FIRST STEP:

Consider your options on campus

We encourage all students, especially undergraduates in their first- and second-years, to apply for internal or campus scholarships. Whether you need the funding or feel like you are competitive, applying for merit and/or need-based scholarships, research fellowships, study abroad awards, or experiential learning travel grants, is an opportunity for you to practice writing personal essays, approaching mentors for letters of support or collaboration, and articulating your ideas and goals to an audience who doesn't know you well. 

• Did you know? Most national fellowships look for evidence of an applicant's record of success with on-campus scholarships and experiential learning grants. Knowing that an applicant was motivated to pursuing early and local support is a factor that is often weighed in selection processes.

Start with the University of Iowa's Scholarship Portal

The portal has hundreds of scholarship opportunities available, including general scholarships (open to all students) and college/departmental scholarships (restricted to students within a specific college, major or field of study). Scholarships may be recommended to you at different times throughout the year as applications become available, so we suggest visiting the Iowa Scholarship Portal often.

• Heads-up! The Portal lists scholarship availability without considering your eligibility, so start with the award criteria to see if you are a good fit for the opportunity before you spend your time or energy developing materials.

NEXT UP:

Explore the range of opportunities available at the national level

The Office of Scholar Development serves as the institutional nominating body for a range of national fellowships and offers expert support and experience to applicants in interested in these and many other academic and experiential opportunities. We encourage students to explore the different guides we've built and shared on this page to learn more about what kinds of national fellowships are out there. 

THINK GLOBAL:

Take a look at where you can go and what you can do abroad

Both the Office of Scholar Development and UI International Programs (including Study Abroad) support fellowship opportunities that will help you study abroad, develop your language skills, conduct research, or pursue graduate study outside of the US. You could be a good fit for the Rhodes Scholarship, the Schwarzman Scholars Program, or a Fulbright US Student Grant. You'll never know until you take a look at what they are looking for and what it means to join their scholar communities. 

Please note: All of our opportunity guides are provided as a courtesy and are meant to serve as a jumping off point for prospective applicants.  The information and links provided in each profile may not be current.  If a link is not working as expected, we recommend that students use their search engine of choice to investigate whether the funding source still exists and/or if it is a good fit for their professional goals and personal experiences.