Udall Awards

To prepare to submit an application for a Udall award, students should:

1. Carefully review the goals and criteria of the Udall Undergraduate Scholarship.
2. Carefully review the Udall Undergraduate Scholarship application sample on that Udall website.
3. Demonstrate commitment to the environment, or health care, or tribal policy. This means getting involved, preferably beginning your freshman year. Your involvement might include campus, research, and community activities. Stay involved and commit to a couple of things. Assume leadership roles. Make a difference. Perhaps you are fortunate to have a paid job in your area of interest.
4. If you are interested in applying for a Udall award in the category of “environment”:
   1. Maintain a good GPA, particularly in your major.
   2. Provide the leadership for and commit to a project that has a measurable impact and makes a difference.
   3. Develop activities that make a true difference in environmental issues.
5. If you are interested in applying for a Udall award in the categories of “health care” or “tribal policy”:
   1. Participate in cultural and traditional activities.
   2. Be able to demonstrate commitment to your tribe.
6. Attend a Udall workshop (your first year at WSU is the perfect time!) as well as other workshops offered by the WSU Distinguished Scholarships Program.
7. Schedule a meeting by emailing the Director of the WSU Distinguished Scholarships Program.

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Application Process

1. Start the application process early! You must meet a January WSU deadline for the university to nominate you for a Udall award. Keep an eye on the time required for you to complete the following steps in time for the WSU deadline.
2. You must attend a Udall workshop offered by the WSU Distinguished Scholarships Program. Dates on which these Udall workshops are held are available on our calendar page.
3. Carefully review the goals and criteria of the Udall Undergraduate Scholarship. The Udall website has many tips for the application process. Take some time to explore the website. Download the sample application available on the “apply” page of the website.
4. Submit an email to distinguishedscholarships@wsu.edu with the following information : your name, email, permanent address, phone, grade level, major(s) and minor(s) and which category of Udall you are considering (environment, health care, or tribal policy). This information will be entered on the Udall website and will allow you access to the online application. Access will not be available prior to Oct 1.
5. Schedule an appointment with the Director of the WSU Distinguished Scholarships Program.
6. Request letters of recommendation 1-2 months before the WSU deadline. Select your recommenders (references) carefully as they must be able to address in their letters special points about you, as indicated in (a) and (b) below. Note that the letters must be sent directly by the recommender to the Director of Distinguished Scholarships. You will not submit the letters yourself.
   1. For students applying in the Udall category of environment, you must make sure that at least one of your references can comment on your specific role as a leader and how your leadership had an impact and made a difference.
   2. For students applying in the Udall health-care or tribal-policy categories, you must have at least one reference who can comment on your personal commitment to your tribe/Native Americans.
7. The internal WSU deadlinefor all Udall applicants is January 6, or, if January 6 falls on a weekend, the Monday immediately following. Your complete application package must include the following:
   1. Letters of Recommendation. Completed letters should be sent by the recommender as an email attachment to DistinguishedScholarships@wsu.edu with “Udall: your name” written in the subject line.
   2. Transcripts from ALL post-secondary institutions you have attended. These should be sent as an email attachment to distinguishedscholarships@wsu.edu with the subject line of “Udall, (your last name), transcript.” Alternatively, a printed copy of the transcript can be delivered to the Distinguished Scholarships Program office in CUE 519. NOTES: Transcripts do not have to be official transcripts. However, WSU transfer credit reports are not acceptable; unofficial transcripts must originate from the appropriate post-secondary institution.
   3. Your Udall application with your answers and essays should be saved and submitted as a word document; the word document must be attached to an email sent to distinguishedscholarships@wsu.edu; the email must have in its subject line “Udall, (your last name), application.”
8. All completed applications will be evaluated by the WSU selection committee based on your answers to the questions on the Udall application form, your letters of recommendation, and your academic transcript(s). You will be notified in January as to the outcome of your application.
9. Nominees will have the opportunity to revise their applications based on feedback from the WSU Udall committee and other faculty. All changes to the application should be completed ONLINE 7-10 days prior to the Udall Foundation deadline, which is usually during the first week in March.
10. The final applications of up to six (6) students will be nominated to Udall by WSU in time to meet the Udall deadline. WSU uploads and submits the letters of recommendation and transcripts.
11. Udall Scholarship recipients are typically notified in April of their award. All Udall Scholars from WSU should contact the WSU Distinguished Scholarships Program immediately to arrange to have a portrait taken.
12. The names of Udall Scholars from WSU will be listed on the Program’s website and in permanent displays at the Distinguished Scholars Gallery in the Compton Union Building (CUB) on the Pullman campus.
13. All applicants and their references will be guests at an invitation-only reception in March that is held in the Distinguished Scholars Gallery.

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