Scholarships and funding
Applying for scholarships is about more than simply applying to scholarships. It encourages and challenges students to think about their academic experience at the UW and how they want to make an enduring impact in the world. Through the application process, students develop skills that will extend far beyond the application — clarifying and articulating goals, learning to find funding that matches their interests and cultivating relationships. These are skills that students will take forward as alumni, whether applying for graduate school, project funding, grants or launching their own business.
What you’ll find here: Scholarship advising and funding opportunities // UAA programs that offer funding // Scholarship stories
To learn about more types of financial aid, including scholarships and funding not associated with UAA programs, visit the Student Financial Aid website.
Udall Scholars focused on environmental justice
Helen Ganahl and Cece Hoffman recognized by the Udall Foundation.
Read more >
Huskies do their homework
Students find a number of ways to learn how to be competitive for scholarships that will help them meet their goals.
Learn more >
Scholarship advising and funding opportunities
Mary Gates Endowment for Students
Mary Gates Endowment scholarships enable students to pursue original research or leadership projects, or participate in the CoMotion Mary Gates Innovation Scholars summer program. Undergraduates carry out their own projects and work closely with a mentor to guide their work, helping them become independent learners, scholars, innovators and community leaders.
Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships & Awards
A resource for UW undergraduate students and alumni in developing the skills and personal insights necessary to pursue scholarships that fit their goals. Advisers mentor students through the scholarship application process by offering individual feedback, resources, and advising to support students in developing competitive applications.
UAA programs that offer funding
UW undergraduates are thinking and learning about some of today’s most perplexing and pressing issues. The chance to animate their classroom knowledge in a real world setting broadens students’ understanding of these challenges. Students and alumni often describe the rigorous inquiry, community engagement and reflection that comes with these experiences as transformative. To make these opportunities accessible to a broader range of students, several UAA programs offer scholarships, internships or other paid positions — see the list below and learn more.
Academic Support Programs
The Center for Learning and Undergraduate Enrichment (CLUE) offers free, peer tutoring to all UW students. Paid positions include front desk managers, drop-in tutors, student success coaches and discussion session leaders.
Carlson Leadership & Public Service Center
The Carlson Center is the UW’s center for service-based learning. They offer several fellowships, scholarships and financial awards to recognize and support students in community-based service and leadership projects.
Dream Project
UW undergraduates mentor students at under-resourced middle and high schools to support them in planning for life after high school, including college access. Paid positions include high school leads, college and career readiness assistants and lecture leads.
First Year Programs
First Year Programs offers several paid leadership roles for current students to help incoming students succeed at the UW. These include orientation leaders, student assistants and coordinators.
Honors Program
The Honors Program offers a range of scholarships to incoming and current students. Honors administers the Bonderman Fellowship, which funds up to eight months of solo travel and is open to all UW students.
Jumpstart
Through Jumpstart, UW students prepare and deliver language and social-emotional programming in preschool classrooms that serve children and families from under-resourced communities. Federal Workstudy paid positions, course credit and education awards are available upon completion of program.
Undergraduate Advising
UAA peer advisers support the advising team on drop-in advising. They receive extensive training in advising work, and work with students on major exploration, course registration, accessing academic resources, problem solving and decision making.
Undergraduate Research Program
The Undergraduate Research Program manages select scholarships, conference travel support and funded summer research experiences.Undergraduate Research Program advisers are available to help students learn more about obtaining funding to support their engagement in research.
Scholarship stories
University of Washington junior Virginia Burton receives prestigious Truman Scholarship
April 15, 2020
Congratulations to University of Washington junior, Virginia Burton, for being selected for the prestigious Truman Scholarship. A highly competitive award, only 62 students were selected from more than 773 nominations. The scholarship recognizes future leaders driven to make change at the policy level. Students are selected based on outstanding leadership, demonstrated civic engagement, academic potential…
Three UW students named Goldwater scholars for 2020
March 31, 2020
Congratulations Keyan Gootkin, Parker Ruth and Karen Zhang, UW's newest Goldwater Scholars.UW News The Goldwater Foundation honored three University of Washington students this year with its undergraduate scholarship for students studying the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering. Undergraduates Keyan Gootkin, Parker Ruth and Karen Zhang were selected for the award from a pool of more…
2018–19 President’s Medalists announced
January 30, 2020
The President’s Medalist Award celebrates the top student in each undergraduate class. Selected by a committee for their high GPA, rigor of their classes and number of Honors courses, the recipients for the 2018–19 academic year come from a broad range of disciplines. Junior medalist Renee Zhang is preparing for a career in medicine with…