Please note that these applications are a large time investment; you should start the process, and contact Dixie Shafer in the URGO office (shafer@augsburg.edu; x1447), months in advance of the deadline. Augsburg may have set a deadline much earlier than the deadlines noted here in order to ensure the completion of the college’s part of the application by the official deadline for the scholarship. All deadlines listed here were valid for the 2006-2007 school year. Be sure to check the official websites for the current year's precise deadlines.

Before you even start applying, though, do some research to see if you would be a competitive applicant. Remember: These are advertised to people all over the country, so most of them are extremely competitive! If you are considering a scholarship, go to their website and try to find information about previous recipients. If you’re awed by their super-heroic accomplishments, you might want to rethink applying. If instead you think, “Aw shucks, I could do that! And I have!” then go for it. If you’re unsure, contact the URGO office for guidance.

^These are scholarships intended for students from certain ethnic populations or from low-income backgrounds. Specifics depend on the scholarship. Please see program sites for details.

The following descriptions are in alphabetical order (by last name, if applicable) and have been adapted from the National Association of Fellowships Advisors website: http://www.nafadvisors.org/.

Consortium for Graduate Study in Management: http://www.cgsm.org

The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management is an alliance of fourteen schools of business in partnership with corporate America, working to facilitate the entry of minorities into managerial positions in business. The Consortium recruits college-trained African American, Hispanic American, and Native American United States citizens and invites them to compete for merit-based fellowships for graduate study leading to a Master's Degree in Business. Deadline: Check website.

Jack Kent Cooke: http://www.jackkentcookefoundation.org/

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation offers four separate competitions: one for students entering graduate programs; the second for student currently attending community colleges and planning to transfer to four year institutions; the third for eighth grade students; and the fourth for spouses and dependants of victims of September 11 or the 2001 anthrax attacks. The Graduate scholarship requires the institution to nominate no more than two students for the award. The scholarship is given to approximately 65 students each year. Deadline: March 15.

DAAD Scholarships: http://www.daad.org

The New York office of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) was founded in 1971 to support academic exchange between the US, Canada, and Germany. They offer grants and scholarships for undergraduates through faculty members to spend time in or conduct research on Germany. Some programs include intensive language grants, support for conferences, the "High Tech in Germany" summer program for engineers, graduate grants for research/study, a study scholarship for graduating seniors, and much more. Deadline:  Varies; check website for details

Gates Cambridge Scholarships: http://www.gates.scholarships.cam.ac.uk/

In establishing the Gates Cambridge Scholars  Program, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation hopes to create a network of future leaders from around the world who will bring new vision and commitment to improving the life circumstances of citizens in their respective countries. Over time, it is anticipated that Gates Cambridge Scholars will become leaders in helping to address global problems related to health, equity, technology, and learning - all areas that the Foundation is deeply engaged in. Must be accepted to Cambridge for a graduate program or second bachelor’s degree. 

The program will offer a substantial number of scholarships for study as an affiliated student or to pursue taught or research courses of postgraduate study at the University of Cambridge. Deadline:  October 15.

Ford Foundation Pre-doctoral Fellowships for Minorities: http://www7.nationalacademies.org/fordfellowships/fordpredoc.html

To increase the presence of underrepresented minorities on the nation's college and university faculties, to enhance diversity on campuses, and to address the persisting effects of past discrimination, the Ford Foundation offers predoctoral fellowships to members of six minority groups whose underrepresentation in the professoriate has been severe and long-standing. The fellowship program identifies individuals with demonstrated ability and provides them the opportunity to engage in graduate study leading to a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) or Doctor of Science (Sc.D.) degree. These successful scholars then inspire other students of color to pursue an academic career in teaching and research. Deadline:  November 16.

Fulbright: http://www.iie.org/fulbright

The U.S. Student Program is designed to give recent B.S./B.A. graduates, masters and doctoral candidates, and young professionals and artists opportunities for personal development and international experience. Several countries also offer English Teaching Assistant positions. Most grantees plan their own programs. Projects may include university coursework, independent library or field research, classes in a music conservatory or art school, special projects in the social or life sciences, or a combination. Recent projects have involved cancer research in the UK, free market development in Mauritius, women's rights in Chile and contemporary artistic expression in India. Along with opportunities for intellectual, professional, and artistic growth, the Fulbright Program offers invaluable opportunities to meet and work with people of the host country, sharing daily life as well as professional and creative insights. The program promotes cross-cultural interaction and mutual understanding on a person-to-person basis in an atmosphere of openness, academic integrity, and intellectual freedom. The best way to appreciate others viewpoints, their beliefs, the way they think, and the way they do things, is to interact with them directly on an individual basis work with them, live with them, teach with them, learn with them, and learn from them. Deadline: October 20.

Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program: http://www.act.org/goldwater
The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program was established by Congress in 1986 to honor Senator Barry M. Goldwater, who served his country for 56 years as a soldier and statesman, including 30 years of service in the U.S. Senate. The purpose of the Foundation is to provide a continuing source of highly qualified scientists, mathematicians, and engineers by awarding scholarships to college students who intend to pursue careers in these fields. Each scholarship covers eligible expenses for tuition, fees, books, and room and board, up to a maximum of $7,500 annually.  Deadline:  February 1.

