Gateway Scholars Program

The benefits of being a currently enrolled student or alumni at a Partner Institution include an application fee waiver for the University of Georgia Graduate School. If admitted to a thesis- or dissertation-based graduate program, prospective applicants are also eligible to be nominated by their department for the Gateway Scholars Program research assistantship. The assistantship includes reduced tuition (currently, $25/per semester), a monthly stipend, professional development and networking programs, and mentorship.

Application Fee Waiver Process

• Obtain a Verification of Enrollment letter on letterhead (see here for a list of Campus Contacts)
• Upload the Verification of Enrollment letter on the payment page of the Graduate School’s online application

Application Deadline for Fall 2026 Gateway Scholars Program Research Assistantship

• All graduate school application materials, including any supplemental materials required by the graduate program to which the student is applying, must be submitted by January 14, 2026, or by the department’s application deadline, whichever is earlier.
• Nominations must come from the Director of Graduate Studies for the program to which the student is applying.

Notification of Gateway Scholars Program Research Assistantship

• Gateway Scholars Research Assistantship Awardees will be notified in mid-March with an offer deadline of April 15, 2026.

For more information, please contact Dr. Beth Lovern, Director of Fellowships and Scholarships at (706) 542-6086 or gradawards@uga.edu.

Gateway Programs – UGA Graduate School

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*We are now accepting applications from individuals applying to law school in fall 2026.*

*Deadline to Apply is February 22, 2026

Financial barriers and a lack of guidance often prevent students from attending law school. The PracticePro Pre-Law Scholarship provides students with the resources to navigate the law school admissions process and prepare for a fulfilling legal career through leveraging PracticePro’s expertise in legal recruiting and practice preparation.

Past scholars have been admitted to Berkeley, Boston University, Duke, Georgetown, George Washington, Howard, UCLA, UVA, USC, Vanderbilt, Washington University, and more.

We welcome all students. 

At PracticePro, we are committed to creating an inclusive community where every student feels a sense of belonging. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds, political beliefs, and life experiences. Our programs are designed to help you build the skills and confidence needed to thrive in law school and beyond—whoever you are and wherever you come from, you belong here.

SCHOLARSHIP COMPONENTS

LSAT Stipend	PracticePro will reimburse the costs of LSAT prep course, LSAT tutoring, LSAT books, and/or LSAT exam registration fee, up to $1,500.
Individual Admissions & Career Coaching	Application strategyPersonal statement idea generation and reviewLegal resume draftingInterview assistanceScholarship negotiationIntroduction to the legal industry and recruitingPreparing for first-year summer legal internship opportunities
Training	Training curriculum to excel in the application process and prepare for law school
Mentorship & Community	Matched with sponsor firm for mentorship from top attorneysAccess to a community of peers and top law students across the countryFree admission to PracticePro 2026 law student career conferences to get a glimpse of the future!

ELIGIBILITY

Applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• senior in college or college graduate;
• applying to law school in fall 2026 for admission in fall 2027 (Class of 2030); and
• minimum 3.0 undergraduate GPA.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Please submit:

(1) Pre-Law Scholarship Application Form

(2) Resume

(3) Undergraduate transcript (unofficial copies are acceptable)

(4) 350-word personal statement answering the following question: “How have your life experiences affected your decision to become a lawyer?” (Please include the total word count at the end of the page.)

(5) Two-minute video introducing yourself and sharing how the PracticePro Pre-Law Scholarship will help you achieve your goal of becoming an attorney. (Please make sure you have not restricted the accessibility of or permissions to your video prior to submission.)

 Submission Instructions:

• Please email the application materials above to scholarships@practicepro.cc, email subject line “Pre-Law Scholarship – [Full Name]”.
• You must submit one PDF, containing items #2-4, titled “Full Name_Pre-Law Scholarship”, e.g., Bailey Robinson_Pre-Law Scholarship. You can either include a link to your video (#5) in the PDF file or attach it as a separate file in your transmission email.
• Unofficial copies of transcripts are sufficient. Please ensure that you include a transcript/grades for any credits that transferred to your undergraduate institution.
• For #5, smartphone recordings are acceptable. Please ensure that you have not restricted the accessibility or permission to view your video before sending it to us. The video needs to be available for download. You can send standalone MP4 files that can be sent as an attachment in your application email. You can also share a Vimeo or YouTube link which can be unlisted but must remain available for access until December 31, 2026. 

TIMELINE

January 10, 2026	Applications Open
February 22, 2026	Deadline to Apply
March 2026	Class Selected

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Gateway Scholars Program 2026-2027 (APPLY BY NOV 14, 2025)

Since 2008, the University of Georgia has worked with partner institutions to enhance recruitment and the transition to graduate school for students without prior enrollment at R1 institutions. Newly fall matriculating full-time master’s and doctoral students graduating from one of our partner institutions who are admitted into a graduate research program leading to a thesis or dissertation are eligible to be nominated by their department for Gateway Scholars. Our partner institutions are Albany State University, Florida A & M University, Fort Valley State University, Morehouse College, North Carolina A & T State University, and Spelman College.

This assistantship includes reduced tuition (currently, $25/per semester), a monthly stipend, professional development and networking programs, and mentorship.”

Gateway Scholars receive eleven months of .4 FTE assistantship funding and a tuition waiver from the Graduate School. This funding is renewable for an additional year contingent upon satisfactory academic progress, satisfactory work performance, and continued funding from the State of Georgia. Gateway Scholars receive regular monthly transition programming provided by the Graduate School to enhance academic and professional development and to increase networking opportunities.  

Spelman College

Primary Contact: Munichia McCalla, M.S., BC, Graduate School Counselor, Office of Career Planning and Development / munichiamccalla@spelman.edu / Office: 404-270-3564

Gateway Programs – UGA Graduate School

Application Fee – UGA Graduate School

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Free Test Preparation with Kaplan

As part of Kaplan’s All Access initiative, we are offering free test prep courses for a wide range of high-stakes admissions and licensing exams. Whether you’re aspiring to pursue a master’s degree, business school, law school, medical school, dental school, or another professional school, we’ve got you covered.

Prepare with confidence and reach your ultimate professional goals with zero out-of-pocket costs. Current students and alumnae can receive extensive exam coverage. Our partnership covers a variety of graduate-level admissions exams, including the GRE®, GMAT®, LSAT®, MCAT®, DAT®, and OAT®.

1.Before you are enrolled into the Kaplan Test Prep courses, you must complete the interest form (link here) so that we have your information for enrollment.

2. Watch the Kaplan Test Prep video in its entirety to understand the details of the Program.

3. You must pass the quiz with 80% or above. 

4. Information sent to Kaplan for enrollment in the course.

5. Kaplan sends information for course selection and time frame to be completed by the student.

Kaplan Test Prep Video