The Office of National Scholarships
Connecting students and alumni with national awards.
Founded in January 2018, the Office of National Scholarships (ONS) provides information and support for UTC students and recent alumni interested in pursuing nationally competitive merit awards.
The scholarships and fellowships advised within the ONS are different than most of the typical "merit" or financial aid scholarships that support undergraduate education.
These awards are funded by external sources such as government agencies or non-profit organizations to support specific endeavors or missions.
Transformative Experience
The application processes for these awards, regardless of the outcome, are often transformative experiences and can springboard a student’s personal and professional goals. While the process may be challenging, it's a worthwhile endeavor and students rarely regret the experience.
The Process
National Scholarships fall into two basic categories: “nominated” awards that have a preliminary application process and “open” awards to which students may directly apply. Many scholarships require applicants to receive the endorsement or nomination of the university before applying. If an institutional endorsement is necessary, then the applicant will follow a set of campus application procedures before submitting the final application.
For awards requiring university endorsement, ONS establishes a campus deadline in advance of the final submission deadline to allow time for application review and committee interviews. The campus deadline will occur weeks or even months prior to the national deadlines posted online, so it is important to take note of both dates. Students must meet the campus deadline to be considered for endorsement.
What makes for a competitive applicant?
We are looking for talented and motivated students who want to challenge themselves through a process of deep self-reflection. Students who have any of the following attributes are encouraged to contact us:
- Demonstrated Leadership Abilities
- Creative & Original Research
- Academic Ability/Intellect
- Commitment to Community Service
- Desire & Curiosity to learn more about the world
- Confidence & Self-Knowledge
Disclaimer
The Office of National Scholarships (ONS) supports UTC undergraduates and alumni who are undertaking nationally-competitive application processes. It provides support only and cannot, under any circumstances, accept responsibility for missed deadlines, incomplete applications, missing letters of recommendation or other supplementary materials, or selection outcomes at the campus or national level. The responsibility of completing and submitting an application rests solely on the student or alumni engaging in a national application process. The ONS does not guarantee or promise any outcome.