Morris K. Udall Scholarship

Website: Morris K. Udall Foundation

Campus deadline: February 4, 2008
Foundation deadline: Early March, 2008

**Candidates must be nominated by UW–Madison and may not apply directly. Students interested in applying should contact the Undergraduate Academic Awards Office for more information about the application process. Contact person: Julie Stubbs, 265-2428, awards@provost.wisc.edu

Purpose: Established by congress in 1992, the Udall scholarships honor the legacy Congressman Morris K. Udall. They support students in two areas: students who have demonstrated outstanding potential and a commitment to pursuing careers related to the environment; and Native American and Alaskan Native students who have demonstrated potential and commitment to pursuing careers in tribal policy or tribal health care.

Award: The scholarship provides up to $5,000 to fund undergraduate study for the junior or senior year, including tuition, required books and living expenses. Approximately 80 merit-based scholarships worth $5,000 and 50 honorable mentions worth $350 are awarded annually. Junior level recipients may be re-nominated and receive a maximum of two years of support.

Eligibility

  • Apply as a sophomore or junior (1–2 additional years of undergraduate study)
  • Enrolled full-time during scholarship year
  • College GPA of at least a “B” (ideally much higher)
  • U.S. citizen or permanent resident alien
    • If applying in the areas of tribal policy or health care, applicants must be of Native American or Alaska Native descent (documentation required, see website for further details).

Note: Only undergraduate sophomores and juniors may be nominated. Graduating seniors and first-year undergraduates (regardless of number of credits) are not eligible.

Selection Criteria

  • Commitment to a career environmental policy, or tribal policy or healthcare
  • Appropriate field of study, career objectives
  • Relevant coursework, service work, research, leadership activities
  • Academic performance and writing and analytical skills

Application Process: Applicants must seek university endorsement by submitting a completed Udall application to the UW–Madison selection committee, which may nominate up to six candidates annually. The application, which is available on the Udall website, includes a resume, short essays, transcripts, three letters of recommendation, and a 600-word essay exploring a legislative act, public speech or policy statement by Morris Udall.

Submit applications to: Udall Selection Committee, c/o Undergraduate Academic Awards Office, 271 Bascom Hall, 500 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI 53706.