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The Texas Space Grant Consortium (TSGC) is the Texas member of NASA’s national Space Grant network. Its best-known awards for students are a graduate fellowship and an undergraduate scholarship, and both are open only to students at TSGC member institutions. This guide sets out what the consortium is, who can apply to each award, what the awards pay, and how the application works, as described on the official TSGC and NASA pages on 2026-10-29.
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What the Texas Space Grant Consortium is and who runs it
NASA initiated the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Project, known as Space Grant, in 1989. According to NASA’s Space Grant page, it is a national network of colleges and universities made up of 52 consortia across the 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, with more than 850 affiliates that include universities, industry, museums, science centers and state and local agencies. TSGC is the Texas consortium in that network. It is not a separate NASA grant program that a researcher applies to directly; each state consortium runs its own awards for its own member institutions.
The TSGC home page describes the consortium as a group of more than 50 institutions within Texas. It is based at the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics in Austin and led by its director, Dr. Tim Urban. The stated mission is that the benefits of space research and technology are available to all Texans. Its programs include the Design Challenge, Fellows and Scholars, Space Teams, Plant The Moon, Build The Moon and K-12 education activities.
Eligibility: which TSGC award fits which student
The first condition for every student award is institutional: only students at TSGC member institutions are eligible, and an institution that is a member but not in good standing loses its privileges until the situation is rectified (TSGC fellowships and scholarships FAQ, checked 2026-10-29). Beyond that, the two main awards differ.
| Award | Who can apply | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Graduate Fellowship | US citizens registered for full-time study in a graduate program at a consortium institution, with promised financial support at that institution | $5,000 per award, supplementing half-time graduate support |
| Columbia Crew Memorial Undergraduate Scholarship | US citizens registered at least half-time at a TSGC member institution in good standing, as a sophomore at a 2-year institution, a sophomore, junior or senior at a 4-year institution, or a first- or second-year medical student | $2,000 per award |
TSGC’s fellowships and scholarships page says all graduate and undergraduate students at Texas Space Grant academic institutions are eligible to apply and that applicants from any field with an interest in STEM and space-based research are encouraged. The individual award pages above add the citizenship and enrollment rules. Student applicants should have an active NASA Gateway account.
The same page reports that TSGC awards more than $2,000,000 in total. The Design Challenge is aimed at undergraduates who propose, design and build a solution to a NASA research objective, and Space Teams covers both K-12 and university participants.
What the graduate fellowship funds and requires
On the TSGC Graduate Fellowships page, each award is $5,000 and is meant to supplement half-time graduate support, so the institution must already have promised the student financial support. An award is good for one year. It can be renewed for a maximum of three years, and no more than two of those years may be as a master’s candidate. Selection is competitive and considers academic excellence, interest in space and institutional recommendations.
The undergraduate Columbia Crew Memorial scholarship is a separate program run by TSGC and the Aviation and Space Foundation of Texas in partnership with NASA. Its official page says it stresses academic excellence, participation in STEM education projects, participation in research projects and demonstrated leadership.
Application steps
The graduate fellowship requires these items, per its official page:
- An active NASA Gateway account (TSGC links a PDF guide to creating one).
- The online application.
- One online letter of recommendation.
- Transcripts from every university the applicant has attended.
The undergraduate scholarship checklist is almost the same: the online application, one letter of recommendation sent to the TSGC office, and transcripts from all universities attended. The scholarship page says the letter of recommendation is sent to the TSGC office. As described on both award pages on 2026-10-29, applications for the 2026-2027 cycle close on October 31; later cycles carry their own deadline on the same pages.
Typical timeline phases
TSGC does not publish a step-by-step calendar, so treat these as phases rather than dates. First, confirm that your institution is a current TSGC member and in good standing. Second, create the NASA Gateway account and request your recommendation and transcripts, since both depend on other people. Third, submit the online application before the closing date shown on the award page. Fourth, wait for the competitive selection; the TSGC FAQ says awards are announced in December and applicants are notified by mail. For fellowship holders, the last phase is the annual renewal decision, with a three-year ceiling.
Common mistakes
- Applying from a non-member institution. Only TSGC member institutions in good standing are eligible, so check the membership list before spending time on an application.
- Assuming a part-time graduate program qualifies. The fellowship requires full-time graduate study plus promised institutional support.
- Skipping transcripts from earlier schools. TSGC asks for transcripts from every university attended.
- Waiting to create a Gateway account. The official pages ask applicants to have an active NASA Gateway account before they start.
- Counting on two federal awards. The FAQ says federal law bars receiving funds from two federally funded fellowship or scholarship programs at once; an applicant offered more than one must choose.
- Relying on old third-party listings. Scholarship aggregators often carry outdated deadlines and amounts. Use the TSGC pages and their current-cycle deadline.
Related programs
| Program | What the official pages say |
|---|---|
| Design Challenge (TSGC) | Undergraduates propose, design and build a solution to a NASA research objective |
| Space Teams (TSGC) | Virtual-reality based program for K-12 and university participants |
| Plant The Moon, Build The Moon (TSGC) | Named TSGC challenge programs listed on the consortium home page |
| K-12 Education (TSGC) | Education programs for school-age students listed on the home page |
Researchers who want other NASA routes can read CASRAI’s guides to NASA EPSCoR, NASA FINESST, the NASA Postdoctoral Program and NASA NIAC. Institutions weighing eligibility more broadly can also see research funding for minority-serving institutions.
FAQ
What is the Texas Space Grant Consortium?
It is the Texas consortium in NASA’s national Space Grant network, a group of more than 50 Texas institutions based at the UT Institute for Geophysics in Austin.
Do I have to be a US citizen to apply?
Yes for the fellowship and scholarship. TSGC’s FAQ states that federal law requires it to give these awards only to US citizens.
How much does a TSGC fellowship or scholarship pay?
The graduate fellowship is $5,000 per award and the Columbia Crew Memorial undergraduate scholarship is $2,000 per award, per their official pages on 2026-10-29.
When are TSGC awards announced?
The TSGC FAQ says awards will be announced in December and applicants are notified by mail. Anyone without a letter by the end of December is told to contact the scholarships or fellowships address listed on the TSGC site.
Can my university become a member?
TSGC publishes membership guidelines on its site for institutions that want to join; only students at current member institutions in good standing can apply.
Can I hold another federal scholarship at the same time?
You may apply, but you cannot receive funds from two federally funded fellowship or scholarship programs at once. If you decline TSGC’s funding you can keep the designation without the money.
Sources
All pages below were checked on 2026-10-29.
- NASA, Space Grant, checked 2026-10-29.
- Texas Space Grant Consortium home page, checked 2026-10-29.
- TSGC Fellowships and Scholarships, checked 2026-10-29.
- TSGC Graduate Fellowships, checked 2026-10-29.
- Columbia Crew Memorial Undergraduate Scholarships, checked 2026-10-29.
- TSGC Fellowships and Scholarships FAQ, checked 2026-10-29.
