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Thesis Grants

Thesis grants are available to Plan II students who are currently enrolled in a two-semester honors thesis course (TC 660HA and 660HB, or a two-semester departmental honors thesis course). Grants are to support travel for thesis research or related research costs. Students must have a faculty supervisor who is directly overseeing their thesis research.

If you are seeking financial assistance for academic travel NOT related to your senior thesis, you should apply for a Plan II Travel Grant instead. Any travel that IS directly related to your thesis project should be submitted as a Thesis Grant application. Please do not submit both applications for the same travel proposal.

When requesting a thesis grant please be specific, concrete, and as detailed as possible. You need to give us a clear idea what you are going to do and how the money will contribute to the success of your project in a measurable way. If you need to go to a specific library in France, for example, please let us know which books are there that you cannot find here, which library holds them, and what difference to your project they will make. If you need money to produce a video or follow through with a laboratory project, give us a clear indication of costs. If you are traveling to various places to conduct interviews, let us understand why you cannot simply interview people over the phone.

Moreover, you need to be clear about what you can actually accomplish. If you are thinking of going to a specific library to consult a collection, for example, you need to consider what you can reasonably expect to get done in the time you have. Our aim is simply to help you succeed in the project. Your application should show us how we can do that.

NOTE:  A statement of support (no more than a short paragraph is necessary) from your thesis supervisor is required with your Plan II Thesis Grant Application if you are requesting $500 or more. The statement is intended to verify that your supervisor believes your proposed research/travel plans are necessary to complete your thesis project.  An email statement of support from your supervisor sent to planiischolarships@austin.utexas.edu is perfectly acceptable. Faculty statements of support must be received by the thesis grant application deadline.

WHEN TO APPLY:  Students should apply when enrolled in the fall semester of the Plan II Honors or departmental honors thesis course. Students enrolled in a spring-fall thesis course may apply in the spring semester.

NOTE:  Thesis Grants are not intended to cover the entire cost of your proposed travel or project. Only one type of grant will be awarded per student, per travel program or project.

SPECIAL NOTE - RESTRICTED TRAVEL: The University of Texas System requires all travel to countries with U.S. Department of State Travel Warnings to be reviewed and approved by the University's International Oversight Committee (IOC). Students wanting to travel to restricted regions category 1-4 must complete a Student Request toTravel to Restricted Regions form. We strongly advise students to complete this form during the program application process. Waiting to complete the petition process could result in a student not receiving a travel clearance or denial in time for departure.

AMOUNT:  Awards typically range from $250 to $1,500.

In most cases, Plan II will pay only part of the costs of your research. You must therefore seek funds from other sources as well, but your Plan II application must show all of your expenses for your project.

HOW TO APPLY:  Apply using the College of Liberal Arts Online Scholarship Portal. 

  • If you have not used the system before, you will have to complete a one-time profile.  Then you will see a list of scholarships for which you are eligible to apply.
  • Look for the scholarship titled, "Plan II Thesis Grant"