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National Scholarships and FellowshipsListed below are some of the national scholarships and fellowships to which you might want to apply while you are an undergraduate at Iowa State University. If you have a grade point average (GPA) of 3.7 or higher (with some exceptions), you may be eligible for one or more of these prestigious awards. Among these awards, opportunities exist for all levels of students - from Freshman to Seniors, as well as recent alumni and graduate students. We encourage all prospective applicants to visit the program websites and carefully read their guidelines and eligibility requirements. Note that a number of these programs require institutional endorsement of the candidates. In such instances, the application must first be screened by a selection committee of ISU faculty and then selected for nomination before submission to the funding agency. Students interested in nationally competitive scholarship, fellowship, and grant opportunities should make an appointment to see Laura Merrick, Assistant Director for Undergraduate Research and Scholarship in the University Honors Program (lmerrick@iastate.edu or 294-0172) or, depending on the program, another one of the ISU campus contacts listed below. Learn more about these opportunities - it's not too early to begin preparations even if you don't plan to apply until at point later in your academic career! The University Honors Program provides both Honors and non-Honors students with program information about these major scholarship opportunities and advice on preparation of application materials. Take a look and see if one of these awards might fit with your plans! Read the National Recognition and Awards page to see some examples of ISU students who have recently received some of these awards. Aside from providing advice about the opportunities listed below, the Honors Program office maintains resources about a large number of other competitive award programs, including summer or year-long internships, leadership training programs, and honor society scholarships, among others. Some of these programs are available to non-US citizens. Other programs specifically target students from under-represented populations or disadvantaged backgrounds. Contact Laura Merrick (lmerrick@iastate.edu or 294-0172) to make an appointment to review these opportunties. You should be aware that the nationally competitive award programs described here typically require substantial time and effort to pursue, extensive application procedures, institutional endorsement and nomination, evidence of leadership and accomplishment, and strong letters of recommendation. For other scholarship opportunities that are based strictly on academic performance and that may involve less challenging application procedures, contact student advisors within your college or refer to the list of scholarships managed by the ISU Financial Aid office. Jack Kent Cooke Graduate Scholarship The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation awards approx. 75 graduate scholarships annually to help U.S. and international students with exceptional promise and demonstrated financial need achieve their full potential through education at U.S. universities. Scholars may use the award to attend any accredited graduate school in the U.S. or abroad to pursue any graduate or professional degree. The scholarships cover tuition, room, board, fees and books - up to $50,000 annually - for up to six years. The recipients pursue graduate study in wide ranging fields, including medicine, law, theology, education, journalism, business, architecture, as well as fine and performing arts, the latter fields reflecting Mr. Cooke’s passion for the arts. Each university can nominate two students to compete nationally. Website: http://www.jackkentcookefoundation.org/jkcf_web/content.aspx?page=Grad Fulbright Program for U.S. Students Established to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries through education and cultural exchange. Awards grants to U.S. citizens in all fields of study and operates in more than 140 countries worldwide. More than 1,200 grants provided annually, generally for one academic year of study, research, or teaching assistantship experience. The numbers of grants and award amounts allotted per host country differ, but funds generally cover most expenses associated with tenure abroad. The majority of grants offered in this program are Full or Teaching Assistant Grants, whose benefits generally include round-trip transportation to the host country, cost-of-living expenses, a health benefits package, book and research allowances, tuition, and language or orientation courses. Website: http://us.fulbrightonline.org/home.html Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program For undergraduate students with outstanding potential who plan to attend graduate school to prepare for a research career in mathematics, natural sciences, or engineering. It is expected that students who are selected as scholars will pursue advanced degrees. Students who plan to study medicine are eligible for a Goldwater Scholarship only if they plan a research career rather than a career as a medical doctor in private practice. Each scholarship covers eligible expenses for undergraduate tuition, fees, books, and room and board, up to a maximum of $7,500 annually for either one or two years. Funds are to be used during the scholarship recipient's junior or senior year. ISU can nominate up to four students for this scholarship. The Goldwater Program provides approx. 300 awards annually. Website: http://www.act.org/goldwater/ The Marshall Scholarship is awarded by the British Government to a select group of highly qualified Americans in honor of General George C. Marshall. The intent is to foster closer ties between British and American citizens. The competition for the awards is conducted by region, and an applicant can apply either in the region in which her/his university is located or his/her home town. The scholarship provides full funding for two (sometimes three) years at a university in the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland). As many as 40 students are selected each year to receive the Marshall Scholarship, an award valued at $40,000 to $60,000. The award is tenurable in any field and is provided for pursuit of a graduate degree. The Marshall is awarded exclusively for academic promise. Applicants must select three British universities that she/he is prepared to attend. Of these three, only one can be selected from among Oxford, Cambridge, and London Universities. Website: www.marshallscholarship.org National Security Education Program (NSEP) Boren Graduate Fellowship Website: http://www.iie.org/programs/nsep/graduate/default.htm National Security Education Program (NSEP) Boren Undergraduate Scholarship NSEP awards David L. Boren Undergraduate Scholarships to U.S. undergraduates for study of world regions critical to U.S. interests (including Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East, but excluding the countries of Western Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand). The maximum awards are $8,000 per summer, $10,000 per semester, or $20,000 per full