Sophomore Fellowship Opportunities

After reflecting on your first year, consider some of the awards listed below. Consider what local, national, or international issues you might be passionate about solving. Consider how you might continue to develop your leadership skills. Continue to pursue undergraduate research and build key relationships with faculty and staff on campus. 

In addition to the scholarships listed below, there are several scholarships that are available to juniors or rising juniors, but require preparation during your sophomore year. Please look for awards on the junior page that might interest you.

Undocumented students should explore resources from Educators for Fair Consideration (E4FC). Their site includes lists of both undergraduate and graduate scholarships that don't require proof of U.S. Citizenship or legal permanent residency.

Opportunities in Public Service/Human Rights

FireScienceOnline: This site is a useful resource for discovering various careers in public service, and includes a list of public service internship opportunities. 

Humanity in Action Fellowship: 

• Emphasis: Academic, Experiential, International
• Open to students enrolled at the undergraduate or graduate level (*Undergraduates must be at least a Sophomore)

*Udall Undergraduate Scholarship:

• Emphasis: Academic 
• Open to students enrolled at the undergraduate level and interested in studying issues related to Native American nations or to the environment 

 

Opportunities in Study Abroad

Boren Scholarship: 

• Emphasis: Academic, Research, Language
• Open to any undergraduate student

Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) for Young Professionals:

• Emphasis: Academic, Language, Experiential, International
• Open to candidates interested in studying, interning and living in Germany for approximately 9 months

*Critical Language Scholarship:

• Emphasis: Academic, Language, Experiential, International
• Open to undergraduate and graduate level students

Freeman Awards for Study in Asia (Freeman-Asia): 

• Emphasis: Academic, Experiential, International
• Open to students with financial need and limited experience to countries in Asia for a study abroad program

*Fulbright Summer Institutes for U.S. Undergraduates: 

• Emphasis: Academic, International
• Summer academic programming open to students at the undergraduate level with at least two years of study remaining

*Gilman Scholarship: 

• Emphasis: Academic, Language, Experiential, International, Other: Internship
• Open to any student at the undergraduate level

Overseas Press Club Foundation Scholarships and Internships:

• Emphasis: Experiential, International
• Open to undergraduate and graduate students interested in global economic issues

 

Domestic Summer Opportunities

Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Summer Program: 

• Emphasis: Academic, Experiential
• Open to full-time undergraduate students with at least sophomore status

GeoCorps: 

• Emphasis: Experiential
• Participate in paid, short-term geoscience positions in some of the most beautiful natural areas in the world—America’s National Parks, National Forests, and BLM lands

John Lewis Fellowships:

• Emphasis: Academic, Experiential
• Open to applicants at the sophomore, junior or senior-level of undergraduate study, or masters and PhD level students interested in civil and human rights
• Program held in Atlanta, Georgia 

Mount Vernon Leadership Fellows Program: 

• Emphasis: Academic, Experiential
• Open to good standing sophomores enrolled in undergraduate study

National Institutes of Health Summer Internship Program (NIH SIP):

• Emphasis: Reseach, Experiential
• Open to applicants enrolled in undergraduate, graduate, or professional programs at a college or university

Wilhelm-Keiffer Student Research Award: 

• Emphasis: Academic
• Open to undergraduate students and those up to one-year out from their undergraduate studies in the field of material culture studies

 

Opportunities in STEM Disciplines

Astronaut Scholarship:

• Emphasis: Academic and Research
• Open to current sophomores and juniors performing graduate level research, applying for junior and/or senior year

DAAD RISE: 

• Emphasis: Academic, Research, Language, International
• Open to undergraduates
• Specific eligibility requirements and due dates vary based on individual award opportunities.

Foreign Affairs Information Technology (IT) Fellowship Program: 

• Emphasis: Academic, Experiential, International
• Open to undergraduates in programs relevant to IT and will be entering junior year in the fall the cohort year; OR seeking admission to an IT-related master's degree program beginning in the fall of the cohort year

Goldwater Scholarship: 

• Emphasis: Academic
• Open to students enrolled at the undergraduate level (must be a Sophomore or Junior)

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Intramural Research Training Award: 

• Emphasis: Research
• Open to candidates at the undergraduate through postdoctoral levels

NURSE Corps Scholarship Program: 

• Emphasis: Academic
• Opent to applicants enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a full-time or part-time student in an accredited nursing degree program

ONR Naval Research Enterprise Internship Program: 

• Emphasis: Research, Experiential
• Open to candidates enrolled at the undergraduate or graduate level with at least 31 credits earned
• 10-week internship program participating in research in a Navy laboratory

Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU): 

• Emphasis: Research
• Eligibility varies on the opportunity. See websites for specific information.
• Note: Students should engage in undergraduate research at Minnesota State Mankato to become competitive for these awards.

The Science, Mathematics And Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship: 

• Emphasis: Academic, Experiential
• Open to undergraduate and graduate students pursuing one of the 21 approved STEM disciplines listed on the website

Society of Women Engineers Scholarship: 

• Emphasis: Academic
• Open to all candidates who identify as female and plan to pursue/are pursuing engineering, technology, or computing related programs

Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships:
(Please contact the Fellowships Office for assistance in exploring these opportunities.)

• Emphasis: Research
• Open to first-years to juniors at the undergraduate level
• Note: Students should engage in undergraduate research at Minnesota State Mankato to become competitive for these awards.

Thermo Fischer Scientific Antibody Scholarship Program: 

• Emphasis: Academic
• Open to undergraduate and graduate level students pursuing a degree in biology, chemistry, bio-chemistry, or related life science fields

 

Opportunities to Fund Undergraduate Study:

 Pat Tillman Award:

• Emphasis: Academic
• Open to Veterans, active duty service members, and spouses of veterans or active service member, including surviving spouses

Zonta International Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarships:

• Emphasis: Academic
• Open to female applicants enrolled in a university or college between second year and the final year of a Master's program
• Programs of interest: Accounting, finance, business management, marketing, operations management, human resources management, international business, or entrepreneurship

 

*This award requires university endorsement; please contact our office for more information.

 

For more award opportunities, please visit the Office of University Fellowships in Morris Hall 265.