Who qualifies: Undergraduates enrolled in a College of Social Science primary or second degree major with a 2.0 GPA or better.
How it can be used: Undergraduate research
Deadline: October 3, 2025
Who qualifies: Undergraduates enrolled in a College of Social Science primary or second degree major with a 2.0 GPA or better.
How much: Up to $1,500
How it can be used: Undergraduate research
Deadline: March 1, 2026
Who qualifies: A Social Science junior or senior.
How much: $6,304 to $6,495 stipend, working an average of 10 hours per week
How you will benefit: Opportunity to have an enriched independent research experience in the social sciences with a faculty mentor.
Deadline: March 1, 2026
Who qualifies: Social Science undergraduate with a minimum of 60 credits.
How much: Up to $5,000
How it can be used: Research project costs
Deadline: March 1, 2026
Who qualifies: This scholarship will alternate every other year between aiding undergraduate students and graduate students. Beginning AY2024-25, this scholarship will be awarded to undergraduate students and alternate with graduate students every other year.
How much: $1,200.
How it can be used: Funds may be used to support tuition.
Deadline: TBD
Who qualifies:
How much: up to $5,000
How it can be used: Tuition
NOTE: All required materials need to be uploaded prior to submitting the application. A missing requirement makes the application incomplete and may be rejected.
Deadline: February 1, 2026
Who qualifies:
How much: up to $3,000
How it can be used: Cost of attendance.
Deadline: February 1, 2026
Who qualifies: College of Social Science primary or second-degree majors who are entering as a freshman, current freshman, sophomore, or junior with a 3.0 GPA or better.
How much: up to $3,000
How it can be used: Cost of attendance.
Deadline: February 1, 2026
Who qualifies: Sophomores, juniors, and seniors from all majors within MSU College of Social Science.
How much: $1,500 to $2,000
How it can be used: Undergraduate or graduate student research
Deadline: March 28, 2026
Who qualifies: College of Social Science primary or second-degree majors who are entering as a first-year student, a current first-year student, sophomore, or junior and who may not qualify for financial aid. Preference given to students from single parent households.
How much: up to $4,000
How it can be used: Cost of attendance
Deadline: February 1, 2026
Who qualifies: Any Social Science major, with preference to those who attended public schools in Flint, Saginaw, or Detroit, with additional preference given to any such student who is on active or reserve duty, or is a veteran, of any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces or National Guard.
How much: up to $2,000
How it can be used: Cost of attendance
Deadline: February 2, 2025
Who qualifies: Undergraduate students enrolled in a primary or second degree major in the College of Social Science. Preference will be given to students enrolled in the Social Science Scholars Program or the InnovateGov Program.
How much: $2,000.
How it can be used: Funds may be used to support students in unpaid internships.
Deadline: February 1, 2026
Who qualifies: Undergraduate students enrolled in the College of Social Science who have indicated an interest in promoting civility in public discourse, specifically in the space of public policy, will be eligible for this award.
How much: Two (2) scholarships. $1,500 each.
How it can be used: Funds may be used to support tuition, scholarly research, community outreach and engagement, conference attendance, and/or trainings in the public sector.
How to apply: Applicants will be asked to write a 1-2 page personal statement a commitment to promoting civility and dialogue in the space of public policy and governance and how they plan to apply the knowledge, skills, and methods they have learned in their everyday lives to advance the impact of civility outside of the classroom.
Deadline: November 16, 2025
Deadline for all application materials is Midnight (12:00 AM EST) on February 1 in the year the scholarship will be awarded for Summer and Fall Programs.
Deadline for all application materials is Midnight (12:00 AM EST) on November 9 in the year prior to when the scholarship will be awarded for Spring Programs.
Who qualifies: Any student majoring in Social Science.
Amount: Up to $3,000
How it can be used: Any experience-based learning program cost.
Deadline: February 1, 2026
Up to $9,000 Scholarship Opportunity: Available for undergraduate students at Michigan State University looking to expand their educational horizons through study away in Washington, DC.
Learn More about
Who qualifies: Students majoring in Social Science who will undertake experiential learning (study abroad, study away, or internship) in Summer 2026 or Fall 2026. Preference is given to Veterans of the US Armed Forces.
Amount: Up to $2,000
How it can be used: Any experience-based learning program cost.
Deadline: February 1, 2026
Who qualifies: Students majoring in Social Science who will undertake experiential learning (study abroad, study away, or internship) in Summer 2026 or Fall 2026.
Amount: Up to $2,500
How it can be used: Any experience-based learning program cost.
Deadline: February 1, 2026
Who qualifies: Any MSU student of any major/year who is participating in a public policy internship. Any student completing Field Experience with a public policy-related internship should apply.
