External Scholarships, Fellowships, and Awards

"The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation was established by Congress in 1986 to serve as a living memorial to honor the lifetime work of Senator Barry Goldwater, who served his country for 56 years as a soldier and statesman, including 30 years in the U.S. Senate. By providing scholarships to college sophomores and juniors who intend to pursue research careers in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering, the Goldwater Foundation is helping ensure that the U.S. is producing the number of highly-qualified professionals the Nation needs in these critical fields."

Yes, pre-application is required. Pre-application is reviewed by Goldwater campus representative. 

Application deadline is the last Friday in January by 5 PM central time. Students who wish to compete should express interest to the campus representative well in advance of this deadline.

• Be a citizen of the United States;
• Be an undergraduate student in good standing at an accredited institution of higher education in the United States; 
• Be receiving a Federal Pell Grant during the time of application or provide proof that they will be receiving a Pell Grant during the term of their study abroad program or internship;
• Be in the process of applying to, or accepted for, a study abroad or internship program of at least... three weeks for students from four-year institutions, in a single country and eligible for credit from the student’s home institution. Proof of program acceptance is required prior to award disbursement;
• Apply for credit-bearing study abroad programs in a country with an overall Travel Advisory Level 1 or 2, according to the U.S. Department of State’s Travel Advisory System. 

• Be a U.S. citizen at the time of your application. 
• Be enrolled in an accredited U.S. degree-granting program at the undergraduate (associate's, bachelor's) or graduate (master's, doctoral, professional degree) level at the time of your application. 
• Be at least 18 years old by May 15.
• If in an undergraduate program (bachelor's or associate's), complete at least one full-time equivalent year of study (two semesters or three quarters) by the beginning of the CLS Program.
• You may only apply once, for one language program, each summer. Applicants who submit multiple applications will be considered ineligible.
• Participation is limited to a total of two CLS awards for any individual. Applicants who have been selected for and participated in the CLS Program one time may apply for a second award. Applicants who have successfully completed the CLS Program two or more times are not eligible to apply again.

Each nominee for the Truman Scholarship must be:

• a full-time junior-level student at a four-year institution pursuing a bachelor's degree during the 2018-2019 academic year. 'Junior' here means a student who plans to continue full-time undergraduate study and who expects to receive a baccalaureate degree between December 2019 and August 2020, or a student in his or her third year of collegiate study who expects to graduate during the 2018-2019 academic year;
• nominated by the Truman Scholarship Faculty Representative at his or her institution;
• in the upper quarter of his or her class; and
• a United States citizen or a United States national from American Samoa. Resident aliens (green card holders) are not eligible.

A good candidate for the Truman Scholarship meets the above eligibility requirements and also:

• has an extensive record of public and community service;
• has outstanding leadership potential and communication skills; and
• is committed to a career in government or elsewhere in public service, as defined by the Foundation.

• Are a sophomore or junior-level college student at a two-year or four-year accredited institution of higher education in the United States, pursuing a bachelor's or associate's degree during the 2017-2018 academic year;
• Will be pursuing a bachelor's degree full-time during the 2018-2019 academic year; and
• Are a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or U.S. permanent resident.

  See our FAQs on how we define “sophomore” and “junior” and visit Who Should Apply for additional information. 

Selection as a White House intern is based on the following criteria:

• A commitment to public service
• Demonstrated leadership in the community
• A commitment to the mission of the Trump Administration

Applicants must be U.S. citizens, must be 18 years of age, and must meet at least one of the following criteria to apply:

• Are currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program at a college, community college, or university (two-to-four year institution).
• Have graduated from an undergraduate or graduate degree program at a college, community college, or university (two-to-four year institution) no more than two years before the internship program start date.
• Are a veteran of the United States Armed Forces who possesses a high school diploma or its equivalent and has served on active duty–for any length of time–in the two years preceding the internship program start date.

Internships are available in the fall, spring, and summer semesters. Here's a sample application timeline:

Summer 2020 Internship Timeline

• Application Posted – Monday, November 18, 2019
• Application Deadline – Friday, January 10, 2020
• Notifications Begin – Week of April 6, 2020
• Internship Start Date – Wednesday, May 27, 2020
• Internship End Date – Friday, August 7, 2020

Boren Scholarships, an initiative of the National Security Education Program, provide unique funding opportunities for U.S. undergraduate students to study less commonly taught languages in world regions critical to U.S. interests, and underrepresented in study abroad, including Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East. The countries of Western Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are excluded.

Boren Scholars represent a vital pool of highly motivated individuals who wish to work in the federal national security arena. In exchange for funding, Boren Scholars commit to working in the federal government for at least one year after graduation.

The Fulbright UK Summer Institutes are three or four week programmes for US undergraduate students.

Participants can explore the culture, heritage and history of the UK while experiencing higher education at a UK university.

"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."

