SECIHTI Graduate Fellowship Program

Secretaría de Ciencia, Humanidades, Tecnología e Innovación

SECIHTI

The U of I System (UIC, UIUC, UIS) has entered into an agreement with SECIHTI (formerly CONACYT), the Mexican ministry of science, humanities, technology, and innovation, to support up to 10 Mexican nationals [annually] who have been admitted into graduate programs at one of the three UI System universities.

The level and duration of support varies by graduate degree and the number of dependents.

SECIHTI website

Specifics of the Funding Agreement:

Scholarships for Mexican students, funded by SECIHTI, who have been accepted and enrolled in postgraduate programs (Master’s or Doctorate) in the University of Illinois System (Urbana-Champaign, Springfield and Chicago). This agreement will be in effect until December 2026 [and is in the process of renewal].

SECIHTI will assume the cost of Illinois resident tuition up to the limit established in the specific call issued by the SECIHTI and it will pay a monthly financial support and the annual medical insurance support based on the tables of the participating call.
The UI System will provide a contact person in the international students office, who will provide academic and mental health support to individuals funded by SECIHTI.
If there is a difference between the amount supported by SECIHTI and the tuition set by the school or program, then Illinois System or the student will need to seek other sources to cover that difference. [It is anticipated that the Graduate College will work with the student’s department to waive as much of the costs as possible above the amount that SECIHTI provides.]

Application Process

Anticipated requirements / elements of an application:

Online scholarship application form [“Formato de Solicitud”].
Letter of acceptance from UIC
Description of a research project.
Information on the specific doctoral degree to which the student has been admitted (duration, language required, tuition cost, fees).
Three letters of recommendation using the format designed for this purpose.
Official transcript(s) from the previous university degree(s), with an average of 8.00 in the scale 1 to 10 used in Mexico.
TOEFL score of ≥ 79-80 Internet version (IBT) or IELTS of 6.0.

Most recent calls

CONVOCATORIA 2026
BECAS DE POSGRADO EN CIENCIA Y HUMANIDADES EN EL EXTRANJERO

Deadline: May 22, 2026

Disciplines: Not defined.

Beca “Secihti Tipo 1” / Type 1 Secihti Fellowship

Aimed at Mexican nationals who are about to begin, or are currently pursuing, master’s or doctoral studies abroad, and who *do* require support for training-related expenses, in addition to the monthly financial stipend and support for annual health insurance costs.

Monthly stipend: $1250 (no dependents) or $1525 (with dependents)

Annual support for health care: $715 (no dependents) / $1,540 (with one dependent) / $1,980 (with 2) / $2,530 (with 3)

Annual amount allocated per recipient for graduate training: $4,000 (master’s degree) / $10,000 (doctoral degree)

Beca “Secihti Tipo 2” / Type 2 Secihti Fellowship

Aimed at Mexican nationals who are about to begin, or are currently pursuing, master’s or doctoral studies abroad, and who do NOT require support for educational expenses—requiring solely a monthly financial stipend and support for annual health insurance costs.

Monthly stipend: $1250 (no dependents) or $1525 (with dependents)

Annual support for health care: $715 (no dependents) / $1,540 (with one dependent) / $1,980 (with 2) / $2,530 (with 3)

2026 APOYO A PROFESIONALES DE LA CULTURA Y EL ARTE PARA ESTUDIOS DE POSGRADO EN EL EXTRANJERO

Deadlines: April 16, 2026 via Foncaenlinea – or – June 19, 2026 via Secihti.

Disciplines: architecture, visual arts, dance, design, cultural and creative economy, cultural studies, cultural management (incl. cultural anthropology, MUSE, literary criticism, history, sociology), letters (literature, translation), audiovisual media (incl. filmmaking), music (incl. music education), cultural heritage (incl. archeology), and theatre.

Monthly stipend: $1250 (no dependents) or $1525 (with dependents)

Annual support for health care: $715 (no dependents) / $1,540 (with one dependent) / $1,980 (with 2) / $2,530 (with 3)

Annual amount allocated per recipient for graduate training: $10,000

Duration: 24 months for a master’s / 48 months for a doctorate / 60 months for estudios de doctorado directo [doctorate study without a prior master’s].

NB: Translations by Benn Williams with computer assistance are provided as an entry point. Please refer to the original documentation for complete details and applications procedures.