Scholarships Offered by or Coordinated Through Friday Harbor Labs
FHL Scholarships
Finding adequate funds to cover expenses at a field research station can be a daunting task for a student, so we have a very simplified process for ALL students taking our courses. If you are interested in scholarships from FHL there will be a section in our application that says “Are you interested in applying for scholarships from FHL?”. If you select that you are interested in applying for scholarships FHL staff will follow up with a link to a short questionnaire to help us understand your need as well as eligibility for different scholarships. (Please keep course costs in mind as you complete this process.)
Once you have been accepted to a course and confirm that you are still interested in attending, FHL staff will consider your request with other student requests and available funding in mind. You do not have to commit to a course and pay the deposit until financial aid is decided. Financial aid packages are based on a student’s merit and need, in addition to the availability of funding. Awards typically range between $1,000 to $3,000 for a quarter, although students with outstanding need are sometimes provided with more.
If you have any questions about that process, please reach out to FHL’s Academic Services Manager (fhlstudents@uw.edu).
Mary Gates Endowment (UW Students Only)
If you are taking an FHL Research Apprenticeship or Research Experience in Spring or Autumn, you may be eligible for a Mary Gates Endowment (MGE) Scholarship. These scholarships offer UW students up to $3000 for a 15-credit FHL Research Apprenticeship and $1250 for a 6-credit FHL Research Experience (this includes FHL 470 in the zoobots program and FHL 450 in the spring marine studies program). Note that eligibility criteria, awardee requirements, and the application process are different than for non-FHL Mary Gates scholarships.
The majority of eligible FHL students who apply for MGE scholarships are awarded them!
Who is eligible to apply for an MGE scholarship?
- Must be a UW Undergraduate at the time the FHL course begins
- Minimum 3.0 GPA
How do I apply?
You must apply through Friday Harbor Labs. If you are eligible for and interested in an MGE scholarship, please notify FHL Student Services: fhlstudents@uw.edu
Application Materials Required – emailed to fhlstudents@uw.edu
- A copy of your most recent UW transcript (unofficial is fine). Although you submitted your transcript when you applied to FHL, you probably received grades for another quarter since that application. =
- A Personal Statement (ca. 1 page) describing your motivation for participating in the Research Apprenticeship or Research Experience, with a focus on your long-term goals. Scholarship reviewers are not so interested in the fact that you’ve loved the ocean since you were two years old, but want to know why you want to pursue research and where you hope to go with it in the future. Also, if your GPA is very close to the minimum 3.0 required or your transcript includes particularly low grades for certain courses or quarters, you may want to include a few words of explanation on your statement. Email your statement as a PDF document.
- Request a Letter of Recommendation from a UW faculty member (preferred) or other college-level instructor, and ask that person to email the letter as a PDF document to fhlstudents@uw.edu; the email subject line should include your last name and FHL academic quarter.
When are MGE scholarship applications due?
Complete MGE applications are due soon after being accepted as a student to the program. The FHL Academic Services Manager will update you with a due date after a course roster has been created.
Other Scholarship Opportunities
- All UW students should begin by exploring options through the UW Office of Financial Aid.
- The UW Biology department lists a number of scholarships, including one that offers up to $4,000 to Biology majors taking a course at FHL.
- The UW Library Research Award is for UW undergraduates working on a project that involves use of library and other information resources. Multiple $1000 grants available each year. Application deadline in May.
- The Caroline Gibson Scholarship in Marine Studies is to support undergraduate or graduate students pursuing a degree related to marine conservation. In keeping with Caroline’s legacy, they’re looking for students with a passion and commitment to sustaining the Salish Sea through their studies, work and life. Three awards of $3,500 are given each year. Applications open September and close October, and awards can be used at any time during the academic year.
- The Udall Undergraduate Scholarship is a $7,000 scholarship for sophomores and juniors who are committed to making a difference in either the environment or Native American/Alaska Tribal Policy or Native Healthcare. U.S. citizenship or permanent residency is required for this scholarship. This fund is specifically committed to supporting Native American and Native Alaskan students.
- Scholars from Japan may apply to the special funding source available through the Morse Institute.
- The Libbie H Hyman Memorial Scholarship “provides assistance to students to take courses or to carry on research on invertebrates at a marine, freshwater, or terrestrial field station.” It is for advanced undergraduates and first or second year graduate students. The application deadline is typically in early February. Examples of FHL courses that would qualify include Marine Invertebrate Zoology and Comparative Invertebrate Embryology.
- Phycological Society of America Fellowships is for graduate students taking courses on algae at a field station. Follow the link above for application instructions (applications do not go through FHL).
- Pacific Northwest Shell Club is for enrolled senior undergraduates working with an advisor, graduate students, or post-doctoral scholars working on research relating to mollusks or understanding their role in the environment.
- UC Berkeley has a good list of biology-related funding, some of which could be relevant for students studying at FHL.