The Office of National Scholarship Advisement

Associate Dean Janet M. Burke, Ph.D.
Location: The Barrett Honors College, Irish Hall A, Room 222, ASU Main
Phone: (480) 965-5894 or email: janet.burke@asu.edu

The Office of National Scholarship Advisement (ONSA) helps students from all ASU’s campuses prepare to compete for national and international awards of merit.

Since 1991, ONSA-directed students have won over 208 major national awards worth over $3 million in external funding. In several competitions, ASU ranks among the top ten schools in the United States. Awards won include: Rhodes, Marshall, Fulbright, Truman, Goldwater, Mellon, NSF, Udall, National Security Education Program (graduate and undergraduate), Public Policy and International Affairs minority fellowships, Rotary, USA Today, and others.

If you are interested in entering a national competition, you should know that:

• ONSA offers information, application forms, advisement, scholarship research materials, and referrals to academic specialists.
• Although administered by the Barrett Honors College, ONSA is open to any ASU student on any of ASU’s campuses.
• The director of ONSA is the official ASU faculty advisor for most of the awards listed below. In many instances ASU students must apply through ONSA to be eligible for a specific competition.
• All awards administered through ONSA are merit-based rather than need-based, and all awards are nationally competitive. ONSA does not administer any local awards, ASU scholarships or ASU financial assistance. Students seeking financial support to attend ASU should contact the Student Financial Assistance Office: www.asu.edu/fa/. Phone: (480) 965-3355.
• For any of these competitions you should contact ONSA as early as possible. Application deadlines are generally a year in advance of the date funding begins. Preparation months or even a year or more prior to the application deadline is frequently desirable. Students are encouraged to contact ONSA as early as their freshman year. ONSA advisement may help you decide your curriculum or how you direct your extracurricular energy with a better understanding of the impact of those choices on your long-term plans.

Awards Directed or Advised by ONSA Include:

• Circumnavigators Scholarship: Undergraduate summer funding for multi-country, round-the-world research trip on a single topic. Not offered every year. Deadline: third Monday in October.
• Elie Wiesel Essay Competition: Awards for distinguished essays on contemporary ethical issues. Eligibility: full-time sophomore, junior or senior. ONSA deadline: third Friday in Nov.
• Fulbright Grants: Full support for an academic year of graduate-level research abroad. Eligibility: language of host country; completed BA/BS before leaving. ONSA deadline: 2nd Monday in Sept. Earlier preparation is essential.
• Gates Cambridge Scholarships: Awards are available for graduate study or for study for a second Bachelor’s Degree as an Affiliated Student at the University of Cambridge. 2nd Monday in Sept. Earlier preparation is essential.
• Goldwater Scholarships: Two-year science, math or engineering scholarship. Eligibility: full-time sophomore or junior; 3.6 science/math GPA; not a pre-med major. ONSA deadline: 3rd Friday in November.
• James Madison Fellowships: Two-year fellowship to pursue M.A. in U.S. history or political science as preparation for secondary-school teaching. ONSA deadline: First Friday in Feb.
• Javits Fellowships: Award provides support to students of superior ability, as demonstrated by their achievements and exceptional promise, to undertake study at the doctoral and Master of Fine Arts (MFA) level in selected fields of the arts, humanities, and social sciences. ONSA deadline: second Friday in November.
• Marshall Scholarships: Full support for two years at any British university in any field. Eligibility: full-time students; academic excellence; leadership or other distinction. 3.7 GPA. BA or BS before leaving. ONSA deadline: 2nd Monday in Sept.
• Mellon Fellowships: First-year doctoral fellowship in the humanities. Eligibility: senior or recent graduate who has not yet begun graduate studies; high GPA & GRE. ONSA deadline: Third Monday in October.
• Mitchell Scholarship: Full funding for an academic year of post-graduate study in any field at a university in Ireland, including the 7 universities in the Republic of Ireland and the 2 in Northern Ireland. Eligibility: demonstrated record of intellectual distinction, extra-curricular activities, and a potential for leadership. ONSA deadline; 2nd Monday in September.
• Morris Udall Scholarships: One-year undergraduate award for students in environmental public policy, or for Native American students interested in health care or tribal policy. Eligibility: sophomore or junior. ONSA deadline: first Monday in December.
• NSEP: Funds one or more years of foreign language and area studies in countries outside Western Europe and the English-speaking world. Eligibility: undergraduates and graduates; specific qualifications vary depending on country and level of student. ONSA deadline: last Friday in November. Undergraduate NSEP, Graduate NSEP.
• National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowships
• Phi Kappa Phi National Fellowship: First-year award for graduate/professional study in any field. The applicant may not have any prior graduate credit in order to be considered for an award. Eligibility: High GPA; senior or recent graduate. ONSA deadline: February 1.
• Rhodes Scholarships: Full support for two years at Oxford University in any discipline. Eligibility: full-time students between 18-24 years old; academic excellence; distinguished leadership in some endeavor. BA or BS before leaving. ONSA deadline: 2nd Monday in Sept.
• Rotary Scholarships: A variety of awards to support overseas study. Eligibility: varies with award; two years college study prior to leaving for foreign academic study; undergraduates must be single; language of host country required. Deadlines: national deadline in July; earlier local deadline may apply.
• Soros Fellowships for New Americans: Supports up to two years of graduate study in the United States for New Americans (an individual who (1) is a resident alien; i.e., holds a Green Card or, (2) has been naturalized as a U.S. citizen or (3) is the child of two parents who are both naturalized citizens.) ONSA deadline: second Friday in November.
• Truman Scholarships: Multi-year fellowship for graduate work in public-service field. Eligibility: full-time junior (occasionally seniors); 3.5 GPA; strong, multi-year, off-campus service or leadership record. ONSA deadline: 3rd Monday in Nov.
• USA-TODAY ALL-USA Award: Cash prize and trip to Washington for students picked as the top 20 undergraduate scholars in the U.S. ONSA deadline: last Friday in October.