The Beinecke program in the United States

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible Countries: Applications from S. citizen or U.S. national from American Samoa or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands are welcome
• Acceptable Course or Subjects: The program is open to study a Bachelor Degree, Research- or creative-focused master’s or doctoral program in in the arts, humanities or social sciences
• Admissible Criteria: To be eligible for a Beinecke Scholarship, a student must:
• Demonstrate superior standards of intellectual ability, scholastic achievement, and personal promise during their undergraduate career.
• Be a college junior pursuing a bachelor’s degree during the 2019-2020 academic year. “Junior” means a student who plans to continue full-time undergraduate study and who expects to receive a baccalaureate degree between December 2020 and August 2021.
• Plan to enter a research- or creative-focused master’s or doctoral program in the arts, humanities or social sciences. Students in the social sciences who plan to pursue graduate study in neuroscience should not apply for a Beinecke Scholarship.
• Be a U.S. citizen or U.S. national from American Samoa or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
• Have a documented history of receiving need-based financial aid during their undergraduate years. Primary evidence of meeting this criterion is a student’s history of receiving need-based institutional, state, or federal grants-in-aid.
• The nominated student will be required to complete and submit a Financial Aid Data Sheet outlining how the student meets this criterion

Offered Benefits

• Up to 20 study funds will be awarded.
• Winner of the program will receive a total of $34,000 to support their graduate education. $4,000 is awarded directly to the student prior to entering graduate school.
• Applicants can use this award toward the costs associated with the graduate application process and travel expenses related to the start of graduate school. While in graduate school, Scholars receive an additional $30,000 in support. These funds are granted as a supplement to support provided by the graduate school.
• The grant extends over up to five years to comply with institutional limits on the total amount of a student’s annual award.
• In the absence of institutional support or limits, winners may get a maximum grant of $15,000 per year

Application Process

• How to Apply: To apply, applicants must download the application form. A complete nomination package, with all of the required documents scanned into a single PDF file, must be submitted via the online system.

Note:Each year, approximately 135 colleges and universities are invited to nominate a student for a Beinecke Scholarship.Interested students enrolled at the following institutions should contact their campus liaison for information concerning the nomination process.

• Supporting Documents: A nomination includes the following:

1. A completed Application Form
2. A current resume or C.V
3. A statement of 1,000 words or less from the nominee devoted to describing their research or creative interests for graduate study and career aspirations beyond these studies.
4. A letter from the Dean or administrative officer summarizing the reasons for the nominee’s selection
5. Three letters of recommendation
6. An unofficial copy of the nominee’s transcript
7. Candidates who wish to pursue an MFA degree must submit an artist’s supplement of up to five pages of original work.
8. The nominated student must also complete, sign, and submit by email a Financial Aid Data Sheet to the Program Director no later than February 12, 2020.

• Language Requirement: Must have English proficiency in writing, speaking, and reading.