Hertz Foundation Graduate Fellowship Award: http://www.hertzfndn.org

The Hertz Foundation's Graduate Fellowship award, which is based on merit (not need) consists of a cost-of-education allowance and a personal-support stipend for Ph.D. candidates studying applications of the physical sciences. The cost-of-education allowance is accepted by all of the tenable schools in lieu of all fees and tuition. Hertz Fellows therefore have no liability for any ordinary educational costs, regardless of their choice among tenable schools.

The personal stipend, paid over the nine-month academic year, is $25,000 for fellowships awarded for the academic year. The Fellowship award is renewable annually (upon a showing of satisfactory progress toward receipt of the Ph.D. degree) for a total fellowship tenure of no more than five years. Fellows must attend one of the Foundation's tenable schools.  Deadline:  October 27.

Homeland Security: http://www.orau.gov/dhsed/

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) realizes that the country's strong science and technology community provides a critical advantage in the development and implementation of counter-terrorist measures and other DHS objectives. The DHS Scholarship and Fellowship Program is intended for students interested in pursuing the basic science and technology innovations that can be applied to the DHS mission. This education program is intended to ensure a diverse and highly talented science and technology community to achieve the DHS mission and objectives. Areas of study that are eligible include: physical, mathematical, computer and information, life, and social sciences, psychology, selected humanities, and engineering. Funding is available at both the undergraduate and graduate level. Deadline: January 31.

Jacob Javits Fellowship: http://www.ed.gov/programs/jacobjavits/index.html

The program provides financial assistance to students of superior ability, as demonstrated by their achievements and exceptional promise, to undertake study for a doctoral or terminal master’s degree in selected fields of the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Panels of experts appointed by the Javits Fellowship Board (Board) select fellows according to criteria established by the Board. Students must also demonstrate financial need by filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.  Deadline:  Early October.

James Madison Fellowships

James Madison: http://www.jamesmadison.com/
Junior Fellowships are awarded to students who are about to complete, or have recently completed, their undergraduate course of study and plan to begin graduate work on a full-time basis. Junior Fellows have two years to complete their degree. The Fellowships are intended exclusively for graduate study leading to a master’s degree. James Madison Fellows can attend any accredited institution of higher education in the United States. Each individual entering the James Madison Fellowship Program will be expected to pursue and complete a master’s degree in one of the following (listed in order of     preference):  Master of Arts degree (MA) in American history or in political science (also referred to as "government and politics" or as "government"); Master of Arts in Teaching degree (MAT) concentrating on either American Constitutional history (in a history department) or American government, political institutions and political theory (in a political science department);  Master of Education degree (MEd) or the Master of Arts or Master of Science in Education, with a concentration in  American history or American government, political institutions, and political theory. The maximum amount of each award is $24,000, prorated over the period of study.  Deadline:  March.

Marshall Scholarships

Marshall: http://www.marshallscholarship.org/
Marshall Scholarships finance young Americans of high ability to study for a degree in the United Kingdom. The Scholarships are tenable at any British university and cover two years of study in any discipline, at either undergraduate or graduate level, leading to the award of a British University degree.

The Scholarships were founded by an Act of Parliament in 1953 and commemorate the humane ideals of the European Recovery Programme (Marshall Plan). They are funded by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and administered by the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission in the UK (for which the Association of Commonwealth Universities provides the Secretariat) and in the US by the British Embassy in Washington DC and seven regional Consulates-General.  Deadline:  October 4.

Andrew Mellon Fellowships in Humanistic Studies

Andrew W. Mellon: http://www.mellon.org
The Andrew W. Mellon Fellowships in Humanistic Studies are designed to help exceptionally promising students prepare for careers of teaching and scholarship in humanistic disciplines. The Mellon Fellowship is a competitive award for first-year doctoral students. Fellows may take their awards to any accredited graduate program in the United States or Canada. The Fellowship covers graduate tuition and required fees for the first year of graduate study and includes a stipend of $17,500. Deadlines:  Vary; begin November 1.

Mitchell Scholarships

Mitchell: http://www.us-irelandalliance.org/scholarships.html  
The US-Ireland Alliance has established the George J. Mitchell Scholarships to educate future American leaders about the island of Ireland and to provide tomorrow's leaders with an understanding about, an interest in, and an affinity with the island from which 44 million Americans claim descent. Scholars are eligible to attend institutions of higher learning in Ireland, including the seven universities in the Republic of Ireland and the two universities in Northern Ireland, for one academic year of graduate study.  Deadline:  October 6.

National Security Education Program (NSEP): http://www.iie.org/nsep

The National Security Education Program (NSEP) provides a unique funding opportunity for U.S. students to study world regions critical to U.S. interests (including Africa, Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America & the Caribbean, and the Middle East). The countries of Western Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are excluded.

