Goldwater Scholarship

About the Scholarship

The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program is a federally-funded fellowship for sophomores and juniors in STEM fields created to honor  Senator Barry M. Goldwater's military and government service.

The Foundation aims to provide a continuing source of highly qualified scientists, mathematicians, and engineers via scholarships to college students intending to pursue careers in these fields. 

Each scholarship covers eligible expenses for tuition, fees, books, and room and board, up to maximum value set annually. Sophomore-level scholarship recipients may receive a maximum of two years of support, and junior-level scholarship recipients may receive a maximum of one year of support.

Approximately 300 Goldwater Scholarships are awarded annually, with each applicant applying through their home state. The number of scholarships to be awarded per state will depend on the number and qualifications of the nominees from the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and, considered as a single entity, Guam, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Eligibility

To be considered for nomination as a Goldwater Scholar, a student must:

  • Be a full-time sophomore or junior.
  • Have a college grade-point average of at least "B" (or the equivalent).
  • Be in the upper fourth of the class.
  • Be a U.S. citizen, a U.S. permanent resident, or, in the case of nominees from American Samoa or the Commonwealth of the Mariana Islands, a US national. Nominations from permanent residents must include a letter of the nominee's intent to obtain U.S. citizenship and a photocopy of the Permanent Resident Card.

Application Process

To learn more about the Goldwater Scholarship Application Process, please see our Canvas site