Compete Internationally
Helping you achieve global scholarship
The Office of Prestigious External Scholarships mentors all University students who apply for national, merit-based scholarships and fellowships. These prestigious fellowships and scholarships include the Rhodes, Gates Cambridge, Marshall, Truman, Goldwater, Astronaut, Knight-Hennessy, Fulbright, Udall, and more. In addition, our office regularly advises students who compete for other awards and scholarships such as the Fulbright UK Summer Institutes, Boren Scholarship, Critical Language Scholarship, Public Policy International Affairs (PPIA) Junior Summer Institute, and DAAD-RISE.
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What our scholars have achieved.
Mississippi State University has been recognized by the Truman Scholarship Foundation for sustained success in helping students win competitive awards.
Success as a Habit
Nationally recognized for scholarship
Since the office’s inception in 2012, Mississippi State has had a Rhodes Scholar, a Churchill Scholar, a Gates Cambridge Scholar, three Truman Scholars, nine Fulbright scholars, five Boren scholars, eleven Astronaut scholars, seven PPIA JSI winners, and nine Goldwater Scholars. The University has been recognized by the Washington, D.C.-based Truman Scholarship Foundation for "sustained success" in helping students both to win the $30,000 competitive awards and to prepare for public service careers. In 2020, MSU was among 12 institutions nationally to participate in the Fulbright Program Adviser Development Initiative because of our recent success and future potential in the U.S. Student Fulbright program.
Supporting you to Win
Supporting you to Win
We work with you to build a path to success.
Our office works to get to know students, their interests, and where they see themselves going to mold and facilitate the path toward these scholarship opportunities. Meeting with us is a critically important part of the scholarship process. At a meeting, we discuss with students their current trajectory, experiences, and goals to determine what steps can help facilitate current or future scholarship applications. Once a student decides to apply our office provides individualized guidance on writing and editing their applications.
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Tell us your current trajectory, experiences, and goals and we'll determine what steps can help facilitate current or future scholarship applications.
Explore the many opportunities students have for scholastic achievement.
One of the nation's premier scholarships for students majoring in STEM, the Astronaut Scholarship is open to Sophomores and Juniors who are conducting research and have achieved academic excellence. The Astronaut Scholarship recognizes top undergraduate researchers in science, technology, engineering, and math with up to a $15,000 scholarship, mentorship, and an invitation to the Awards Gala in Washington D.C. to present their research to other scholars, academics, and industry leaders. Astronaut Scholars are among the best and brightest minds in STEM who show initiative, creativity, and excellence in their chosen field.
The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship is offered to students in their junior and senior years to fund their undergraduate education in natural sciences, mathematics, or engineering. This scholarship emphasizes the importance of research at the undergraduate level. Applicants must have a GPA of at least 3.00 on a 4.00 scale. While the National Science Foundation does not support research in medicine, students interested in pursuing careers in medicine or veterinary medicine are eligible for a Goldwater Scholarship if research is a central part of the student’s career goals. The characteristics the Foundation seeks include a strong commitment to a research career, an effective display of intellectual intensity, and potential for a significant future contribution to research in their chosen field. Applications open on the first Tuesday in September and must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. Central Time on the last Friday in January.
The Rales Fellowship program is dedicated to cultivating the next generation of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) leaders and driving innovation by increasing access to a life-changing graduate education across more than 120 Carnegie Mellon STEM master’s and doctoral programs. CMU Rales Fellows receive a comprehensive, cohort-based experience, faculty mentorship, exclusive professional development and networking event opportunities with academic and industry leaders, personalized career coaching from a dedicated career advisor, and a financial award that covers tuition, as well as a monthly stipend for living expenses. In order to be considered as a Rales Fellow Candidate, you must first apply for an eligible CMU graduate program and apply for the CMU Rales Fellow Candidacy. To become a semi-finalist, you must be accepted to your graduate program.
The Churchill Scholarship funds and supports STEM students for one year of research and study at the University of Cambridge for a Master of Philosophy (Mphil) or Master of Advanced Study (MASt). Recipients will obtain either the standard Mphil, which is a research degree that entails full-time research in a lab and culminates in a thesis and a viva, or they will obtain a MASt via a taught degree course comprised of lectures and written examinations. A Churchill Scholar must hold a bachelor's degree or an equivalent and may not have attained a doctorate.
The Kanders Churchill Scholarship is a parallel opportunity in Science Policy that was created to address the growing divide between science and science policy. Kanders Churchill Scholars must hold a bachelor's degree (either as a major or minor concentration) in science, mathematics, or engineering and will attend the Cambridge Master's in Public Policy. Applicants must be US citizens who are seniors when they apply or have graduated from any US institution.