• Applicants must be citizens or nationals of the United States of America at the time of application.  Permanent residents are not eligible. Please review the Ineligibility section below in relation to the eligibility of dual citizens.
• Applicants must have a conferred bachelor's degree or the equivalent before the start of the grant.
• In the creative and performing arts, four years of professional training and/or experience meets the basic eligibility requirement.
• Applicants must be in good health. Grantees will be required to submit a satisfactory Medical Certificate from a physician.
• Applicants must have sufficient proficiency in the written and spoken language of the host country sufficient to communicate with the people and to carry out the proposed study/research. This is especially important for projects in the social sciences and the humanities.

To be eligible to apply for a fellowship, you must:

• Be a U.S. citizen.
• Be a teacher, or plan to become a teacher, of American history, American government, or civics classes where you will teach topics on the Constitution at the secondary school level (grades 7–12).
• Possess a bachelor's degree or plan to receive a bachelor's degree no later than August 31 of the year in which you are applying.

"Marshall Scholarships finance young Americans of high ability to study for a graduate degree in the United Kingdom.

Up to forty 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."

To be eligible for a 2021 Marshall Scholarship, candidates must:

Be citizens of the United States of America (at the time they apply for a scholarship);

(By the time they take up their scholarship ie September 2021) hold their first undergraduate degree from an accredited four-year college or university in the United States;

Have obtained a grade point average of not less than 3.7 on their undergraduate degree.  (Applicants must have a GPA of 3.7 at the time of application). We do not accept rounded GPA's.

Have graduated from their first undergraduate college or university after April 2018.

Not have studied for, or hold a degree or degree-equivalent qualification from a British University or GCSE or A Levels taken at school in the UK.

The George J. Mitchell Scholarship Program, named to honor former US Senator George Mitchell's pivotal contribution to the Northern Ireland peace process, is designed to introduce and connect generations of future American leaders to the island of Ireland, while recognizing and fostering intellectual achievement, leadership, and a commitment to community and public service.

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. Applicants are judged on three criteria:

• scholarship,
• leadership, and
• a sustained commitment to community and public service.

The Mitchell Scholarship Program provides tuition, accommodation, a stipend for living expenses and travel.

A Candidate for the Mitchell Scholarship Program must meet all the following criteria:

• Be a U.S. citizen
• Be 18 years of age or older, but not yet 30, on September 26 of the year of the application (those who turn 30 on September 27th are not eligible).
• Have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university before beginning study as a Mitchell Scholar. Degrees from international accredited universities are acceptable, if all other conditions are met.
• While married applicants or applicants with partners are accepted, no allowance is made for the expenses of an applicant’s spouse, partner, or dependents. It is important to note that the relevant government agency in Ireland or Northern Ireland may require spouses or partners who are non-EU citizens to enroll full-time and prove financial resources for the year or to obtain a work permit before seeking paid employment in Ireland.

Please check with the relevant government agency for additional information.

To be eligible for the 2021 Fellowship, you must meet the following requirements as of the October 29, 2020 application deadline:

1. NEW AMERICAN STATUS​​

The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans program is intended for immigrants and children of immigrants in the United States.

To be eligible, your birth parents must have both been born outside of the US as non-US citizens, and both parents must not have been eligible for US citizenship at the time of their births.* In addition, one of the following must be true of you as of the October 29 application deadline:

Born in the US: You are a US citizen by birth and both of your parents were born abroad as non-US citizens.

Born abroad:

Naturalized Citizen: You have been naturalized as a US citizen either on your own or as a minor child under the application of one of your parents.

Adopted: You were born outside of the US or one of its territories and were subsequently adopted by American parents and were awarded US citizenship because of your adoption.

Green Card: You are in possession of a valid green card.

Refugee & Asylees: You have been granted asylum or refugee status in the US.

If None of the Other Categories Above Apply: Graduated from High School and College in the US: If none of the other categories apply to you and you were born abroad but graduated from both high school and college in the US (this includes current and past DACA recipients).

* If you were raised by only one of your birth parents, the following must be true:

The parent who raised you must have been born abroad as a non-US citizen.

Your second birth parent was not part of your life growing up and you have no contact with them.

2. ACADEMIC STANDING

The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans program is intended for immigrants and children of immigrants who are pursuing full-time graduate degrees at United States institutions. To be eligible, you will have a bachelor’s degree as of the fall of 2021. You may be applying to graduate school at the same time that you are applying to the Fellowship, or you may already be enrolled in the graduate program that you are seeking funding for as of the application deadline. The Fellowship is open to all fields of study and fully accredited full-time graduate degree programs. To be eligible for the 2021 Fellowship, you should be planning to be enrolled full-time in an eligible graduate degree program at a US university for the full 2021-22 academic year. To be eligible, you must not have begun the third year of the program that you are seeking funding for as of the October 29, 2020 deadline. If you have a previous graduate degree or are in a joint-degree program, you may still be eligible.

Ineligible programs: Online programs, executive graduate programs, joint bachelors/master's programs in which both degrees are awarded simultaneously, certificate programs, post-baccalaureate programs, graduate programs that are not in the United States, and graduate programs that are not fully accredited.

3. AGE

The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans program is intended for students who are early in their careers. All students must be 30 or younger as of the application deadline. To be eligible for the 2021 Fellowship, you must not have reached or passed your 31st birthday as of the application deadline. There is no minimum age requirement.

