Competitive Fellowships & Scholarships

Dr. Rebecca Muich, Director, Honors Program | rebecca.muich@slu.edu

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What are competitive scholarships and fellowships?

• Grants and fellowships awarded by the departments of the federal government or trusts
• National competitions for high-profile opportunities
• Undergraduate, post-graduate options
• Multi-month application processes
• Proving grounds
• Reflection and discernment spaces

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Who should apply for scholarships and fellowships?

• Are you interested in non-traditional study abroad experiences?
• Do you want to make an impact on the world, either through social justice or environmental paths?
• Do you have BIG dreams?
• Do you want to teach English abroad?
• Do you want to design your own research study?
• Do you want to work in foreign service?

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List of Awards

• Undergraduate Awards
• Truman
• Udall
• Goldwater
• Gilman
• Critical Language Scholarship
• Boren
• Post-graduation Awards
• Critical Language Scholarship
• Boren
• Humanity in Action
• Gaither Junior Fellows
• Rhodes, Gates-Cambridge
• Marshall, Mitchell
• U.S. Fulbright Program

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Undergraduate Awards

Apply during your undergraduate education for opportunities during your undergraduate education

Critical Language Scholarship

• Summer language and cultural immersion program
• Apply at any point in undergraduate or graduate career
• Languages include: Azerbaijani, Bangla, Hindi, Indonesian, Korean, Punjabi, Swahili, Turkish, Urdu, Arabic, Persian, Chinese, Japanese, and Russian
• Deadline in November
• clscholarship.org

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Boren Scholarship

• Study abroad funding for semester (summer experiences for STEM students)
• For enrolled undergraduates
• Good candidates are interested in studying in world regions critical to U.S. interests with less commonly taught languages
• Must commit to work for U.S. government for 1 year after graduation
• borenawards.org

Gilman

• For Pell Grant recipients
• Funds up to $5,000 for study abroad
• Better chances in less commonly traveled areas
• We have about 50% success rate with students who work on essays with our office
• October deadline for spring, March deadline for Fall – summer also available
• http://www.iie.org/programs/gilman-scholarship-program

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Humanity in Action

• Summer programs held in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Berlin, Copenhagen, Paris, and Warsaw
• Current undergraduates and recent graduates are eligible to apply
• For those interested in studying minority rights and producing original research exploring how and why individuals and societies, past and present, have resisted intolerance and protected democratic values
• Example of Agenda
• Deadline in January
• humanityinaction.org

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Truman Scholarship

• The premier graduate fellowship in the United States for those pursuing careers as public service leaders. 
• Apply in the first semester of your junior year
• For those of you with “BIG DREAMS” – work in policy, not-for-profits, public administration, politics
• SLU Deadline December 1
• Truman.gov

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Goldwater Scholarship

• The most prestigious national scholarship for undergraduate research in STEM
• Apply in the first semester of your sophomore OR junior year
• For those who are serious about pursuing a career in science research (not medical school)
• SLU Deadline December 1
• https://goldwaterscholarship.gov/

Udall Scholarship

• A scholarship for undergraduates interested in environmental science, Native American health care, and/or tribal policy.
• Apply in the second semester of your sophomore or junior year
• SLU Deadline February 1
• https://www.udall.gov/

Graduate Awards

Apply during your senior year for opportunities after graduation; also apply as a graduate student or recent alum

Marshall Scholarship

• Finances young Americans of high ability to study for a graduate degree in the UK
• Up to fifty scholars are selected each year to study at a graduate level at a UK institution in any field of study
• Must apply within 2 years of graduating and have GPA of 3.7
• Campus deadline: September 1

Rhodes Scholarship

• 32 students selected from the U.S.
• Fully-funded scholarship to study �at University of Oxford
• Scholarship
• Leadership
• Character
• Commitment to the common good
• SLU deadline September 1

U.S. Fulbright Program

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• Provides grants to support self-designed study or research in 150 countries
• Provides grants for English language teaching assistantships in over 40 countries
• Project/Research proposal is often key to the application process
• Generally, more grants are awarded for projects in non-Western countries.
• SLU Deadline: September 15^th
• Fulbright US Student Program

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Bonus!

Year of Service Options

How to prepare for these applications

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• Start early! Research options!
• Create strong faculty relationships
• Maintain a high GPA
• Be consistent with your interests
• Seek out interesting research and work experiences
• Take on leadership roles on and off campus

How does our office help?

Competitive Scholarships and Fellowships Interest Form

The Competitive Scholarships and Fellowships Checklist