The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is an intensive overseas language and cultural immersion program for undergraduate students sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. Recipients spend eight to ten weeks abroad studying one of 15 critical languages. The CLS Program seeks participants from a variety of fields, backgrounds, and career paths, with the goal of increasing the number of people who can fluently speak languages that are critical to U.S. national security and economic prosperity. Participants are selected based on their commitment to further developing their language skills and cultural knowledge and their plan for applying their language skills in their academic or professional pursuits after the CLS Program.
RISE (Research Internships in Science and Engineering) Germany gives students in the fields of biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, earth sciences, and physics the chance to spend a summer working with Ph.D. students and researchers in Germany on cutting edge research projects. Internship providers integrate the undergraduate directly into the lab’s work and serve as personal and professional mentors. All participants receive a scholarship to help cover living expenses, international travel stipend and health insurance. The partner universities and research institutions supply housing aid. RISE winners get a glimpse of advanced research work while gaining desirable practical experience in their field. They learn about Germany from the inside while meeting new people and taking their first steps with the German language –or practicing their existing language abilities. Beyond being a matchmaker for undergraduate research assistants and internship providers, DAAD also invites all fellows to a three-day event in Heidelburg where they have an opportunity to present their work, learn from each other’s experiences, and explore the historic city.
The Boren Awards fund undergraduate study abroad and graduate research focusing on geographic areas, languages, and fields of study that are critical to the United States’ national security interests. Boren Scholars and Fellows represent a variety of academic and professional disciplines. Still, all are interested in studying less commonly taught languages, including but not limited to Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, and Swahili. Applicants will identify how their study abroad programs or overseas projects, as well as their future academic and career goals, will contribute to U.S. national security, broadly defined.
An academic undergraduate or graduate scholarship that funds all course fees at the University of Oxford, the Ellison Scholars program offers a generous stipend to cover things such as travel, programming, accommodation and living expenses. Join a team with other Scholars and the EIT Faculty of Fellows to work on important technological innovation projects. The projects will initially be designed by a Faculty Fellow and the Scholar will be chosen to help advance the goals of the project. All projects are multidisciplinary and are comprised of a team that includes other Scholars, the Faculty of Fellows, other EIT scientists and engineers, as well as students and faculty of affiliated universities to help the Scholar achieve their goals.
The FAO Schwarz Fellowship is an intensive, transformative two-year program designed for new college graduates interested in social-impact leadership careers. Fellows will work in paid positions at leading nonprofit organizations in Boston, New York City, or Philadelphia. Working with their host communities, recipients will engage in direct service, participate in startegic projects, and pursue professional development that will enhance their early careers in social change. Compensation varies upon placement, however the fellowship guarantees a two year salary, entry-level benefits at their host organization, and professional development and leadership training with other past and present fellows.
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, facilitates cultural exchange through direct interaction on an individual basis in the classroom, field, home, and in routine tasks, allowing the grantee to gain an appreciation of others’ viewpoints and beliefs, the way they do things, and the way they think. The program is the largest U.S. international exchange program, in which participants pursue graduate study, conduct research, or teach English abroad. Fulbright provides opportunities in over 140 countries for graduating seniors, graduates, and young professionals who are thinking of studying abroad are encouraged to apply. Applications open in April and are due internally at MSU by mid-September and nationally by early October every year.
Each year Gates Cambridge offers full-cost scholarships to outstanding applicants from countries outside the UK to pursue a postgraduate degree in any subject available at the University of Cambridge. Approximately two-thirds of these awards will be offered to Ph.D. students, with approximately 25 awards available in the US round and 55 available in the International round. The selection criteria are outstanding intellectual ability, reasons for choice of course, a commitment to improving the lives of others, and leadership potential. You can apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship if you are: a citizen of any country outside the United Kingdom, applying to pursue one of the following courses at the University of Cambridge: Ph.D. (full-time or part-time*), MLitt (full-time), one-year postgraduate course (full-time), with some exceptions. To be eligible for the Gates Cambridge one must also be accepted into the intended graduate program at Cambridge.
The George J. Mitchell Scholarship, named in honor of the former Senator's pivotal contribution to the Northern Ireland peace process, is intended to familiarize and engage the next generation of America's leaders with the island of Ireland. These scholarships allow Americans to pursue one year of post-graduate study in any discipline offered at institutions of higher learning in Ireland and Northern Ireland. The US-Ireland Alliance sponsors this prestigious, competitive, national scholarship to enable American citizens between the ages of 18 and 30 to study at universities on the island of Ireland. Applicants are judged on three criteria: scholarship, leadership, and a sustained commitment to community and public service.
