Featured byUniversity of Washington
Overview
Scholarship type
Merit and need based
Number of scholarships to award
Multiple
Grant
Tuition fee waiver
Scholarship coverage
- tuition fee reduction
Description
Thanks to the generosity of alumni, corporations, regional organizations, and individuals, the Department of Earth and Space Sciences Scholarships allocates more than $200,000 annually in scholarships, fellowships, and awards to their undergraduate and graduate majors.
Each year in March, a call for applications is extended to ESS students. The application deadline, usually early April, is posted on the department web site.
Benefits
Full tuition fees waiver and other costs. Varies from $150 to full in-state tuition for 3 quarters.
Eligibility
- ALL Undergraduate students who have declared as an ESS major for the academic year and are currently enrolled in courses at the UW are eligible to apply for Department awards, regardless of immigration or residency status. Undocumented students and international students are encouraged to apply.
- The main criteria for many of the awards are a high academic standing with some requiring financial need, or a combination of the two. There are also a large number of awards available for outreach, field work support, and service.
- Applications require a minimum of one letter of recommendation, but more are recommended. Letters from Faculty are preferred. Demonstrated financial need is a requirement for some scholarships, and may be a consideration in awarding others. Eligibility for needs-based scholarships will be based on submission of a FAFSA or WASFA (the ESS Department will confirm this with the UW Student Financial Aid Office) and the description of financial need in the essay. Awards vary from modest cash stipends to full resident tuition for one or more quarters.
- ALL ESS graduate students are eligible to apply for Department awards, regardless of immigration or residency status. Undocumented students and international students are encouraged to apply.
Scholarship requirements
Disciplines
Multiple disciplines
Locations
United States
Nationality
Any
Study experience required
High school
Age
Unknown
Application
Application deadline
15 Apr 2026
Access the application form
Be prepared to upload the following documents:
Current Resume / Curriculum Vitae (CV)
A copy of your unofficial UW transcript. (You can download a PDF of your unofficial transcript via MyUW, and then upload it here.)
A TWO-PAGE essay (double-spaced) in support of your application. The essay should convey a sense of you, including:
your history
interests
reasons for studying earth and space sciences
possible career plans
clearly describe any financial need you may have in the essay
if you are seeking funding to support field work (OTHER than ESS 400/401), the essay should clearly describe how that funding will be used.
At least one letter of recommendation (more than one is preferred, and two are required if applying for the NSLMC Scholarship). Letters of recommendation should be emailed
April: Campus Deadline - early-April annually
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