Prestigious Scholarships at UIS

Madison Fellowships provide support for graduate study for individuals desiring to become outstanding teachers of the American Constitution its history and contemporary relevance.James Madison is a federally-endowed fellowship program designed to strengthen instruction about the U.S. Constitution at the secondary school level. Graduating seniors without teaching experience who intend to pursue a career in teaching American history or political science can receive funding for two years of master’s level study.

Choice of Graduate School and Degree:

The fellowships are intended exclusively for graduate study leading to a master’s degree. James Madison Fellows may 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 the Foundation’s preference):

–Master of Arts (MA) in American history or in political science (also referred to as “government and politics” or as “government”);

–Master of Arts in Teaching (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 (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.  

At least 12 semester credits (or 18 quarter credits) of constitutional study must be part of the Fellow’s program. Six of these semester credits will be earned in Washington, D.C., by the Fellow at the Foundation’s Summer Institute on the Constitution.

Eligibility: Candidates must; be a U.S. citizen or U.S. national, be a teacher, or plan to become a teacher, of American history, American government, or social studies at the secondary school level (grades 7-12), possess a bachelor’s degree or plan to receive a bachelor’s degree no later than August 31 of the year in which they are applying and wait at least three years from the time that any previous graduate degree was awarded before applying.

Note: Fellows must agree to teach full-time in a secondary school for no less than one year for each full year of fellowship support.

Application deadline: Early March for following academic year.

See http://www.jamesmadison.com/questions.html for details.

UIS Faculty Representative:  Dr. Brian Kahn

Boren Fellowships offers U.S. graduate students the opportunity to add an important international and language component to their graduate education through specialization in area study, language study, or increased language proficiency. Boren Fellowships provide up to $24,000 for overseas study and may also provide limited funding for domestic language study that supplements the overseas component. The maximum total award is $30,000.

Note: The National Service Education Program Service Requirement stipulates that an award recipient work in the Federal Government in a position with national security responsibilities for one year or the duration of assistance provided under the program, whichever is longer. Boren Fellows must begin filling the service requirements within two years of graduation. For more details and a list of Freqently Asked Questions about NSEP Service Requirement, click here.

Application deadline: Late January for the following academic year.

See http://www.borenawards.org/boren_fellowship for details.

UIS Faculty Representative: Dr. Adriana Crocker

The Goldwater Scholarships provide one or two year awards to outstanding students intending to pursue careers in mathematics, the natural sciences, and engineering. Each scholarship covers eligible expenses for undergraduate tuition, fees, books, and room and board, up to a maximum of $7,500 annually. Junior-level scholarship recipients are eligible for a maximum of two years of scholarship support. Scholars must consult with the Foundation prior to signing up for an overseas program, as there may be some costs associated with being overseas that are prohibited from being covered in the scholarship.

Eligibility: Candidates must; be a full-time matriculated sophomore or junior pursuing a degree at an accredited institution of higher education, have a college grade-point average of at least “B” (of the equivalent) and be in the upper fourth of his or her class, be a United States citizen, a permanent resident, or, in the case of nominees from American Samoa or the Commonwealth of the Mariana Islands, a United States national. Nominations from permanent residents must include a letter of the nominee’s intent to obtain U.S. citizenship and a photocopy of the Permanent Resident Card (formerly knowns as the Alien Registration Card).

Application deadline:  Late January for the following academic year.

See http://www.act.org/goldwater/yybull.html for details.

UIS Faculty Representative: Dr. Marc Klingshirn

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers fellowships for U.S. graduating college seniors, graduate students, young professionals and artists to study, conduct research, and/or teach English abroad.The program is designed to “increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.” To be eligible to apply candidates must; present a strong academic or professional record, demonstrate language preparation, demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed study/research/teaching assistantship project and provide personal qualifications.

http://fulbright.state.gov/grants/student-program/u-s-citizen.html

Eligibility: Applicants must be U.S. citizens. Non-U.S. citizens who have legal permanent residency status in the United States are not eligible for any Fulbright grants.  See also the FAQ on dual citizenship.

Application Deadline: Mid-October for following academic year; see http://us.fulbrightonline.org/overview_timeline.html for details.

UIS Faculty Representative:  Dr. Peter Shapinsky

The Truman Scholarship provides up to $30,000 in funding to students pursuing graduate degrees in public service fields. Students must be college juniors at the time of selection. The Foundation also provides assistance with career counseling, internship placement, graduate school admissions, and professional development. Scholars are invited to participate in a number of programs: Truman Scholar Leadership Week, The Summer Institute, and The Truman-Albright Fellows Program.

Eligibility: Each nominee for the Truman Scholarship must be:

• a full-time junior-level student at a four-year institution pursuing a bachelor’s degree during the 2011-2012 academic year–’Junior’ here means a student who plans to continue full-time undergraduate study and who expects to receive a baccalaureate degree between December 2012 and August 2013, or a student in his or her third year of collegiate study who expects to graduate during the 2011-2012 academic year, or a senior-level student who is a resident of Puerto Rico or the Islands as defined below;
• nominated by the Truman Scholarship Faculty Representative at his or her institution;
• in the upper quarter of his or her class; and
• a United States citizen or a United States national from American Samoa or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Resident aliens (green card holders) are not eligible.

Application deadline: Early February for the academic year beginning in the following calendar year.

See http://www.truman.gov/for-candidates/2012-competition/2012-bulletin-of-information for details.

