Beinecke Scholarship
Scholarship Sponsored by Sperry Fund
Introduction
Each year the Beinecke Scholarship invites roughly 145 colleges and universities to submit a single nominee; up to 20 new scholarships are awarded annually. If your institution is participating and you are interested in being considered, get in touch with your campus liaison to learn the school’s process and internal timeline.
Key Deadlines and Submission Instructions
- Campus liaisons must compile all nomination documents into one PDF and send that file to the Beinecke Scholarship Program Director by 5:00 p.m. Eastern on the final Friday in March.
- In addition, nominated students must email a copy of the Financial Aid Data Sheet to the Beinecke Scholarship Program Director within 72 hours after the application deadline.
- Be aware that your college or university will set its own internal nominating deadlines that are earlier than the March deadline; contact your campus liaison for those dates.
- Do not send application materials to the Beinecke Scholarship Program Director unless you have been designated as your school’s official nominee.
Who May Be Nominated (Eligibility)
To be considered for a Beinecke Scholarship, applicants must meet all of the following criteria:
- Demonstrate exceptional intellectual ability, strong academic achievement, and clear promise based on their undergraduate record.
- Be a college junior during the 2025–2026 academic year. For this program, “junior” means you are currently enrolled, intend to continue full-time undergraduate study, and expect to receive a bachelor’s degree between December 2026 and August 2027.
- Intend to pursue graduate study—a research- or creative-focused master’s or doctoral degree—in the arts, humanities, or social sciences. (Note: students in the social sciences planning graduate study in neuroscience or clinical psychology should not apply.)
- Be a U.S. citizen or a U.S. national from American Samoa or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
- Have a documented history of eligibility for need-based financial aid during undergraduate study. There is a modest preference for applicants who have received Pell Grants; other acceptable evidence includes prior receipt of need-based institutional, state, or federal grants. Nominees must complete and submit a Financial Aid Data Sheet describing how they satisfy this requirement. Financial need is a factor in selection; priority will be given to candidates for whom a Beinecke Scholarship would materially increase the likelihood of attending graduate school.
Nomination Process Summary
Each invited institution may put forward one candidate per year. Interested students should work with their campus liaison to follow that institution’s nomination procedures and internal deadlines.