What are Nationally Competitive Scholarships?
Nationally competitive scholarships are open to students at universities and colleges throughout the United States. They generally provide 1-3 years of funding to undergraduate and/or graduate students. The funding is meant to help students pursue educational opportunities, sometimes abroad, that are related to the missions of the agencies or foundations offering the scholarships.
As evident by their name, NCSs are highly competitive. While many students contend for a relatively small number of scholarships, the University of Arizona has a strong record of placing students in these programs. Winning a scholarship will both provide you with access to unique education opportunities and open doors that can further your career.
Types of Nationally Competitive Scholarships
Generally speaking, thereâ¯are three types of nationally competitive scholarships: those that fund study abroad experiences; those thatâ¯targetâ¯candidatesâ¯with specific backgrounds/interests; and those thatâ¯supportâ¯postgraduate study.â¯Examples of prominent scholarships of each type follow. For a full list, visit the ONCS website.â¯
EXAMPLES OF STUDY ABROAD SCHOLARSHIPS
The Boren Scholarship is open to first-years, sophomores, and juniors. It provides up to $25,000 to fund language study abroad in places other than Western Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand for students interested in working for the federal government.
The Gilman Scholarship is open to first-years, sophomores, and juniors. It provides up to $5,000 to fund study abroad for Pell recipients or Pell-eligible students.
The US-UK Fulbright Commission Summer Institutes are open to freshmen and sophomores who are interested in participating in an academic and cultural program in the United Kingdom in the summer.
The Critical Language Scholarship is open to all students. It provides full support for an intensive summer language institute overseas.
EXAMPLES OF SPECIFIC INTEREST SCHOLARSHIPS
The Udall Scholarship is open to sophomores and juniors. It provides up to $7,000 to students committed to careers related to the environment or to Native American and Alaskan Natives students who are committed to careers related to tribal public policy or Native health care.
The Goldwater Scholarship is open to sophomores and juniors. It provides up to $7,500 to fund one or two year(s) of undergraduate study in mathematics, the natural sciences, or engineering.
The Astronaut Scholarship is open to sophomores and juniors. It provides $10,000 to fund undergraduate studies in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
The Gaither Junior Fellowship with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace is open to graduating seniors and recent alumni. It supports a year-long research assistantship at the CEIP in one of their areas of focus.
The Truman Scholarship is open to juniors. It provides up to $30,000 to fund graduate work in public service fields (education, government, non-profit sector, public interest/advocacy sector).
EXAMPLES OF SCHOLARSHIPS FOR POSTGRADUATE STUDY
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is open to graduating seniors, alumni, and graduate students. It funds study/research or English teaching for one year in countries around the world.
British postgraduate scholarships (Rhodes, Marshall, Mitchell, Churchill, Gates) are open to graduating seniors and recent alumni. They fund 1-3 years of graduate study in the United Kingdom.
The Schwarzman Scholarship is open to graduating seniors, graduate students, and alumni. It funds a one-year masterâs degree in Global Affairs at Tsinghua University in Beijing.
The Beinecke Scholarship is open to juniors. It provides $34,000 to support graduate study in the arts, humanities, and social sciences.
The Soros Fellowship is open to graduating seniors and alumni. It funds up to two years of graduate study for green card holders, naturalized citizens, and children of naturalized citizens.
PREPARING TO APPLY
- Maintain an excellent academic record that demonstrates diverse interests and rigorous coursework. Donât be afraid to challenge yourself.
- Take advantage of volunteer, internship, and research opportunities.
- Get involved in leadership roles with student and community organizations.
- Strongly consider language study, especially if interested in study abroad.
- Get to know your professors and employers. You will need reference letters for your applications.
- Reflect on your long-term goals. How would a scholarship fit into your life plan?
- Develop a narrative that shows how what youâve done (and what youâre doing now) fits in with your long-term goals and commitments and demonstrates your potential to be a leader in your field.
CAMPUS DEADLINES AND ENDORSEMENTS
A number of awards require applicants to receive university endorsement to compete in the national competition. For endorsement consideration, applicants will participate in a campus process that includes a campus deadline, committee review, and an interview to determine nominees.
Awards that require campus endorsement Rhodes, Marshall, Mitchell, Churchill, Beinecke, Truman, Goldwater, Astronaut, Udall and Gaither Junior Fellowship.
Awards that have campus deadlines built-in for an extra layer of application development and support Fulbright US Student, Boren Awards, Schwarzman, and Knight-Hennessy.
Finally, there are numerous awards that allow applicants to apply directly without institutional endorsement or evaluation processes. However, ONCS is here to provide application support in the form of advising and draft review/feedback.
For an updated list of campus deadlines, check the Events & Deadlines page.