ALANA (African, Latino, Asian/ Pacific Islander & Native American) Diversity and Opportunity Program

In order to increase and enhance the overall diversity of the graduate student body and provide access for those graduate students who have been disadvantaged for financial reasons, the Graduate School offers some financial support to qualified students who have been historically underrepresented in graduate education. The ALANA, Diversity and Opportunity Program of the Office of Graduate Student Recruitment and Retention (OGSRR) works to accomplish this goal by providing financial assistance to qualified students on a competitive basis in cooperation with the academic departments. In most cases the financial assistance carries a full tuition waiver. Only U.S. citizens or permanent residents qualify for this program.

This is not a special admissions program. The recruitment effort seeks those students who can matriculate at the University on the strength of their academic credentials and who can competently fulfill individual degree program requirements. The Opportunity Awards and the Diversity Fellowship Programs provide funding to eligible students. All potential awardees must first be recommended for admission to a graduate program before they can be nominated for funding. Qualified students interested in applying to the University and being considered for the diversity and opportunity awards should write to: ALANA, Diversity and Opportunity Program, Graduate Student Recruitment and Retention, 528 Goodell Building, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, call (413) 545-5284 or e-mail: ogsrr@resgs.umass.edu. Applicants are encouraged to access the Graduate School's web page: www.umass.edu/gradschool.

Graduate applicants are also strongly advised to apply for other national fellowships—Ford Foundation, Javits Fellows, NSF Fellowships, and those provided by national professional organizations. The University participates in Project 1000 (National Hispanic name exchange), GEM (for those interested in science and engineering), and the National Physical Science Consortium, and strongly encourages McNair Scholars to apply. For further information, contact the OGSRR at the above address.

Puerto Rican applicants need not take the TOEFL. Some special arrangements have been made for people of the Mohawk Nation to be considered in-state students. The application fee can only be waived with receipt of written proof that the GRE fee was waived. This proof may be secured through the student's undergraduate Financial Aid Office and should be sent with the Graduate School application. Those applicants who are not current un- dergraduates should complete a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Financial Aid) form and have their local financial aid office evaluate it as to eligibility for a GRE fee waiver.