UIS Faculty Representative: Dr. Tosha Cantrell-Bruce

The Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest challenges college students to analyze the urgent ethical issues confronting them in today’s complex world. Students are encouraged to write thought-provoking personal essays that raise questions, single out issues, and are rational arguments for ethical action. Five cash awards are made each year ranging from $500 to $500.

Eligibility:Open to registered undergraduate, full-time juniors and seniors at accredited four year colleges or universities in the United States during the fall semester.

Submission deadline: Interested students should work with a willing faculty member of their choice to develop their essays according to the theme and guidelines of the year beginning as soon as possible after that year’s guidelines are announced. Submission deadline is usually early December.

Seehttp://www.eliewieselfoundation.org/CM_Images/000/10/EP%20Student%20Guidelines%202012%20FINAL.pdf for most recent guidelines.

UIS Faculty representative: None officially designated—see Submission Deadline above.

The following scholarships are for persons intending to pursue graduate study in the United Kingdom.

Founded by a 1953 Act of Parliament, and named in honor of US Secretary of State George C, Marshall, the Scholarships commemorate the ideals of the Marshall Plan. Marshall Scholarships finance young Americans of high ability to study for a degree in the United Kingdom. Up to 40 scholarships are awarded annually, covering university fees, cost of living expenses, annual book grant, thesis grant, research and daily travel grants, fares to and from the United States and, where applicable, a contribution towards the support of a dependent spouse. The traditional Marshall Scholarship is tenable for two academic years (i.e. 22 months), but may be extended by the Commission, though not beyond the end of a third academic year.

Eligibility: Candidates must be U.S. citizens at the time they, hold their first undergraduate degree from an accredited four-year college or university in the United States, have obtained a grade point average of not less than 3.7 (or A-) on their undergraduate degree, have graduated from their first undergraduate college or university after April 2008 and not have studied for, or hold a degree or degree-equivalent qualification from a British University.

Application deadline: Early October for following academic year. 

See http://www.marshallscholarship.org/applications/ for details.

UIS Faculty representative: Dr. Jonathan GoldbergBelle

Applications are sought from talented students without restriction as to their field of academic specialization or career plans, although the proposed course of study must be available at Oxford University and the applicant’s undergraduate program must provide a sufficient basis for study in the proposed field.

Election to the Scholarship is normally for two or three years, depending upon the degree program pursued by the Scholar. Scholars may, however, do a one-year degree only, though the benefit from two or more years’ tenure is usually exponentially greater.

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 (the stipend) adequate to meet necessary expenses for term-time and vacations. The Rhodes Trustees cover the necessary costs of travel to and from Oxford, one time each way. They do not pay for passports or visas, which are now required for overseas students studying at Oxford.

Eligibility: Applicant must be a citizen of the United States; pending citizenship does not qualify; at least 18 but not yet 24 years of age (i.e., the applicant must still be 23 on October 1 in the year of application); sufficiently advanced academically to assure completion of a bachelor’s degree before October 1 in the year following election. The applicant must be eligible to apply through one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia:  either in the state where he or she was legally resident on April 15 in the year of application, or where he or she will have received at least two years of college training and a bachelor’s degree before October 1 in the year following election.  (U.S. citizens who are residents of U.S. territories are only eligible to apply if they will have at least two years of college training and a bachelor’s degree from a college or university in one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia.) The applicant must be prepared to appear for a reception and personal interview, and remain for possible reinterviews and the election announcement, in the city serving the respective District region, on the Friday and Saturday preceding the Thanksgiving holiday.  Telephone and electronic interviews are not permitted.

Application deadline: Early October for following academic year. 

See http://www.rhodesscholar.org/ for details.

UIS Faculty representative: Dr. Jonathan GoldbergBelle

Gates Cambridge Scholarships are highly competitive full-cost scholarships awarded to outstanding applicants from outside the UK to pursue a full-time graduate degree in any subject available at the University of Cambridge.

Gates Cambridge Scholarships are awarded on the following criteria:

• leadership capacity
• a person’s desire to use their knowledge to contribute to society throughout the world by providing service to their communities and applying their talents and knowledge to improve the lives of others
• a good fit between the abilities and aspirations of the applicant and what the University of Cambridge can offer in its graduate programme.

While at Cambridge Gates Scholars pursue the full range of academic disciplines and are spread throughout all 31 Colleges. All applicants for the scholarship apply for – and must gain – admission to the University of Cambridge.

Eligibility: Candidates for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship:

• may be citizens of any country outside the United Kingdom
• may apply to pursue one of the following full-time residential courses of study:
  • PhD (three year research-only degree)
  • One year postgraduate course (e.g. MPhil, LLM, MASt, Diploma, MBA etc.)
  • MSc or MLitt (two year research-only degree)
• may apply to study any subject available at the University of Cambridge
• must be admitted to one of the degrees above at Cambridge through the University’s normal admission procedures – the Trust does not admit students
• must be applying for a new course of study or research if they are already a student at Cambridge – e.g. those who have already started their PhD are not eligible to be considered for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship
• who are – or have been – in receipt of a Gates Cambridge Scholarship may apply for a second scholarship; such candidates must apply by the second, international deadline and go through the same process of departmental ranking,      shortlisting and interviewing as all other candidates

Application deadline: October 15 for following academic year (for U.S. citizens normally resident in the U.S.)

See http://www.gatesscholar.org/apply/application-timetable.asp for details.

There is no Faculty representative for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship. Applicants apply for admission to the University of Cambridge and a Gates Cambridge Scholarship directly.