Scholarships are awarded to outstanding applicants from countries outside the UK to pursue a full-time postgraduate degree in any subject available at the University of Cambridge. The selection criteria are:

• outstanding intellectual ability
• leadership potential
• a commitment to improving the lives of others
• a good fit between the applicant's qualifications and aspirations and the postgraduate programme at Cambridge for which they are applying

You can apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship if you are:

• a citizen of any country outside the United Kingdom
• applying to pursue one of the following full-time residential courses of study at the University of Cambridge:
  • PhD (three year research-only degree)
  • MSc or MLitt (two year research-only degree)
  • One year postgraduate course (e.g. MPhil, LLM, MASt, Diploma, MBA etc.)

• Applicants must be seeking admission to enter graduate school in the fall of 2020 for a two-year program at a U.S. university in an area of relevance to the Foreign Service. They can be in the senior year of their undergraduate studies, graduating by June 2020, or they can be college graduates.
• Applicants must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 or higher on a 4.0 scale at the time of application.
• Applicants must be a U.S. citizen. 

Applicants must be U.S. citizens.

Applicants must be seeking admission to enter graduate school in the fall of 2020 for a two-year program at a U.S. university. They can be in the senior year of their undergraduate studies, graduating by June 2020, or they can be college graduates.

Applicants must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 or higher on a 4.0 scale at the time of application.

With the inaugural class enrolled in 2016, the program gives the world’s best and brightest students the opportunity to develop their leadership skills and professional networks through a one-year Master’s Degree at Tsinghua University in Beijing – one of China’s most prestigious universities.

Students pursue a Masters in Global Affairs, working with an academic advisor to design an academic plan that best suits his or her academic and professional goals.

Students spend a year immersed in an international community of thinkers, innovators and senior leaders in business, politics and society. In an environment of intellectual engagement, professional development and cultural exchange, they learn from one another and pursue their academic disciplines while building their leadership capacities. This experience will expand students’ understanding of the world and create a growing network of global leaders that will build strong ties between China and the rest of the world."

• Undergraduate degree or first degree from an accredited college or university or its equivalent. 
  Applicants who are currently enrolled in undergraduate degree programs must be on track to successfully complete all degree requirements before August 1 of their Schwarzman Scholars enrollment year. There are no requirements for a specific field of undergraduate study; all fields are welcome, but it is important for applicants, regardless of undergraduate major, to articulate how participating in Schwarzman Scholars will help develop their leadership potential within their field.
• Age Requirement.
  Candidates must be at least 18 but not yet 29 years of age as of August 1 of their Schwarzman Scholars enrollment year.
• English language proficiency.
  Applicants must demonstrate strong English skills, as all teaching will be conducted in English. If the applicant’s native language is not English, official English proficiency test scores must be submitted with the application. This requirement is waived for applicants who studied at an undergraduate institution where the primary language of instruction was English for at least two years of the applicant’s academic program. The requirement will also be waived for applicants who have studied in English for two or more years at a Master’s degree level or higher. Acceptable test options are:
  • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL PBT). Minimum score 600.
  • Internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT). Minimum score 100.
  • International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Minimum score 7

"Interested in a career serving U.S. interests abroad?  If so, the Pickering Fellowship offers a unique opportunity to promote positive change in the world.  Upon successful completion of a two-year master’s degree program and fulfillment of Foreign Service entry requirements, fellows have the opportunity to work as Foreign Service Officers, serving in Washington, DC or at a U.S. embassy, consulate, or diplomatic mission around the globe.

The Thomas R. Pickering Fellowship is a U.S. Department of State program administered by Howard University that seeks to attract and prepare outstanding young people, based on financial need, who represent ethnic, gender, social, and geographic diversity and have an interest in pursuing a Foreign Service career in the U.S. Department of State.  The Program encourages the application of members of minority groups historically underrepresented in the Foreign Service, women, and those with financial need.

This is a highly selective program. To be eligible to participate, you must meet the following criteria:

• Be a U.S. citizen.
• Seek admission to a two-year, full-time, on-campus, master’s degree program at a U.S.-based graduate institution to begin in the fall of 2019 in an academic field relevant to the work of the Foreign Service (public policy, international affairs, public administration, business, economics, political science, sociology, or foreign languages).
• Have a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 or higher on a 4.0 scale

We encourage applications to Knight-Hennessy Scholars from citizens of all countries. 

You are eligible to apply to the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program if you are applying to enroll in any full-time graduate degree program(s) at Stanford.

For the cohort enrolling in Autumn 2021 (i.e., applying in Autumn 2020), you are eligible to apply to the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program if you applied during your final year of study for your first/bachelor's degree or within six years of earning your first/bachelor’s degree. That means you must have graduated in January 2014 through September 2021 to enroll at Stanford in September 2021. U.S. military (active or veteran) applicants receive a two-year extension of eligibility due to service commitments: you are eligible if you earned your undergraduate (bachelor's or first) degree in 2012 or later.