Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education 2027

The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation was established by Congress in 1986 to serve as a living memorial to honor the lifetime work of Senator Barry Goldwater, who served his country for 56 years as a soldier and statesman, including 30 years in the U.S. Senate.

The Goldwater Scholarship Program, one of the oldest and most prestigious national scholarships in the natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics in the United States, seeks to identify, encourage, and financially support college sophomores and juniors who show exceptional promise of becoming this Nation’s next generation of research leaders in these fields.

The characteristics the Foundation seeks in a Goldwater Scholar include:

• strong commitment to a research career in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering,
• effective display of intellectual intensity in the sciences, mathematics and engineering, and
• potential for a significant future contribution to research in their chosen field.

By providing scholarships to college sophomores and juniors who intend to pursue research careers in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering, the Goldwater Foundation is helping ensure that the U.S. is producing the number of highly-qualified professionals the Nation needs in these critical fields. Over its 30-year history, Goldwater Scholarships have been awarded to thousands of undergraduates, many of whom have gone on to win other prestigious awards like the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Fellowship, Rhodes Scholarship, Churchill Scholarship and the National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship that support our Scholars’ graduate school work. Today, Goldwater alumni can be found conducting research that is helping defend the Nation, finding cures for catastrophic diseases and teaching future generations of scientists, mathematicians and engineers.

• Table of Content
• About Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation
• Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Undergraduate Scholarship
• Aim and Benefits of Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Undergraduate Scholarship
• Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Undergraduate Scholarship Courses
• Requirements for Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Undergraduate Scholarship Qualification
• Application Deadline
• How to Apply

Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Undergraduate Scholarship

Aim and Benefits of Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Undergraduate Scholarship

• Each Goldwater Scholar annually receives an amount equal to the cost of tuition, mandatory fees, books, and room and board minus the amount of support provided for by other sources, up to a maximum of $7,500 per full academic year. Scholars who receive the award as sophomores can expect to receive support for a maximum of two years (4 semesters) or until graduation, if sooner. Scholars who receive the award as juniors can expect to receive support for a maximum of one year (2 semesters) or until graduation, if sooner.

Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Undergraduate Scholarship Courses

• Engineering
• Mathematics
• Natural sciences
• Nautical Science

Requirements for Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Undergraduate Scholarship Qualification

Accredited 2- and 4-year U.S. academic institutions that have a Foundation identified Goldwater Campus Representative may nominate up to four currently or previously matriculated students annually. A student may not be nominated by more than one institution in a competition cycle. A four-year school may nominate a 5th student if one or more of the nominated students is a transfer student or U.S. Veteran. They may nominate up to six students if they have both a transfer student and a U.S. Veteran. No direct student applications or nominations by campuses without a Goldwater Campus Representative will be considered.

To be eligible for nomination for a Goldwater Scholarship, a student must:

1. Be a currently or previously matriculated sophomore or junior pursuing a degree at an accredited 2- or 4-year institution of higher education and be a full-time matriculated student during the academic terms when receiving scholarship support from the Foundation.
2. Intend to pursue a research career in a natural science, mathematics or engineering*,
3. Have a college grade point average of at least a 3.00 on a 4.00 scale*, and
4. Be a U.S. citizen or national from the 50 States, District of Columbia, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, United States Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Palau, and any other territory or possession of the United States; or a permanent resident. A permanent resident must submit a photocopy of their Permanent Resident Card, also known as a Green Card.

*The natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics fields and sub-fields used by the Goldwater Foundation to determine eligibility are those used by the National Science Foundation for its Graduate Research Fellowship Program. These include: Chemistry, Computer and Information Sciences and Engineering, Engineering, Geosciences, Life Sciences, Materials Research, Mathematical Sciences, Physics and Astronomy, and Psychology. To view a field’s sub-fields, click on the field in the table below.

While research in medicine is not supported by the National Science Foundation, students interested in pursuing careers in medicine or veterinary medicine are eligible for a Goldwater Scholarship IF RESEARCH IS A CENTRAL PART OF THE STUDENT’S CAREER GOALS.

*In recent Goldwater competitions, GPAs have ranged from 3.15 to 4.95 on a 4.00 scale.

Application Deadline

How to Apply

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