Graduate College

The Graduate College
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5242 USA
(269) 387-8212

Martin Luther King/César Chavez/Rosa Parks Future Faculty Fellowship

King/César Chavez/Rosa Parks Future Faculty Fellowship Program

This image is the logo for the King-Chávez-Parks Future Faculty Fellowship Program. It is three Black Letters on a white background K C and P, the K is for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., The C is for César Chávez, and the R for Rosa Parks. Each letter has the image of the face of each person on it with rays of light emanating out from each face shining through the backdrop of each letter. The words King-Chávez-Parks are written beneath the abbreviation.

About the King/Chavez/Parks Future Faculty Fellowship Program

The King ▪ Chávez ▪ Parks FFF Program was created by the Michigan State Legislature in 1986 as part of the larger King ▪ Chávez ▪ Parks Initiative. The purpose of the FFF Program is to increase the pool of academically or economically disadvantaged candidates pursing faculty teaching careers in post-secondary education. 

The intent of this fellowship is to provide financial assistance to doctoral students during the final stage of dissertation completion.

The terms of this award are determined by the State of Michigan Legislature, with funding through the annual Higher Education Appropriations. As such, the terms of the award are subject to change. While this fellowship does not require departmental service, it does require an obligation to the State in the form of teaching or administrative positions (with special approval) at a postsecondary institution for the equivalent of three full-time years.

For the latest information please visit the State of Michigan Labor and Economic Opportunity website.

Award Amount

The Graduate College, through the KCP FFF program, offers a one-year dissertation (Fall Semester, Spring Semester and SU I Session) completion award for doctoral students who have reached candidacy. The total awarded amount changes based upon the number of students who are selected to receive the award and the dollar amount that is allocated to WMU from the State of Michigan. Awards typically average around $33,000 but is based upon several factors. This award will be placed on the student’s account at the beginning of the fall semester. Tuition, enrollment fees, as well as any amount owed to the University on your student account will be paid from the allocation; the remainder of the allocation will be issued to the student. This fellowship does not require departmental service, but will require an obligation to the State; if not completed, this fellowship will convert to a loan and is subject to default rules.

Any tuition award you receive will reduce the cost of your educational expenses and may reduce the amount of other financial aid or loans for which you are eligible. You will need to contact Bronco Express to discuss any impact receiving this award would have on your financial aid.

Obligation to State of Michigan

Each KCP fellow agrees to obtain a doctoral degree within eight calendar years from the date your agreement is signed with the State of Michigan. The fellow will repay his/her KCP Fellowship liability to the State of Michigan in the form of teaching or administrative position (with special approval) at a postsecondary institution for the equivalent of three full-time years. A candidate must be willing to begin a part or full-time faculty teaching or administrative career in a public or private, two or four-year postsecondary institution within (1) year after obtaining the doctoral degree. Failure to comply with these requirements transforms the award into a loan obligation subject to repayment to the State of Michigan. Review the State of Michigan Awardee Obligations.

Eligibility Requirements

In order to apply for this fellowship an applicant must be academically or economically disadvantaged as defined by the State of Michigan. Please review the KCP Eligibility Statement and if you qualify, you must return a copy of this required form with supporting documentation.

Application Process

The application is completed entirely online via the State of Michigan secure portal. The following items will be required to complete your online application. In order to be prepared please have these items scanned and ready for upload. An interview with the WMU KCP Selection Committee will be set-up after all of these requirements have been met.

  1. State of Michigan KCP-FFF Eligibility Statement. Please review the eligibility requirements above to make sure you qualify for this fellowship and have the documentation required for proof. 
  2. Copy of your picture ID
  3. Copy of your birth certificate
  4. Copy of your most recent transcripts (unofficial is fine)
  5. An estimated budget summarizing the remaining cost of your graduate degree by semester (e.g. tuition, fees, books, living expenses) This is simply an estimate.
  6. A 250 word educational and career goal statement linking your interests, academic preparation, teaching career focus, and current studies to your future teaching plans.
  7. Your vita or resume
  8. Two letters of recommendation one of which must be from your program advisor.

Faculty Nomination

The letter of recommendations must include -

  • Significance of the dissertation research as it relates to the respective discipline
  • Student’s potential for success
  • Student’s academic or scholarly achievements
  • Student’s commitment to teaching in higher education

Application Deadline: Spring 2025 (exact date TBD)

The application will need to be submitted through the State of Michigan online portal, but first you need to create your MI account online at MILogin - Login (michigan.gov). 

For help with creating your account, please review.

Initial instructions for the KCP FFF Application are here.

 

Contact

If you have questions about the application process for this award, please contact Tony Dennis.