The national grants, fellowships, and awards that are characterized as “distinguished” awards are highly competitive and demand extensive preparation.
For example, gearing up for an undergraduate-level award involves an application process, which includes developing credentials, that typically begins as early as the freshman year.
Consult the table below as the starting point in determining your eligibility for these prestigious awards.
| Name of Award | Eligible Fields of Study | Basis of Award | Year(s) of Application* | WSU Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boren | All | Merit | Sophomore, junior, senior, & beyond | December 1 |
| Fulbright | All | Merit | Senior & beyond | August 22 |
| Fulbright UK Summer Institutes | All | Merit | Freshman, sophomore | December 1 |
| Gates Cambridge | All | Merit | Senior & beyond | February 28 |
| Gilman | All | Financial need | Undergraduates | October 4, March 7 |
| Goldwater | Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) | Merit | Sophomore, junior | December 1 |
| Hollings | Certain fields in STEM | Merit | Sophomore | December 10 |
| Marshall | All | Merit | Senior & beyond | February 28 |
| Mitchell | All | Merit | Senior & beyond | February 28 |
| NSF GRFP(tooltip: NSF GRFP|National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program) | STEM | Merit | See note** | Mid‑October |
| Pickering | All | Financial need | Junior or Graduate | December 1 |
| Rhodes | All | Merit | Senior & beyond | February 28 |
| Schwarzman | All | Merit | Senior & beyond | March 11 |
| Truman | All | Merit | Junior | December 1 |
| Udall | All | Merit | Sophomores, juniors | January 6 |
*Year of application as defined by the scholarship—and what WSU considers the student’s current year might be different.
**Both undergraduate and graduate students can apply for an NSF GRFP, but only if they meet certain eligibility requirements. Stated briefly, these fellowships are meant for students who either are about to enter or have just started graduate school.