The U of A Graduate School has awarded Benjamin Lever Tuition Fellowships to eight graduate students. This highly competitive award is given to qualified students who reflect the university's commitment to academics and diversity.

The award, open to U.S. citizens enrolled in on-campus degree programs, aims to increase diversity within graduate degree programs by providing financial assistance to students from underrepresented groups. The Lever fellowship covers graduate tuition costs for awardees for the duration of the student's graduate study. About 50 students are funded by the Lever Fellowship at any given time.

"The Lever Fellowship provides a generous award and serves as a strong method to recruit and retain a growing number of excellent students from diverse groups," said Patricia R. Koski, dean of the graduate school and international education.

The fellowship is not available to otherwise qualified graduate students who receive tuition payment from another source, such as a graduate assistant position or other tuition awards.

The newly named Lever Fellows for summer 2021 are:

• Andrew Bennett

• Justin Sturdevant

• Brady Cross

• Kyler Banyon

• Sydney Key

• Elizabeth Pittman

• Gabriella Fernandez

• Ethan Lubera

The latest fellows bring with them to the U of A graduate school a combined list of undergraduate degrees from Campbellsville University, Mississippi State University, Oklahoma State University, University of Memphis, University of the Ozarks and Dallas Baptist University.

Qualified students may apply for this fellowship at any point during their graduate studies through Graduate Fellowships, Enrollment, and Graduation Services.

About Benjamin Franklin Lever: A native of Pine Bluff, Lever was the first African American student to receive a graduate degree from the Fayetteville campus. After earning a bachelor's degree from the Tuskegee Institute in 1938, he earned a Master of Science in agronomy in 1951, a Master of Education in educational administration in 1955 and a Diploma of Advanced Studies in 1964, all from the U of A.

Lever taught at Arkansas AM&N College (now the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff), was principal at several Arkansas public schools and was a dean at Shorter College. He died in 1980.