Nationally Competitive Scholarship Opportunities

Note that the information on this page is focused on highly competitive merit-based scholarships with a campus and national selection process. For queries regarding general undergraduate financial support or financial-need based scholarships, students are encouraged to contact the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships.

The Scholarship Coordinator in the College of Letters and Science Division of Undergraduate Education facilitates the application process for students in all colleges applying to national and international scholarships that require campus endorsement. These prestigious merit-based scholarships provide support for a variety of pursuits including public service, study abroad, unique domestic and international graduate programs, and more. Opportunities include but are not limited to the Rhodes, Marshall, Goldwater, Truman, Strauss, and Udall Scholarships.

These nationally competitive scholarships typically require campus endorsement, in which case students must apply through the Division of Undergraduate Education by an advance campus deadline to be considered for nomination. Undergraduate Education coordinates with the campus Faculty Selection Committee to select, nominate, and endorse candidates.

Students can find links to each of the national scholarship pages, which contain eligibility and campus application guidelines, at www.duels.ucsb.edu/academics/scholarships/endorsement. Students interested in applying to a specific nationally competitive scholarship should contact the Scholarship Coordinator at scholarships@ltsc.ucsb.edu to set up an appointment to discuss their interest and potential application well in advance of the campus application deadline.

Although Undergraduate Education does not maintain a directory for third-party scholarships that do not require campus endorsement, our office can assist students applying to a competitive merit-based scholarship who wish to discuss materials and get feedback. Current UCSB students working on a scholarship applications and looking for assistance may request a meeting by contacting us at scholarships@ltsc.ucsb.edu.