The Govern for America (GFA) Fellowship is a two-year paid opportunity for recent graduates to serve in high-impact roles in governments across the country as a part of a diverse community of engaged leaders. The GFA supports applicants from traditionally underrepresented communities in government leadership including: people of color, first generation college students, women and gender non-binary individuals, members of the LBGTQ community, and individuals from low-socio economic backgrounds. If selected, fellows go through a two-year leadership development program with training, coaching, mentorship, and skills-building sessions and are given access to a network of change-makers.
The Truman Scholarship is the nation’s premiere scholarship for students interested in public service. The Truman Foundation awards $30,000 to students for graduate or professional school in public-service-related degrees. Recipients also participate in leadership development activities and have exclusive access to the Summer Institute, which provides internship opportunities in the government or non-profit organizations in Washington, DC. Academic juniors from various backgrounds and interests are encouraged to apply. Candidates can pursue any field of study which will lead to a public service career. Applicants may be of any age, interested in any graduate degree other than the MBA, and consider either domestic or international programs for their graduate education.
The Humanity in Action (HIA) Fellowships explore issues of social justice, human rights, politics of memory and remembrance culture, and civic engagement. Students who receive a fellowship will complete one month of intensive study and then complete an action project over the next year. Each year there are several themed fellowships from which to choose. The one month of study for each themed fellowship is held in a designated city in the United States and Europe. After completion of their project, HIA Fellows gain access to a network of over 2,000 recipients.
Each year, through the James C. Gaither Junior Fellows program, sponsored by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, offers approximately 14 one-year fellowships in matters of Foreign Policy to uniquely qualified graduating seniors and individuals who have graduated during the past academic year. Fellows spend a year working at Carnegie with a senior scholar on one of several set Foreign Policy categories (these change each year). Fellowships are fully paid positions and fellows can receive relocation support of up to $1,500.
Knight-Hennessy Scholars develops a community of future global leaders to address complex challenges through collaboration and innovation. Every year, up to 100 high-achieving students from around the world will receive full funding to pursue any graduate degree at Stanford, including the JD, MA, MBA, MD, MFA, MS, and PhD programs, as well as all joint- and dual-degrees. Knight-Hennessy Scholars is the largest fully endowed scholars' program in the world. Applications for Knight-Hennessy Scholars are due in early September and nominees must also apply separately to their specific Stanford graduate degree program. Review the application requirements for more context.
The Luce Scholars Program is a nationally competitive fellowship that offers early-career leaders immersive, professional experiences in Asia. The program aims to forge stronger relationships across geographic borders by creating opportunities for young Americans to deepen their ties and understanding of the countries, cultures, and people of Asia. Open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents, the Luce Scholars Program provides stipends, language training, and individualized professional placement in Asia for 18 Luce Scholars each year. They accept applications from college seniors, graduate students, and young professionals in a variety of fields, with a range of backgrounds and experiences, who have had limited exposure to Asia. Applicants to the Luce Scholarship must demonstrate a commitment to professional careers centered around engagement in Asia, interest in diversity of perspective, and adaptiveness.
As future leaders with a lasting understanding of British society, Marshall Scholars strengthen the enduring relationship between the British and American peoples, their governments and their institutions. Marshall Scholars are talented, independent and wide-ranging, and their time as Scholars enhances their intellectual and personal growth. Their direct engagement with Britain through its best academic programs contributes to their ultimate personal success. It is awarded to as many as 40 students for two years of study at any British University in any subject at the graduate level. It is valued at $40,000 to $60,000. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, hold their first undergraduate degree from an accredited four-year college or university in the U.S., and have obtained a G.P.A. of 3.7 or higher.
A scholarship for graduate studies at McGill University in Canada, the McCall MacBain Scholarships fund master’s or professional degrees from all disciplines. In addition to funding, recipients will receive leadership curriculum, contact with a mentor, professional coach, and advisors. Applicants must show exceptional personal character, community engagement, leadership potential, entrepreneurial spirit, and academic strength in their applications. Students will apply as international candidates; completing the application in August of their senior year (or after receiving their bachelor's degree).
Participation in the Meridian Institute Ruckelshaus Fellowship provides an opportunity for early-career professionals to contribute to Meridian’s mission to help people collaborate to solve complex problems, make informed decisions, and implement solutions that improve lives, the environment, and the economy. The Fellowship is a two-year, full-time position either remote or hybrid in Washington, D.C. Ruckelshaus Fellows work as Project Associates and are integral members of our project teams. They provide research, writing, communications, and other support to senior staff. Fellows learn to navigate complex dynamics and find solutions to controversial issues. The program provides opportunities for Fellows to define their career interests, gain hands-on experience, and develop new networks within a dynamic professional environment.
