Below is background information regarding the April 15 acceptance date for students offered graduate assistantships and fellowships. This information is intended for all University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate programs that offer funding to admitted students. Also included are examples of acceptable wording for funding offer letters.


CGS Resolution

The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) has published a Resolution Regarding Graduate Scholars, Fellows, Trainees and Assistants since the mid 1960s. The Resolution is concerned with the conditions surrounding the acceptance of offers of certain kinds of graduate student financial assistance, namely, scholarships, fellowships, traineeships, and assistantships. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is a CGS member institution and has indicated its support of the Resolution.

The general spirit of the Resolution is that:
  • students have the opportunity to consider more than one offer and should have until April 15 to do so,
  • institutions and students should be able to view acceptances in force after April 15 as binding,
  • an offer by the institution and its acceptance by the student constitute an agreement which both are expected to honor.

The intent of the Resolution is to provide a uniform and widely acceptable framework that provides protection for both student and institution. The Resolution acknowledges that students, after having accepted an offer, may change their minds and withdraw that acceptance. For more information, refer to the CGS website.

Clear wording about acceptance deadlines should be included in all funding offer letters to admitted students. The resolution and sample letters are on this page. Please attach the resolution to all offers of support to applicants who are offered funding.

Assistantships and fellowships



Other funding awards



Funding information for students