Undergraduate Program Scholarships
Every year the Chemistry Department awards scholarships with a total value in excess of $30,000. Most individual awards are for between $600 and $1600. There are about 15 scholarships that have been endowed by 15 people or couples and each has a slightly different set of criteria concerning who can receive the scholarship. However, the two most important criteria can be summarized as: 1) academic excellence and 2) financial need. Nearly all of our scholarships mention one or both of these criteria.
Most of the Chemistry scholarships mention "financial need" as a criterion. That means that you are not eligible to receive these types of scholarships unless you have a demonstrated financial need. It is a simple matter to prove this need and most students can demonstrate some. I should note, however, that the Chemistry scholarships are not sufficiently well endowed to solve completely the financial need that most students demonstrate. Please consider the scholarships as a contribution toward your education rather than a solution to all your financial needs. To make yourself eligible for these types of Chemistry scholarships (and others that are available via the University), you must go to the UNL Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OSFA) in room 16 of the Canfield Administration Building and fill out a simple, one-page form before March. If you indicate that you are a Chemistry major, they will forward the information to us in April when we meet to discuss scholarships.
The next most common criterion is "academic excellence". This is most often defined as grade point average. Thus, your GPA is an important determinant as to whether you will receive these types of scholarships.
Finally, two of our scholarships require that you be a Nebraskan (well, almost). One of them asks that you have completed High School in the State and the other requires that you have lived in the State for the past 10 years. The Dr. Fred Upson Award has the 10-year residence criterion and also requires that the student be outstanding. It is one of our most lucrative scholarship at $5000 (in 2009). The simple criteria don't mean that this award is easy to obtain. If you wish to apply for this award, you will have to fill out the application form that will be posted during second semester (or contact me to make sure you get a form). You should prepare your materials as carefully as possible and don't be shy about mentioning your chemical accomplishments and goals. You should also be aware that the Upson award is also open to UNL Chemistry graduate students. Even so, most Upson awardees have been outstanding undergraduates because the committee holds graduate students to a higher standard because they have had more training.
One final note is that the Chemistry Department Scholarship Committee learns the total value of its Scholarship funds in April and must determine who will receive its scholarships by May I. After the committee decides, the awardees receive a letter telling them which scholarship they won and its amount. The scholarships are activated during the next academic year.