academic year. Applicants need to demonstrate a clear link between proposed overseas study and their academic and international career goals. Website: http://www.iie.org/programs/nsep/undergraduate/default.htm National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships The National Science Foundation awards fund up to three years of graduate study leading to research-based graduate degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. NSF provides up to 1000 of these graduate fellowships per year. Academic year stipends are $30,000 and an additional $10,500 is provided for cost-of-education expenses. NSF also grants Women in Engineering and Computer and Information Science awards for women who intend to pursue graduate research degrees in Engineering or Computer and Information Science and Engineering. Website: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=6201&org=NSF The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi - Emerging Scholar Award The Phi Kappa Phi Foundation promotes academic excellence and achievement by means of scholarships and fellowships. The Emerging Scholar Award program is a newly created funding opportunity that recognizes outstanding rising sophomores studying at Phi Kappa Phi member institutions (including Iowa State University). Each year, Phi Kappa Phi will grant 60 awards in the amount of $250. The competition is open to students in all fields of study. Website: http://www.phikappaphi.org/Web/Scholarships/emergingscholar.html The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi - Graduate Awards The Phi Kappa Phi Foundation promotes academic excellence and achievement by means of scholarships and fellowships. To support first-year graduate work, the Society annually offers 60 Fellowships (of up to $5,000 each) and 40 Awards of Excellence ($2,000 each). Awards are offered to graduating seniors who have been initiated into the society and who have also been nominated by their chapters. Each chapter is entitled to submit one nomination. Website: http://www.phikappaphi.org/Web/Scholarships/graduatefellowship.html American Rhodes Scholars are selected through a decentralized process by which regional selection committees choose 32 Scholars each year from among those nominated by selection committees in each of the fifty states. Selection committees are charged to seek excellence in qualities of mind and in qualities of person which, in combination, offer the promise of effective service to the world in the decades ahead. The scholarships provide $40,000 to $60,000 for two years of study at Oxford University in England, with the possibility of renewal for a third year. Applications are sought from talented students without restriction as to their field of academic specialization or career plans, although the proposed course of study must be available at Oxford, and the applicant's undergraduate program must provide a sufficient basis for further study in the proposed field. Intellectual distinction is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for election to a Rhodes Scholarship. All educational costs (such as matriculation, tuition, laboratory and certain other fees), a maintenance allowance, and travel costs to and from Oxford are paid on the Scholar's behalf by the Rhodes Trustees. Website: www.rhodesscholar.org Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarship The Rotary Foundation Scholarships are designed to further international understanding and friendly relations between people of different countries. The Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarships provide awards to allow students to attend college in some 70 countries where Rotary is represented. Interested applicants must apply through their local Rotary Club chapter (either the one where their undergraduate institution is located or one in their home town). Scholarships cover all expenses including room, board, tuition, transportation, and related costs, and can be worth $20,000 or more. Student should apply a year ahead of the year they want to study abroad. Website: http://www.rotary.org/foundation/educational/amb_scho/ The Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans The Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans was established in 1997 to provide opportunities for New Americans (defined below under Eligibility) to achieve leadership in their chosen fields. The Soros Program is established in recognition of the contributions New Americans have made to American life and in gratitude for the opportunities the United States has afforded the donors and their family. A successful candidate will give evidence of 1) creativity, originality, and initiative, demonstrated in any area of her/his life; 2) a capacity for accomplishment, demonstrated through activity that has required drive and sustained effort; or 3) a commitment to the values expressed in the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Fellows receive a maintenance grant of $20,000 and a tuition grant of one-half the tuition cost of the U.S. graduate program attended by the Fellow (up to a maximum of $16,000 per academic year). Website: http://www.pdsoros.org/ The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation awards $30,000 merit-based scholarships to college students in all majors who wish to attend graduate school in preparation for careers in government or elsewhere in public service. The Foundation seeks persons who aspire for positions in government or the non-profit and advocacy sectors where they wish to improve the ways in which federal, state, or local government agencies, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations serve the public and protect resources. The student's career goals are more important than the student's major. University endorsement is required for nomination. Website: http://www.truman.gov/ Morris K. Udall Undergraduate Scholarship The Udall Foundation furthers Congressman Udall’s legacy by awarding scholarships of up to $5,000 to undergraduate students who are college sophomores or juniors in the current academic year, have outstanding potential, and who EITHER study the environment and related fields OR are Native American and Alaska Native students pursuing fields related to health care or tribal public policy. Iowa State may nominate up to six students for the Udall Scholarship. Website: www.udall.gov USA Today College Academic Team Each year USA Today chooses 20 students for its All-USA College Academic First Team. Winners receive $2,500 and a trip to Washington, D.C. The Second and Third Teams contain 20 members each and receive certificates and recognition; another 20 students receive honorable mention. The selection criteria are designed to identify students who excel in scholarship, creativity, and leadership roles on and off campus. Students are nominated by a faculty member. Unlike other types of awards, the USA Today Academic Team is a recognition honoring students for what they have accomplished in college--not for what they plan to do after graduation. Website: www.usatoday.com/life/academic/intro.htm |
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Phone: (515) 294-4371 | Fax: (515) 294-2970
Email: honors@iastate.edu
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