NSEP was designed to provide Americans with the resources and encouragement they need to acquire skills and experiences in areas of the world critical to the future security of our nation, in exchange for a commitment to seek work in the federal government. As students of other cultures and languages, NSEP Boren Scholars and Fellows begin to acquire the international competence needed to communicate effectively across borders, to understand other perspectives, and to analyze economic and political affairs.

The National Security Education Program includes three components:

• The National Security Education Program David L. Boren Undergraduate Scholarships for Study Abroad offers opportunities for U.S. students to study in world regions critical to U.S. interests but generally underrepresented in study abroad.
• The National Security Education Program David L. Boren Graduate Fellowships encourages U.S. graduate students to add an important language component to their educations.
• The National Flagship Language Program offers advanced language training in Arabic, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Persian, or Russian.

NSEP is merit based. The maximum NSEP Boren Scholarship award is $8,000 for a summer, $10,000 for a semester, and $20,000 for an academic year. The maximum NSEP Boren Fellowship awards generally vary between $12,000 and $30,000. Deadlines: January 30 or February 13.

National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship: http://www.nsfgradfellows.org/  

Among the NSF programs of interest to graduate students is the Graduate Research Fellowship Awards. Through this program the National Science Foundation (NSF) seeks to ensure the vitality of the human resource base of science, mathematics, and engineering in the United States and to reinforce its diversity.

The NSF awards approximately 1,000 new three-year Graduate Research Fellowships in March of each year. NSF Fellows are expected to contribute significantly to research, teaching, and industrial applications in science, mathematics, and engineering.

Applicants must be United States citizens or nationals, or permanent resident aliens of the United States. Those eligible to apply are college seniors, first-year graduate students, and others who have completed a limited amount of graduate study in science, mathematics, or engineering. Women who intend to pursue graduate degrees in engineering or in computer and information science and engineering and who meet the eligibility requirements above can apply for the additional WENG or WICS awards. Deadline: November 1.

Rhodes Scholarships: http://www.rhodesscholar.org

The Rhodes Scholarships, the oldest international fellowships, were initiated after the death of Cecil Rhodes in 1902, and bring outstanding students from many countries around the world to the University of Oxford. The first American Scholars were elected in 1904.

Rhodes Scholars are elected for two years of study at the University of Oxford, with the possibility of renewal for a third year. All educational costs, such as matriculation, tuition, laboratory and certain other fees, are paid on the Scholar's behalf by the Rhodes Trustees. Each Scholar receives in addition a maintenance allowance adequate to meet necessary expenses for term-time and vacations. The Rhodes Trustees cover the necessary costs of travel to and from Oxford and, upon application, may approve additional grants for research purposes or study-related travel.  Deadline:  October 2.

Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarships: http://www.rotary.org/foundation/educational/amb_scho/

The Rotary Foundation's oldest and best-known program is Ambassadorial Scholarships, established in 1947. Since that time, more than 30,000 men and women from 100 nations have studied abroad under its auspices. Today, the Ambassadorial Scholarships Program of The Rotary Foundation is the world's largest privately funded international scholarships program. Academic-Year Ambassadorial Scholarships provide funding for one academic year of study in another country. This award is intended to help cover round-trip transportation, tuition, fees, room and board expenses, and some educational supplies up to $25,000 or its equivalent. Deadline:  Varies; between March 1 and July 15 the year before travel

Soros Fellowships for New Americans: http://www.pdsoros.org/about.html

The purpose of The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans is to provide opportunities for continuing generations of able and accomplished New Americans to achieve leadership in their chosen fields and to partake of the American dream. Fellows must have shown potential in the fields for which they seek further education; the capacity for creativity, persistence and work; and the commitment to the values of the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights, which protect the American dream. The 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.

Each year the Fellow receives a maintenance grant of $20,000 (paid in two installments) and a tuition grant of one-half the tuition cost of the U.S. graduate program attended by the Fellow.  Deadline:  November 1.

Truman Scholarship: http://www.truman.gov

The Truman Scholarship is a $30,000 merit-based grant awarded to undergraduate students who wish financial support to attend graduate or professional school in preparation for careers in government, the non-profit sector or elsewhere in public service. The Foundation seeks candidates who have extensive records of public and community service, are committed to careers in government or elsewhere in public service, and have outstanding leadership potential and communication skills. Financial need is not a consideration. Deadline: February 5.

Morris K. Udall Scholarship: http://www.udall.gov 

The Foundation will award approximately 75 scholarships to outstanding students. The awards will be made on the basis of merit to two groups of students:

1. Those who are college sophomores or juniors in the current academic year, have outstanding potential, and who study the environment and related fields.
2. Native American and Alaska Native students who are college sophomores or juniors in the current academic year, have outstanding potential, and are in fields related to health care or tribal public policy.

To be considered, a student must be nominated by his or her college or university. Each scholar receives up to $5,000 for one year of scholarship support and can be re-nominated for a successive year if still eligible.  Deadline:  March 6.