The Morris K. Udall Scholarship is an undergraduate scholarship for sophomores and juniors who are interested in pursuing a career in environmental public policy OR who are Native Americans or Alaska Natives who are interested in health care or tribal policy. They will consider the student's field of study, career objectives, and the extent to which that individual has the commitment and potential to make a significant contribution to his or her field. Selected scholars receive up to $7,000 a year for qualified academic expenses, a five-day scholar orientation in Tuscon, Arizona, and access to the Udall Alumni Network.
The National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) helps to ensure the quality, vitality, and diversity of the scientific and engineering workforce of the United States. The program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students who are pursuing full-time research-based masters and doctoral degrees in STEM or STEM education. The GRFP provides three years of support over a five-year fellowship period for the graduate education of individuals who have demonstrated their potential for significant research achievements in STEM or STEM education. For each of the three years of support, NSF provides a $37,000 stipend and $12,000 cost of education allowance to the graduate degree-granting institution of higher education for each Fellow who uses the support in a fellowship year. Applications are accepted from graduating seniors who are about to start their graduate programs, and as an early graduate student. You can only apply ONCE as a graduate applicant. If you have completed more than one year in a graduate degree program, there are restrictions on your eligibility to apply.
The New York Urban Fellows Program is a highly selective, nine-month fellowship that combines work in Mayoral offices and City agencies with volunteer service opportunities and a seminar series that explores current urban issues impacting public policy. Program participants are diverse and come from all over the country to work in New York City. The program awards 25 applicants a stipend of $31,563 and health insurance. Applicants must apply within 2 years of graduating from a bachelor's program and be eligible to work in the U.S. after graduation.
The Hollings Scholarship Program provides awardees with financial aid of up to $9,500 for two years of full-time study and a 10-week, summer, full-time paid internship at a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) facility. To be eligible applicants must be a full-time 2nd year student in a four-year undergraduate program, or a full-time 3rd year student in a five-year undergraduate program. Applicants must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 and have a declared major in a discipline including but not limited to: oceanic, environmental, biological, and atmospheric sciences, mathematics, engineering, remote sensing technology, computer and information science, physical and social sciences including geography, physics, hydrology, geomatics, or teacher education that support NOAA's programs and mission. The program seeks to increase undergraduate training in oceanic and atmospheric science, research, technology, and education and foster multidisciplinary training opportunities.
The Pat Tillman Foundation identifies remarkable military service members, veterans and spouses, empowering them with academic scholarships, lifelong leadership development opportunities, and a diverse, global community of high-performing mentors and peers. Honoring the life of Pat Tillman, scholars must be dedicated to a life of service. Scholars receive assistance in funding for academic expenses, including tuition, books and living expenses; access to a broad and diverse network of high-performing peers, mentors and industry leaders; and leadership development opportunities. To be eligible applicants must be Veteran and active-duty military service members from all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces including the National Guard who have served in both pre-and post-9/11 eras or be current spouses of veteran or active service members, including surviving spouse. Applicants must be a full-time student pursuing an undergraduate degree (Bachelor’s or above) or pursing a graduate or professional degree.
Cadets/current ROTC participants with a future service commitment are not eligible to apply.
The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans (PD Soros) supports thirty New Americans— immigrants or the children of immigrants—who are pursuing graduate or professional school in the United States. Each fellowship supports two years of graduate school, up to $90,000, and fellows join in a lifelong community of New American Fellows. The scholarship was created by Paul and Daisy Soros, Hungarian immigrants and American philanthropists, to call attention to the extensive and diverse contributions of New Americans to the quality of life in the United States.
The USAID Donald M. Payne International Development Graduate Fellowship Program seeks to attract outstanding individuals who are interested in pursuing careers in the Foreign Service of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). If you want to work on the front lines of some of the most pressing global challenges of our times — poverty, hunger, injustice, disease, environmental degradation, climate change, conflict and violent extremism – the Foreign Service of the U.S. Agency for International Development provides an opportunity to advance U.S. foreign policy interests and reflect the American people's compassion and support of human dignity. The Payne Fellowship, which provides up to $104,000 in benefits over two years for graduate school, internships, and professional development activities, is a unique pathway to the USAID Foreign Service. The Payne Fellowship encourages the application of individuals from historically underrepresented groups in the Foreign Service as well as those with financial need. Candidates can be graduating seniors or college graduates with strong academic records and a desire to promote positive change in the world. Upon successful completion of the Payne Program and USAID entry requirements, Fellow receive an appointment to the USAID Foreign, with a required five years of service.
