UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Deadlines are coming up in October and later in the fall semester for several national fellowships and scholarships for undergraduates and recent graduates such as Fulbright, Goldwater and Gates Cambridge.
Many of the awards listed below provide funding for graduate study and study abroad. Some awards are restricted to specific academic disciplines, career aspirations or other qualifying factors such as eligibility for federal Pell Grant funds. More information on each fellowship and scholarship opportunity, as well as how to apply, can be found at the Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Mentoring website.
Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Mentoring (URFM) can help students prepare their applications and gather references. Several fellowships and scholarships first require an internal Penn State nomination from a pool of candidates. Even if Penn State does not need to nominate candidates for awards, URFM can still review application materials if they are submitted at least two weeks prior to the national deadline. Interested students can request review or feedback of materials by emailing urfm@psu.edu.
URFM’s Understanding Fellowships page can provide more insight into what a fellowship is as well as its differences from a scholarship. Applicants also can learn more about fellowship and scholarship opportunities and undergraduate research with this schedule of workshops.
Upcoming deadlines
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Sept. 28: Rangel International Affairs Program national deadline. This program supports and prepares students for careers in the U.S. Foreign Service by providing two years of graduate study, two summer internships, professional development activities and entry into the Foreign Service.
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Oct. 5: Gilman Scholarship national deadline. This scholarship provides up to $5,000 for study abroad programs to U.S. undergraduates currently eligible for receiving federal Pell Grant funding.
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Oct. 10: Fulbright U.S. Student Program deadline. This program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and is the largest U.S. exchange program for those seeking opportunities for international graduate study, advanced research, university teaching and elementary and secondary school teaching. Four Penn Staters earned 2023-24 Fulbright U.S. Student Awards.
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Oct. 11: Knight-Hennessy Scholars national deadline. Stanford University’s program is the largest fully endowed scholar’s program in the world, providing full funding for a wide-ranging graduate education at the university.
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Oct. 11: Gates Cambridge national deadline. Gates Cambridge provides funding for one to three years of study at the University of Cambridge, U.K, covering tuition, stipend and travel expenses.
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Oct. 26: Soros Fellowship national deadline. The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans is open to immigrants and the children of immigrants and provides up to $90,000 in financial support over two years.
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Oct. 26: Payne USAID International Development Graduate Fellowship Program national deadline. This program seeks applicants interested in pursuing careers in the Foreign Service of the U.S. Agency for International Development. It provides up to $90,000 in benefits over two years for graduate school, internships and professional development.
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Oct. 27: Hertz Foundation Graduate Fellowship national deadline. This opportunity provides funding for students to pursue a doctorate in the applied physical and biological sciences, mathematics or engineering.
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Nov. 6: Goldwater Scholarship office deadline. Penn State can nominate up to four candidates to the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. The program provides up to $7,500 per year for college sophomores and juniors in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering. Two Penn Staters earned Goldwater Scholarships in 2023.
Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Mentoring is part of Penn State Undergraduate Education, the academic administrative unit that provides leadership and coordination for University-wide programs in support of undergraduate teaching and learning at Penn State.