The opportunities listed here are available for current students. Each opportunity has specific eligibility requirements, such as year and major. Some fund activities during the undergraduate years, while others earn students funding that they will apply towards graduate education. Nominated scholarships require internal review, with a campus deadline several months before the final application deadline.
Nominated Fellowships
The Goldwater award provides scholarship support to undergraduate students majoring in the natural sciences, engineering and mathematics who intend to pursue research careers in these fields. The award provides $7500 annually in support for undergraduate tuition, room and board, books and fees.
Open to Sophomore and Junior natural sciences, engineering, or math majors who are actively involved in research.
- Recent SCU Goldwater winners: Rob Cady (2022), Michael Nguyen (2022), Max Bjorni (2020), Mike Hayes (2009)
- Recent SCU Goldwater Honorable Mention: Delaney Gray (2018)
The Truman is a merit-based scholarship for college students who plan to pursue careers in government or elsewhere in public service. Truman Scholars receive up to $30,000 for graduate or professional school, participate in leadership development activities, and have special opportunities for internships and employment with the federal government.
Although this scholarship provides funding for graduate school, the application must be completed during a student’s Junior year. It does not require that the student go directly to graduate school upon completion of their undergraduate degree.
- Most famous SCU Truman Scholar: Janet Napolitano (1977)
- Most recent SCU Truman Scholar: Abigail Alvarez (2021)
- Most recent SCU Truman Finalists: Alex Perez (2022), Ciara Moezidis (2020), Huda Navaid (2018)
The Udall Scholarship is a merit-based scholarship for college sophomores and juniors pursuing studies leading to a career in tribal health, tribal public policy, or the environment. It provides $7000 in funding towards their undergraduate education. Candidates should be working towards positive solutions to environmental challenges or to issues impacting Indian country; have demonstrated their commitment to one of these areas through public service; show leadership that inspires and motivates others to take action; and be committed to making a difference through civility and consensus building.
- Most recent SCU Udall Scholars: Déjà Thomas (2016) and James Wang (2018)
- Most recent SCU Udall Honorable Mention: Claire Alford (2023) and Efren Oxlaj Tambito (2018)
Other Fellowships
The San Jose chapter of the American Association of University Women (AAUW)--a non-profit organization that advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research--offers an undergraduate scholarship starting at $3,000. Over the last 40 years, Local Scholarship has awarded more than $900,000 in scholarships to college juniors or seniors studying to complete their Bachelor’s degrees, with $131,000 awarded in 2022 alone.
Eligibility for the scholarships is determined by:
• Permanent home address in Campbell, San Jose, Milpitas or Santa Clara
• Two full years at an accredited college or university
• Minimum of a 3.0 GPA
• Enrollment in a four-year institution as a junior or senior
Each summer hundreds of undergraduates step into some of the world’s premier research universities and institutions to participate in the Amgen Scholars Program. Students conduct hands-on research in the lab alongside top faculty, participate in seminars and networking events, and take part in symposia with their peers and leading scientists. Amgen Scholars is hosted at thirteen premier educational institutions within the United States. Each host institution has its own application process. U.S. citizenship or permanent residency in the United States is required, and you can apply to participate at as many host institutions as you are interested in.
Boren provides funding for U.S. undergraduate students studying in Africa, Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Boren Awards require rigorous language study, and the majority of awardees spend a full academic year abroad. In exchange for funding, Boren Award recipients commit to working in the federal government for at least one year after graduation.
The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is a fully funded summer overseas language and cultural immersion program of the U.S. Department of State for American undergraduate and graduate students. With the goal of broadening the base of Americans studying and mastering critical languages and building relationships between the people of the United States and other countries, CLS provides opportunities to a diverse range of students from across the United States at every level of language learning.
