Undergraduate Scholarship and Award Opportunities
Specific Awards & Scholarships
These awards and scholarships are awarded annual to History Majors.
Nicole Bingham Scholarship:
Requires an essay, maximum of 3 double-spaced pages, on the topic “How I Overcame Adversity to Realize My Academic Goals as a History Major.” Student must submit a completed FAFSA to show an unmet financial need and have a GPA no higher than 3.5.
Study Abroad Award:
Open to students who are enrolled or will be enrolled in a study abroad program for university credit during Summer 2025, Fall 2025, or Spring 2026. Preference for students completing a program of at least four weeks’ duration. Requires a 1-2 page statement describing the program, how it fits into your educational plans, and all coursework undertaken. Please supply a copy of the completed study abroad application form or acceptance letter.
The Socially Relevant Research Award:
Requires submission of a research paper written in the 2024-25 academic year on the topic of social inequality or ethnic or racial in/tolerance.
Award for Outstanding Paper in 696 Seminar:
Requires submission of complete (Fall) or rough draft (Spring) of a 696 paper written in the 2024-25 academic year.
Award for Excellence in the Honors Thesis Seminar:
Requires submission of a rough draft of honors thesis from the 2024-25 academic year.
Ewert/Cobb Award:
GPA under 3.0, preference for unmet financial need (FAFSA)
Constitution Reflection Award:
An audiovisual reflection on the enduring importance of the United States Constitution and its presence in our everyday lives. Application information can be found here.
2024-25 Prompt: Several concepts, such as “checks and balances,” “freedom of religion,” and “the right to bear arms” are widely touted as fundamental aspects of the United States Constitution. Choosing one such aspect, find its source in the Constitution and reflect on the relationship between its historical context and meaning and debates about its interpretation today.
Scholarships
These scholarships are not specifically listed on the application and do not require any additional materials. They will be awarded based on funding available, each academic year. You will be considered for these by submitting a completed application. Application will emailed to majors early in the Spring Semester.
W. Stitt Robinson Scholarship in American History:
A scholarship to provide students of American History; student must be enrolled in nine credit hours or more in US History Courses at KU.
Lila Atkinson Creighton Memorial Scholarship:
Unmet Financial Need (FAFSA), rising upcoming Juniors and Seniors
Phillip S. Paludan Memorial Scholarship:
Unmet Financial Need (FAFSA)
Edith M. Clarke Scholarship in American History:
Scholarship in American History
James C. Malin Scholarship:
Scholarship award for deserving students who have declared a major in the Department of History
Lila Creighton Atkinson Scholarship:
This award is to provide scholarships for deserving students at the University of Kansas who exhibit financial need and academic promise. Such scholarships shall be limited to juniors or seniors who major in history.
Nicole Bingham Memorial Scholarship:
This fund shall be used to provide scholarships for students who are working towards a degree in history and demonstrated a financial need and who have a GPA no higher than 3.5.
History Department Scholarship:
A scholarship provided by the Department of History.
Grant K. Goodman History Scholarship:
This scholarship provides support to any deserving student majoring in a History Department degree or discipline.
University of Kansas Award: Philip Whitcomb Essay Contest
All KU students are eligible to enter the Whitcomb Essay Contest. Essays should be no more than 5000 words (approximately 15 double-spaced pages) and must address “the relationship of knowledge, thought, and action in public affairs and public policy.” This topic is interpreted quite broadly and any paper you’ve written for an upper-level history class would likely qualify. The author of the winning essay is award $500. Instructions on how to submit your essay can be found here.