Beinecke Memorial Scholarship

Website: http://www.fdnweb.org/beinecke

Campus Contact: Roger Adkins:  email  •  make an appointment

The Beinecke Memorial Scholarship Program supports graduate study in the arts, humanities and social sciences. The Board of Directors of The Sperry and Hutchinson Company created the endowment to provide substantial graduate school scholarships honoring Edwin, Frederick and Walter Beinecke. These three brothers led The Sperry and Hutchinson Company in the 1920s, building it from a small enterprise to one with revenues exceeding $350 million by 1970.

Since 1975 the scholarship program has selected more than 335 highly motivated college juniors from 94 different schools to receive financial support during graduate study at any accredited university. Each scholar receives $5,000 immediately prior to entering graduate school and up to an additional $30,000 while attending.

Earlham is among around 100 U.S. colleges and universities (and among only three within the Great Lakes Colleges Association) eligible to nominate a student for the Beinecke Scholarship.

This fellowship requires institutional selection and nomination. A copy of all materials must be submitted electronically to the Center for Global Education. 

Who May Apply

College juniors (planning to graduate in December or May of the following academic year) pursuing a bachelor’s degree who plan to enter a research-based (including creative practice) master’s or doctoral program in the arts, humanities or social sciences. Candidates must have a documented history of receiving need-based financial aid during undergraduate study.

Application Pool Description

Each year approximately 130 colleges are invited to nominate one student for the 12 to 18 scholarships given.

Eligibility Limitations

Open to U.S. citizens or U.S. nationals from American Samoa or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Students in the social sciences who plan to pursue graduate study in neuroscience are not eligible, nor are students who plan to pursue professional master’s degrees such as degrees in law, business, medicine, or other areas.

Award Description and Duration

A Beinecke Scholar receives a total of up to $35,000 in support of their graduate education at an accredited graduate school. The initial $4,000 is awarded directly to the student prior to entering graduate school and is intended to offset costs of applications and visits to institutions of interest. While in graduate school, an additional maximum of $30,000 is awarded as a supplement to support provided by the graduate school. The award may be spread over up to five years to comply with institutional limits on the total amount of a student’s annual award. The maximum award amount in any academic year is $15,000.

Campus Requirements and Deadline

Eligible and interested juniors are asked to submit by January 12, 2024, a 1000-word essay describing their background, interests, plans for graduate study and career aspirations to Roger Adkins, who will submit them to the Beinecke Scholarship Committee. The committee evaluates the submissions and selects one nominee.

Application Requirements and Deadline

For the selected nominee only, these items need to be submitted by March 25, 2024:

  • The dean or administrative officer responsible for the nomination submits a Certification of Eligibility Form and a letter summarizing the reasons for the nominee’s selection.
  • A financial aid officer completes a Financial Data Sheet, certifying that the student qualifies for need-based financial aid.
  • The nominee’s completed Application Form, current resume, and official undergraduate transcript.
  • The nominee’s personal statement of 1,000 words or less describing background, interests, plans for graduate study and career aspirations, including a discussion of experiences and ideas that have shaped these plans.
  • Three letters of recommendation from faculty members that assess the nominee’s intellectual curiosity, character and potential for advanced graduate study.
  • Other material considered directly relevant to the nominee’s application.

Apply here

Notification

June 1

Recipients

  • 1994 Nathan Boyce (Religion; Mathematics – Stanford: Engineering Economic Systems)
  • 1991 Kristen Bohl (English – UT Austin: Speech)
  • 1982 Mary Anne Hohenstein (International Studies – UW Madison: Agricultural Economics)