How much: $1000+ awarded each semester
How it can be used: Tuition
Deadline: June 1, 2026
For Domestic and International Internships
The Dr. Charles A. and Marjorie A. Gliozzo Endowed Scholarship for Domestic and International Internships provides financial support for undergraduate MSU students to participate in approved accredited internship programs. Financial need is not a factor in awarding this scholarship. Scholarships for variable amounts ranging from $500 to $1500 will be awarded to recipients.
Deadline for students planning to intern abroad in the summer, fall and spring of the following year is March 1.
For MSU's Washington, D.C. Semester Study Programs
(Fall or Spring only)
Applicants must be currently enrolled at Michigan State University and planning to participate in an internship in Washington, DC as part of MSU’s Semester Study Program during fall or spring semester. Those applicants who have demonstrated the Spartan tradition of community engagement and civic leadership are encouraged to apply.
Deadline:
Who qualifies: Students who are pursuing a degree at the College of Social Science and are participating in a Study Away program in the Washington, D.C. area.
Amount: Two (2) $3,000 scholarships.
How it can be used: Funds may be used to support their study away trip.
Deadline: March 1, 2026
For Interdisciplinary Studies Majors
Recognizes capable and deserving IDS students who are embarking upon for-credit field work experiences in the upcoming year. Please contact your IDS advisor for more information about this and other scholarships available to IDS majors.
Who qualifies: Students who are enrolled in a College of Social Science primary and second-degree major, who are participating in a study abroad program in Summer 2026 or Fall 2026.
Amount: Up to $2,000
How it can be used: Funds may be used to support their study away trip.
Deadline: March 1, 2026
Who qualifies: Students who are pursuing a degree at the College of Social Science and are participating in a Study Abroad program in the Summer 2026 or Fall 2026.
Amount: Up to $5,000
How it can be used: Funds may be used to support their study abroad trip.
Deadline: February 1, 2026
Betty Rendel Scholarship awards go to three female undergraduates each year who are attending a four-year accredited college or university and majoring in political science, government or economics. It is open to women across the nation.
Applicants must have completed at least two years of college before applying for the scholarship. Students must be interested in national government, politics and economics. When applying, they should be prepared to describe their level of interest in political and civic activities and what activities they have participated in.
The scholarship is sponsored by the National Federation of Republican Women (NFRW) in honor of past president Betty Rendel. Scholarship applications need to be sent to the appropriate state offices listed within the application information. Each state president may select only one applicant from each state to submit to the national headquarters.
The Barnow Empowering Leadership Award is intended to encourage students who have demonstrated the capacity to achieve educational and professional goals, the motivation to achieve these goals, and the initiative to seek opportunities to further their progress. Preference will be given to students in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences.
Applications due September 26, 2025.
Up to $5,000 Scholarship Opportunity: Available for undergraduate students at Michigan State University participating in the Women's Leadership Student Cohort and earning their degree through the College of Engineering.
Two scholarships will be awarded - one to a freshman or sophomore engineering student and the second to an engineering student of any academic year.
Applications due Friday, September 4, 2026 by 5:00 p.m. ET
Before you submit, thoroughly review the application, how you qualify, and the information and documents you will need to complete.
Make sure you have a thorough understanding of the terms/directions of the application. Do you know if and/or how you qualify? Can you complete the application and produce the required documents in the period provided?
Figure out when the application is due and work backward to create a timeline for completion. You will want to set a personal due date at least two to three days before the stated due date. This will allow time for editing and factor in time for submission errors due to technical problems.
Make sure you have plenty of time to complete, review, and apply on time. Do you know the application due date? Do you have a plan for completion and submission?
Read and review the directions of the application submission process. It is your responsibility to understand the application's necessary components, complete it, and submit it.
When writing an essay or other content connected to the scholarship prompt, ensure that every paragraph has a purpose and advances the objective. In your submission, connect the ideas from one paragraph to the next and provide examples to amplify your point.
Draft all additional documents (e.g., personal statement, a summary of goals, a summary of research). Have you followed the directions outlined for these documents? Do you have ample time to edit? Have you had a third party read and review? Do these documents represent you as a professional?
Whether for a scholarship, job, or educational program, the application is your virtual introduction to the reviewers. As such, you must take the time to verify all of your information is accurate and complete.
Double and triple-check your application for spelling and grammatical errors. Have you completed all fields? Are there any blank questions? Have you uploaded your revised documents (e.g., resume, personal statement)?
All award recipients must acknowledge the hard work and generosity behind the scholarship/award. This is not only a moment to thank the donor(s) but an opportunity to practice your professional writing skills.
Format all thank you letters professionally, remember you are writing as a professional, representing MSU, and most importantly, taking time to acknowledge the generosity of the donor(s). See general formatting tips below.
MSU programs and activities are not restricted based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, national origin or other protected personal identity. This program is open to students without restriction or preference based on protected personal identity. The WLI welcomes full participation of all interested students regardless of sex.