. Funds can be used to reimburse research-related expenses (e.g., software, library services, etc.) not covered by any other source of funding or to help cover the expense of traveling to a professional meeting to present a paper.
The Consortium also awards funds to University students through the Request for Proposals (RFP) process. All graduate and professional students at the University of Minnesota are eligible to apply to the Consortium for stipends and research-related expenses. For more information on the RFPs, visit www.lifesci.consortium.umn.edu/rfp.
The staff of the Joint Degree Program can help you work with the Law School, Graduate School, School of Public Health, Medical School, and your graduate program to seek the financial support you need.