The applicants must be one of the following:
- a fully admitted new graduate student who is accepted as a classified student in a masters graduate degree program at SIUE and whose first term of enrollment will be no earlier than the summer preceding the fall award period. For example, eligibility for the 2025-2026 academic year award is limited to new graduate students beginning their SIUE masters programs in either the summer 2025 or fall 2025 semesters. (Students who have completed a prior graduate program at SIUE are not eligible to apply.)
- an SIUE undergraduate approved for admission to and currently enrolled in an approved combined bachelor to masters program provided they will be fully admitted to the graduate program before the fall award period (Note that this requirement includes having completed the baccalaureate degree.)
- a previously-enrolled graduate student who have been out of their program for at least 4 semesters at the time of the CGA application
The applicant must have a minimum 3.0 overall undergraduate cumulative GPA (GPA from all undergraduate courses at all institutions attended) and, if relevant, a minimum 3.25 graduate cumulative GPA in order to apply.
The applicant must have a fully completed application to a masters program for the above qualified terms by the priority deadline of December 1st. All application requirements for the applicant's program must be received by the December 1st deadline, including test scores, recommendation forms, and transcripts. Applicants with a completed masters program application who are pending a final admission decision by the graduate program are eligible to receive an invitation to apply for the CGA if all other eligibility criteria are met.
SIUE employees and State of Illinois Civil Service employees at other universities are not eligible for the award.
