Do you understand how nationally competitive scholarships can help you achieve your academic and professional goals? Do you know what it takes to develop a competitive application for scholarships such as Rhodes, Fulbright, or Churchill? If not, the University of Utah’s Office of Nationally Competitive Scholarships, ONCS, is here to help.
Since its creation in 2020, ONCS has helped scores of U students secure once-in-a-lifetime funding opportunities— including the university’s first Rhodes Scholar since 2002.
“University of Utah students have backgrounds, life stories, and academic journeys that are unique and compelling,” said Ginger Smoak, director of ONCS. “Our job is to help these students create applications that showcase their capabilities so they can access these exciting opportunities.”
The Opportunity
Nationally competitive scholarships are prestigious awards funded by external entities that draw applicants from across the country and sometimes from around the world. These scholarships enable undergraduate and graduate students and recent alumni to pursue postgraduate study, conduct research, learn or work abroad, acquire foreign language or leadership skills, and train for careers in public service or STEM fields.
Established by the Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Honors College, ONCS manages over 33 scholarships serves all U students and recent alumni.
Recent U alum Sydney Kincart worked with ONCS to apply for the Mitchell Scholarship. Although she did not receive that award, the support she received from ONCS still helped her access exciting post-graduate opportunities.
“The ONCS process helped me develop a personal statement and narrative that made future applications easier,” Kincart said. “I was accepted into the Master of Science in Disability Studies at University College Dublin and received one of the largest scholarships they offer to U.S. students.”
Getting Started
Students interested in applying for nationally competitive scholarships are encouraged to connect with ONCS early in their academic careers by scheduling an introductory meeting.
This meeting allows ONCS staff to learn about the student’s academic, professional, leadership and volunteer experiences and their academic and professional goals. Students may schedule this meeting with a scholarship in mind or use it to learn about what opportunities would be a good fit for them. Following the introductory meeting, ONCS staff will help students create an application plan.
“One of the best parts of my job is meeting with students from across campus areas and helping them refine their personal and professional goals as they develop their application materials,” said Alison Shimko, ONCS assistant director. “Even if students don’t receive one of these prestigious scholarships, the application process enables them to think in a focused and creative way about their strengths and ambitions. It often results in future student success with jobs, volunteer opportunities, and graduate or professional programs.”
During the past academic year, ONCS assisted over 200 students from across campus in applying for a variety of nationally competitive scholarships. You can view the list of scholarships, recipients, finalists, semi-finalists, and alternates here.
Applying for nationally competitive scholarships can be time-consuming and complex—in some cases, the process may take six to nine months, and it varies by award. To prepare competitive applications, students attend ONCS webinars and workshops, develop written materials, solicit recommendations from campus and community members, collect transcripts and, if applicable, complete a language assessment. Students meet frequently with ONCS staff members throughout the application process for mentoring, advice, and feedback.
Some scholarships require the U to endorse its applicants, meaning students must first submit all application materials to ONCS by an internal U deadline and be vetted by a faculty committee. If the U can only submit a limited number of applications for a particular scholarship, the endorsement committee will choose which candidates should advance to the next round.
Learn More
To learn more about nationally competitive scholarships visit the ONCS website or book a meeting with an ONCS staff member: nationallycompetitivescholarships.utah.edu.
Here are a few upcoming scholarship opportunities managed by ONCS:
Knight-Hennessy (open, national deadline is 10/9/24)
Gates Cambridge (open, national deadline is 10/9/24)
Gilman (open, national deadline is 10/10/24)
Payne (open, national deadline is 10/24/24)
Soros (open, national deadline is 10/31/24)
Goldwater (open, U deadline is 11/15/24)
DAAD Rise (opens 10/15/24, national deadline is 11/30/24)
Udall (open, U deadline is mid-February 2025)
Critical Language Scholarship (opens early October, national deadline TBD)
The following ONCS deadlines have passed for students and alumni to apply through the U’s internal process, but to plan for next year, visit the links below: