Student Fellowship Opportunities

Attaining Fellowships

Here is some general advice for preparing to apply for one or more of these fellowships:

• In general you should have an overall GPA of 3.5 or higher to be competitive.
• Besides being an excellent student, extra-curricular activities and leadership qualities are crucial components in your resume. Examples include clubs, officers in SGA, volunteer work, internships, and more.
• Foreign study or travel is an important factor for international fellowships.
• You should start preparing to apply for one of these in your sophomore year or at least one semester prior to the application deadline.

Undertaking the writing of an application is a serious endeavor and should be approached with dedication and the intent to produce the best application possible. This will require several drafts and require that you work with several offices to put together your application materials. Competition for these awards is fierce. Even though you turn in an outstanding application, you may still not be successful. However you will never know unless you try and there is plenty of support on campus to help you succeed. 

When you are ready to begin the process, tell your academic advisor and reach out to the Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences. 

Short List of Awards and Scholarships

Mitchell Scholarship

"The George J. Mitchell Scholarship Program is a national, competitive scholarship sponsored by the U.S.-Ireland Alliance. Up to twelve Mitchell Scholars between the ages of 18 and 30 are chosen annually for one academic year of postgraduate study in any discipline offered by institutions of higher learning in Ireland and Northern Ireland. The Mitchell Scholarship Program provides tuition, accommodation, and a stipend for living expenses and travel."

Institutional endorsement is required. Applicants should contact the Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences in the Spring. The application is typically due near the end of September. 

Marshall Scholarships

"Marshall Scholarships finance young Americans of high ability to study for a degree in the United Kingdom. Up to fifty Scholars are selected each year to study at graduate level at an UK institution in any field of study. As future leaders, with a lasting understanding of British society, Marshall Scholars strengthen the enduring relationship between the British and American peoples, their governments and their institutions. Marshall Scholars are talented, independent and wide-ranging, and their time as Scholars enhances their intellectual and personal growth. Their direct engagement with Britain through its best academic programmes contributes to their ultimate personal success."

Institutional endorsement is required. Applicants should contact the Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences in the Spring. The application is typically due the last week in September.  

Rhodes Scholarships

"The Rhodes Scholarships are the oldest and most celebrated international fellowship awards in the world. Each year 32 young students from the United States are selected as Rhodes Scholars, through a decentralized process representing the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories. Rhodes Scholars are chosen not only for their outstanding scholarly achievements, but for their character, commitment to others and to the common good, and for their potential for leadership in whatever domains their careers may lead."

Institutional endorsement is required. Applicants should contact the Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences in the Spring. The application is typically due the first Wednesday in October.  

Fulbright

"The Fulbright U.S. Student Program provides grants for individually designed study/research projects or for English Teaching Assistant Programs. A candidate will submit a Statement of Grant Purpose defining activities to take place during one academic year in a participating country outside the U.S. During their grants, Fulbrighters will meet, work, live with and learn from the people of the host country, sharing daily experiences. The program facilitates cultural exchange through direct interaction on an individual basis in the classroom, field, home, and in routine tasks, allowing the grantee to gain an appreciation of others’ viewpoints and beliefs, the way they do things, and the way they think. Through engagement in the community, the individual will interact with their hosts on a one-to-one basis in an atmosphere of openness, academic integrity, and intellectual freedom, thereby promoting mutual understanding. Grant lengths and dates vary by country."

Institutional endorsement is optional. Applicants interested in institutional endorsement should contact the Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences in the Spring. The application is typically due the second Tuesday in October.

Goldwater Scholarship

"The Goldwater Scholarship Program seeks to identify and support college sophomores and juniors who show exceptional promise of becoming this Nation’s next generation of research leaders in these fields. The characteristics the Foundation seeks in a Goldwater Scholar include a strong commitment to a research career in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering; an effective display of intellectual intensity in the sciences, mathematics and engineering; and the potential for a significant future contribution to research in their chosen field."

This is not an international fellowship. Institutional endorsement is required and a pre-application is required. Applicants should contact the Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences early in the Fall semester. The application is typically due the last Friday in January. 

Boren Awards

"The majority of eligible students will apply for Boren Awards to fund overseas language study programs that they have identified themselves. Program design guidelines differ slightly for undergraduate Boren Scholars and graduate Boren Fellows. Many types of programs may be eligible to receive Boren Awards funding, including: study abroad programs arranged by your home institution, a consortium of colleges and universities, or another U.S. institution; overseas programs with a robust language component arranged by an independent provider; direct enrollment in a foreign university or independent language school."

Institutional endorsement is optional. Applicants interested in institutional endorsement should contact the Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences early in the Fall semester. The application is typically due the last week in January. 

Udall Scholarship

"The Udall Foundation awards scholarships to college sophomores and juniors for leadership, public service, and commitment to issues related to Native American nations or to the environment. The Udall Scholarship provides access to the Udall Alumni Network: an association of change-makers, working in Indian country and environmental fields, sharing innovative ideas, professional advice, and job and internship opportunities. Five days in Tucson, Arizona, at Scholar Orientation: extending your professional network, meeting other scholars and alumni, and learning new skills. Up to $7,000 for eligible academic expenses." 

This is not an international fellowship. Institutional endorsement is required. Applicants should contact the Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences early in the Fall semester. The application is typically due the first Tuesday in March.