The CLS Languages offered include: Arabic, Azerbaijani, Bangla, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Punjabi, Russian, Swahili, Turkish, Urdu
With the Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship, twelve exceptional student leaders of color will be selected to conduct a comparative study of social justice leadership in America, South Africa, and Ireland. During the four-week summer program, Fellows will travel to Washington, DC, Cape Town, Dublin, Derry, and Belfast to explore the legacies of Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, John Lewis, Nelson Mandela, Bishop Desmond Tutu, Daniel O’Connell, John Hume, and other giants of social change. The program runs July – August 2024, with the first week taught virtually and the next three weeks taught on-site. Fellows will study how changemakers shaped pathways to peace, including the Emancipation Proclamation in America, the end of Apartheid in South Africa, and the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland. They will return home inspired to use their leadership skills to create a more just and peaceful world.
Three- or four-week academic, cultural immersion experience at various UK universities. Institutes themed and customized for US undergraduates or immersive experience with International Summer Schools.
- Ideal for Sophomores
- Must have 2 years of undergraduate degree remaining upon return
- 3.7 minimum GPA
The Gilman Scholarship provides $5000 in funding to enable students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad, thereby gaining skills critical to our national security and economic competitiveness.
Open to Pell grant recipients only.
Fully-funded summer program that brings together international groups of Fellows to study minority rights and produce original research exploring how and why individuals and societies, past and present, have resisted intolerance and protected democratic values. Separate programs take place for five weeks every summer in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Berlin, Copenhagen, Sarajevo, and Warsaw.
The Latinos in Technology Scholarship was established by the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley, a public foundation dedicated to inspiring community philanthropy and engaging people to invest in the educational achievement and leadership development of a thriving Hispanic community in Silicon Valley. The scholarship supports Latino college students in 3 ways: 1) it financially supports third and fourth-year Latino students who have declared a major in a STEM-related field at a 4-year university with scholarships of up to $10,000 renewable for up to three years; 2) all Latinos in Technology scholars have the opportunity to participate in the Career Launch Academy, Conexiones Mentorship Program, and other career prep and professional skill building workshops to develop themselves as young professionals; and 3) the program actively works to pipeline its scholars into summer internship programs with its investors.
The National Science Foundation sponsors Research Experiences for Undergraduates in a wide range of fields every summer. The opportunities vary year-by-year and each program runs its own selection process, so due dates vary widely. Most opportunities are in STEM fields, but social sciences are also well-represented
JSI is an intensive seven-week summer program that focuses on preparing students for graduate programs in public and international affairs and careers as policy professionals, public administrators and other leadership roles in public service. Upon completion of the Junior Summer Institute, PPIA fellows receive a one-time $5,000 scholarship at a PPIA graduate school if admitted for a Master’s degree. PPIA Fellows often receive financial offers above and beyond this minimum from their graduate program.
The Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Summer Enrichment Program is a six-week summer program designed to provide undergraduate students with a deeper appreciation of current issues and trends in international affairs, a greater understanding of career opportunities in international affairs, and the enhanced knowledge and skills to pursue such careers. The Program covers the costs for tuition, travel, housing, and two meals per day. It also provides a stipend of $3,200.
The Donald A. Strauss Scholarship Foundation makes annual awards of $15,000 ($8000 toward a project plus $7000 toward tuition and expenses) to no fewer than 10 and no more than 15 California college sophomores or juniors from 22 pre-selected institutions. The Foundation promotes the value of public service in the education and preparation of our future leaders by financing innovative student-generated projects. A central part of the application package is a proposal for a project to be carried out between the end of the sophomore or junior year, and the spring of the following year; these proposals shall become a major focus of the selection process.
The Voyager Scholarship was created by the Obamas and Brian Chesky, Airbnb CEO, to help shape young leaders who can bridge divides and help solve our biggest challenges together. Even though they come from different backgrounds, both the President and Brian believe that exposure to new places and experiences generates understanding, empathy, and cooperation which equips the next generation to create meaningful change. This scholarship gives college students financial aid to alleviate the burden of college debt, meaningful travel experiences to expand their horizons, and a network of mentors and leaders to support them. Open to students starting their junior year in the fall.