Financial Aid
All applicants are automatically considered for financial support by the Patterson School's Admissions and Scholarship Committee. Assistance may be awarded based upon merit, need or a combination of the two. Aid normally takes the form of scholarships, fellowships, or tuition reductions, rather than loans.
Overall resources for general student assistance are limited, as is the norm with professional graduate schools. Two significant mitigating factors for all applicants, however, are the relatively affordable cost of tuition at the University of Kentucky and the overall low cost of living in Lexington.
As regards tuition, applicants from most Southern U.S. states qualify for reduced tuition via the Academic Common Market. This program, run under the auspices of the Southern Regional Education Board, enables students to pursue unique majors offered at public institutions in states other than their own while paying the applicable in-state tuition. Applicants from other regions may also qualify for in-state tuition under the Kentucky Graduate Scholarship program based upon their academic record.
Applicants may be considered for a variety of special sources of financial support. These include the Wethington, Mathews, Reedy, and Singletary Fellowships administered by the university. The University of Kentucky Financial Aid Office can provide further information regarding these and other potential sources of assistance.
Applicants may be considered for a variety of special sources of financial support. These include the Wethington, Mathews, Reedy, and Singletary Fellowships administered by the university. The University of Kentucky Financial Aid Office can provide further information regarding these and other potential sources of assistance.
The Patterson School also has a number of dedicated fellowships for outstanding students. In addition to Patterson School Fellowships, these include:
The Vince Davis Memorial Fellowship
The Vince Davis Memorial Fellowship was established to recognize the enormous contribution he made as Director of the Patterson School from 1972 to 1993. Dr. Davis graduated from Vanderbilt and became a naval aviator, but soon returned to academia to earn his Ph.D. from Princeton. He taught at Princeton, Dartmouth, and Denver before coming to Kentucky to take on what would become a life project. With enormous vision, energy, and leadership, he propelled the Patterson School to greatness. He died March 28, 2003. The fellowship is awarded to a student who combines Vince Davis’ intellectual prowess and leadership potential. No special application is required for this fellowship.
The Barbara Schell Memorial Fellowship
The Barbara L. Schell Memorial Fellowship was established to honor the memory of an exceptional Foreign Service Officer. Ms. Schell was part of a United Nations relief mission to create a safe haven for Kurds in April 1994 when the helicopter she was traveling in was shot down over Northern Iraq by US Air Force F-15s. The friendly fire incident killed 15 Americans. A career FSO specializing in the Middle East, Ms. Schell had served in Egypt, Syria, Algeria, and Iran. She was driven by the same passion that is typical of Patterson School students. The fellowship is awarded to student who embodies Ms. Schell’s intellect, character, and commitment to help people. No special application is required for this fellowship.
DACOR Bacon House Fellowship
DACOR Bacon House (Diplomatic and Consular Officers Retired) selected the Patterson School—as one of only eight graduate institutions in the United States—to be awarded a 2008-2009 full tuition fellowship for one of its American students. Finalists for this fellowship competition will be notified directly by the Admissions and Fellowship Committee and will need to prepare a special information packet. DACOR will make arrangements to bring several candidates to Washington, DC for interviews before selecting the recipient.
Admiral William J. Crowe, Jr. Fellowship
Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Ambassador to the Court of St. James Admiral William J. Crowe, Jr. embodied the values and ideals that the Patterson School seeks to instill in its graduates. A native of La Grange, Kentucky, Crowe earned a Ph.D. (with Vince Davis as one of his academic supporters), rose to the highest position in the armed forces, and became America's diplomatic link to one of our closest partners. With his passing in 2007, the Patterson School established a fellowship to be awarded each year to a student who has served in the U.S. Armed Forces and is now—like Admiral Crowe—moving toward a diplomatic career. No special application is required for this fellowship.
International Students
International students frequently attend the Patterson School under the William J. Fulbright Foreign Student program (worldwide) or the Edmund S. Muskie Graduate Fellowship program (Eurasia). Furthermore, the Patterson School administers two in-house scholarships for foreign students. The Kewal Singh Scholarship (honoring a former Indian ambassador, Foreign Secretary and Patterson School Professor) is given to a student from South Asia. The Thebe Mphenyeke Southern Hemispheric/African Fellowship is available to a student from sub-Saharan Africa.