The Political Science Department is proud of our major scholarship and award winners. The department has the most winners of any department on campus.
Instructions for applying and a list of scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students are below.
How to Apply
Submit the Political Science Scholarship Application with the items below. Letters of recommendation are provided separately by faculty on another form.
Required:
- Completed application form
- Transcript(s)
- Scholarship Resume (details below)
- Academics and experience statement (details below)
- One letter of recommendation, preferably from a faculty member in political science
Optional for the McKelvie Scholarship:
- Two letters of recommendation, with at least one from a college or university faculty member and the second from someone who can attest to your commitment to a career in government.
- A narrative titled “Government Service” describing briefly your career preparation for government service and where in government and in what capacity you intend to serve; 400-800 words, including your name and NU ID in the header.
Due April 30
After you submit the completed application and relevant items, you will be considered for any departmental scholarships for which you are eligible.
Your application will not be considered if all required items are not included.
Contact
Required Items
What you need to complete the application process.
Scholarship Resume
- Titled "Scholarship resume"
- Your name and NU ID
- Academic achievements, honors and awards
- Internships and other activities related to political science
- Departmental, college, campus or community service
- Employment experiences
- Experiential learning (education abroad, internships, significant research experiences) while at Nebraska
Academics and Experience Statement
The Scholarship Committee is looking for students to comment on what they have learned as a political science student and how they are making the most of the undergraduate years, not on their grades.
- One page, 400-800 words
- Your name and NU ID in the header
- Titled "Academics and Experience Statement"
- Part I (labelled): Describe the ways your course work has helped you advance or develop your future plans.
- Part II (labelled): How is what you are doing outside the classroom (employment/service/activities) contributing to your education or future plans/goals?
Undergraduate
| Edna Jo Van Neste McGinley Memorial Scholarship |
| One scholarship of $1,000 awarded each year. |
| Gen. Lauris Norstad Scholarship in Political and Military Science |
| Two scholarships of $1,000 are available. |
| Haeyoon Kim UNL Political Science Scholarship |
| One scholarship of $1,000 is awarded each year. |
| Howard V. Fisher and Melissa L. Marsh Student Support Fund |
| One scholarship of $1,000 is awarded each year. |
| John Jay Douglass Scholarship |
| Two scholarships of $1,000 are awarded each year. |
| Libby Swanson Jacobs Scholarship |
| One scholarship of at least $4,000 awarded each year. |
| Mary Jean Ho Memorial International Relations Fund |
| |
| McKelvie Scholarships | Promoting and strengthening public service leadership in the public sector, including local, state, and federal government employment or careers.
| Ten to fifteen scholarships ranging up to $2,000 are awarded each year. |
| Paul and Bernice Crounse Political Science Scholarship Fund |
| Two scholarships of $1,000 are available. |
Graduate
Two of the above scholarships are also open to Graduate Student applicants, including the Mary Jean Ho Memorial International Relations Fund and McKelvie Scholarships. See above for more information.
For information on graduate assistantships and fellowships, please see this page: https://polisci.unl.edu/graduate-funding-opportunities/