The Public Policy and International Affairs Junior Summer Institute (PPIA-JSI) supports efforts to increase diversity in graduate studies of public policy and international affairs. The PPIA-JSI provides high-potential undergraduate students to chance to participate in an intensive seven-week Institutes the summer before their senior year at six of the nation’s top universities including: Univ. of California-Berkeley, Univ. of Minnesota, Univ. of Michigan, Univ. of Washington, Carnegie Mellon Univ, and Princeton Univ. Fellows are taught the knowledge and skills they will need to succeed in graduate school and, ultimately, in influential roles serving the public good.
The Rangel Graduate Fellowship is a program that aims to attract and prepare outstanding young people for careers in the Foreign Service of the U.S. Department of State in which they can help formulate, represent, and implement U.S. foreign policy. The Rangel Program awards 45 fellowships each year of up to $42,000 annually for a two-year period for tuition, room, board, books, and mandatory fees for completing a two-year master’s degree. Rangel Fellows will participate in two internships. The first, an internship working on international issues for members of Congress in Washington, D.C., will occur in the summer before the first year of graduate study. The second will be an overseas internship in a U. S. Embassy or Consulate that takes place during the summer between the first and second years of graduate study. The fellowship supplies support of up to $10,000 per summer. Fellows who successfully complete the Rangel Program and Foreign Service entry requirements will receive appointments in the State Department Foreign Service in accordance with applicable law and State Department policy.
The Rhodes Scholarship provides $40,000 to $60,000 for two years of graduate study in most fields at Oxford University in England. Thirty-two scholarships are awarded nationally each year. The Rhodes is a post-baccalaureate program based on superior academic achievement, intellectual initiative, creative and aggressive thinking, and the potential for future leadership.
The Schwarzman Scholarship is one-year, fully funded master’s program at Tsinghua University in Beijing, designed to build a global community of future leaders who will serve to deepen understanding between China and the rest of the world. While in Beijing, students will work towards a master's degree in Global Affairs and attend leadership training. The Program covers tuition, room and board, a living stipend, travel to and from Beijing, and a stipend for personal expenses. Scholars chosen for this highly selective program will live in Beijing for a year of study and cultural immersion — attending lectures, traveling around the region, and developing a better understanding of China. Admissions opened in the fall of 2015 with outstanding success, immediately making Schwarzman Scholars one of the world’s most selective graduate and fellowship programs.
The Voyager Scholarship supports college students who are interested in public service, globalization, and creating meaningful change. The scholarship provides up to $50,000 in financial aid, $10,000 stipend and free Airbnb housing to be used toward summer work-travel after completing their junior year of college, $2,000 Airbnb stipend each year for 10 years following acceptance of the scholarship, an invitation to an annual summit with former President Obama and Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky, and access to an ongoing speaker series with leaders from respective disciplines. Applicants must apply in their sophomore year, have a 3.0 GPA, and have a history and interest in public service.
The Thomas R. Pickering Graduate Fellowship offers a unique opportunity to promote positive change in the world. Upon successful completion of a two-year master’s degree program and fulfillment of fellowship and Foreign Service entry requirements, fellows can work as Foreign Service Officers with the U.S. Department of State, in accordance with applicable law and State Department policy, serving in Washington, DC or at a U.S. embassy, consulate, or diplomatic mission around the globe. The Pickering Program plans to award 45 fellowships of up to $42,000 annually for a two-year period for tuition, room, board, books, and mandatory fees for the completion of two-year master’s degrees. Fellows will participate in two internships. The first, an internship working at the U.S. Department of State headquarters in Washington, DC, will occur in the summer between their first and second year of graduate study. The second internship will be an overseas placement in a U.S. Embassy or Consulate that takes place during the summer after fellow’s graduation.
The Fulbright U.K. Summer Institutes are three-to-four-week programs for U.S. undergraduate students to study at a university in the United Kingdom. Participants can explore the UK's culture, heritage, and history while experiencing higher education at a U.K. university. Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.7, have at least two years of undergraduate study remaining after the Institute finishes, and preference is given to students who have no or minimal travel experience outside North America. The best applications are from well-rounded students who can demonstrate strong academic ability, ambassadorial skills, intercultural sensitivity, a genuine desire to learn more about the U.K., and share aspects of American culture, extracurricular activities, community involvement, and leadership potential.
