Focus on Finishing Your Degree (FFYD) Award

The Focus on Finishing Your Degree (FFYD) Award is a fellowship supporting degree completion of PhD and DMA doctoral students who finished the required coursework/credentials for candidacy status two or more years ago. The intention of the award is to support ABD students in finishing their program in the awarded term.

Students must be nominated by their academic unit.

About this award

Award details

• Spring 2025 - $12,000

Terms of award

• Nominees should have an achievable plan to complete their program within the term they are nominated (Ex. spring 2025 nominees should plan to defend their dissertation and meet graduation deadlines for spring 2025).
• Nominees must be in good academic standing and within allowable time to completion.
• Students can receive this award only once.
• Recipients cannot hold an appointment (RA, TA, GSA), be funded by a full fellowship or utilize ASU-qualified tuition reduction (QTR) in the awarded term.
• The award will be applied to a student's ASU account through the financial aid awarding system and to the current charges. The remaining award amount will be processed as a refund by Student Business Services.
• Academic programs are not required to contribute any funding to recipients (for tuition, health insurance or fees).

Contact

GCFellowships@asu.edu

Deadline

Spring 2025 Nomination Deadline: October 14, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. MST

Note: The nomination form has been shared with Graduate Program Chairs and Directors and should only be submitted by these individuals or their designees.

Eligibility

In order to be eligible to receive this award:

• Students must have reached their candidacy at least 24 months before the awarded term and still be within the allowable time to completion.
• Students must be enrolled in an on-campus doctoral (PhD or DMA) program during the award term.
• Students must be in good academic standing during the awarded term. 
• Students cannot hold an appointment (RA, TA, GSA), be funded by a full fellowship or utilize ASU-qualified tuition reduction (QTR) in the awarded term.
• Students who have received a Graduate College Completion Fellowship are not eligible.
• Students should have a solid plan to defend their dissertation in the awarded term (Note: the last day to hold an oral defense is April 14 for spring 2025).

Submission procedures

The Graduate Faculty Program Director or designee must provide the following information for each nominee utilizing the nomination form provided to Deans and Graduate Directors via email.

Nominating unit information: College, School/Department, Degree program, names and emails of Graduate Chair/Director, Faculty Advisor/Mentor of Student, Graduate Support Staff, Business Operations Manager.

Nominee Information: Student First, Last and Preferred Name, Student ID#, Student ASU email, Date student reached candidacy, Nomination term.

Short answer questions:

1. In 250 words or less, please explain why you are nominating this student and how this award will help expedite the student’s completion in the nominated semester.
2. Identify three significant milestones and deadlines the student will complete in the award semester (Ex. Submit a draft of chapter four to the chair by February 1).
3. Student’s planned defense date (Note: the last day to hold an oral defense is April 14 for spring 2025).

Once the nomination form has been submitted, an automatic confirmation email will be sent for reference. If you do not receive an email confirmation of the nomination, please email GCFellowships@asu.edu.

There will be a 6-8 week turn-around time for recipient announcement notifications from the Graduate College deadline date. Once recipients have been selected, departments will be notified by email. Academic units are responsible for notifying the student and obtaining a signed confirmation form.

Additional Information

Taxes

Each fellow is personally responsible for individual taxes related to this award. Additional information regarding tax issues related to awards can be found in tax considerations. Specific questions should be directed to a tax advisor or  ASU Financial Aid and Scholarship Services.

Overawards

An "over award" is when a student's need-based awards exceed their financial need, or the total of the awards exceeds the cost of attendance. If a student has been over-awarded, federal regulations require ASU to adjust their awards, which may reduce awards or a bill. Need-based aid includes grants, scholarships, Federal Work-Study, Federal Perkins Loans, and outside resources (i.e., faculty/staff tuition benefits, scholarships, stipends, etc.). Non-need-based aid includes unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans, Federal Graduate PLUS Loans and Private Education Loans. Overaward questions should be directed to the ASU Financial Aid and Scholarship Services.