Beinecke Scholarship

Purpose

The Beinecke Scholarship supports graduate study in the arts, humanities or social sciences, “to encourage and enable highly motivated students to pursue opportunities available to them and to be courageous in the selection of a graduate course of study.”

More information on the Beinecke Scholarship.

Award

$4,000 upon completion of undergraduate studies (intended to offset costs associated with the graduate application process and to pay for travel expenses directly related to the start of graduate school), and $30,000 awarded as a supplement to support provided by the graduate school. The award may be spread over up to five years to comply with institutional limits on the total amount of a student’s annual award. In the absence of institutional support or limits, scholars may receive a maximum award of $15,000 per year for two years (no geographic restrictions).

Number Offered

Approximately 125 highly selective colleges and universities are each invited to nominate one candidate.

Fields of Study

Limited to graduate school in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Theory and research programs strongly favored. Committee does not favor law, business or professional schools, such as education, architecture, journalism or other skills and practical analysis based programs.

Eligibility

Juniors who represent “superior standards of intellectual ability, scholastic achievement, and personal promise during their undergraduate careers.” Must have documented history of receiving need-based financial aid during undergraduate years and be a U.S. citizen; must plan to enter a master’s or doctoral program in the arts, humanities, or social sciences (excluding neuroscience). Level of need will be a consideration at both the nomination and final selection stages of the process. Most competitive applicants have GPAs of 3.7 or higher.

Deadlines

Nomination application deadline is November 10, Beinecke final deadline is in February.

Application Process

To apply, you must be nominated by Middlebury. Middlebury nominates one candidate. Please note that we are moving to a new online application system this fall. We will update this page by Nov 4 to confirm whether you will apply through the new online platform or through the email method outlined below. The materials needed for the nomination application will be the same, so you can begin working on the application now. If you have questions, email fellowships@middlebury.edu.

To be nominated, mail the following information as a single file (Word or PDF) to fellowships@middlebury.edu by the internal deadline above:

• Application form
• A statement of 1,000 words or less describing your background, interests, plans for graduate study, and career aspirations. Discuss experiences and ideas that have shaped these plans.
• A current resume.
• A BannerWeb advising transcript
• An additional statement (a paragraph or two) concerning your financial situation and any significance it may have on your graduate-school plans.

You must also submit the online Fellowships Permissions and Waiver form.

No letters of recommendation are needed for the internal process.

The selected nominee will solicit three letters of recommendation and work with the fellowships advisor to submit a formal application to the Beinecke Foundation by the final February deadline.

Note: Beinecke Scholarships may be deferred in the event that a scholar wins an additional award, such as the Truman, Fulbright, or Rhodes.

Contact

Lisa Gates, Associate Dean for Fellowships and Research
Davis Family Library 225G
lgates@middlebury.edu
(802) 443-3183