The Rotary Global Grant is the Nationally Competitive Award of the Month for January! ( we’re sneaking it in right before it’s time for February’s!)

Are you a junior or senior interested in going abroad for graduate school? If so, consider applying to the Rotary Global Grants. It provides up to $45,000 in funding for graduate school abroad that aligns with one of Rotary’s key areas of focus.

• Rotary works to improve local and international communities through their seven areas of focus: promotion of peace, disease prevention, water and sanitation, maternal and child health, education and literacy, economic development, and environmental protection.

Learn More: Applications are due in early April, but it’s never too early to start applying! Email nationalawards@cofc.edu to learn more or schedule an appointment with the office through Appointment Manager.

Are you studying abroad in the 2025-2026 academic year? Are you interested in learning a language critical to our nation’s positive engagement with the world?

If so, consider applying to the Boren Awards.

The Awards are nationally competitive and provide generous funding for students studying abroad in countries outside of Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.

Benefits: Awardees can receive up to $25,000 in scholarship funding to support study abroad courses that promote long-term linguistic and cultural immersion.

Great Fit For: Students learning (or interested in learning) languages like Portuguese, Russian, Japanese, Arabic, or Chinese.

How to Apply: Applications are due January 29th, 2025. Don’t miss this chance to get a head start on your Boren application over break!

Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business is accepting applications for their annual New Ideas competition!

The Opportunity: They are searching for undergraduate students dedicated to exploring the different ways business can be a force for good in society. Current students in their freshman, sophomore or junior year are invited to share their proposal for how a company, set of companies or industry sector can have positive impact on a specific community, population, location, industry or the environment at large.

Submission Details: You are welcome to pick existing companies or industries or present an entrepreneurial idea of your own. Proposals should highlight any ways in which your idea will contribute to improving civil discourse and reducing polarization in society.

Winners: Ten grand prize winners will receive an all-expenses paid trip to Duke’s Fuqua School of Business where they will present their proposals to influential business leaders and participate in a live case study. Winners who apply to and are admitted to one of Fuqua’s one-year master’s programs will also receive partial scholarship funding.

To Apply: Click this link to find the application. Proposals are due on January 21st, 2025.

For more information, go to the application link or check out the provided flyer.

The Phi Beta Kappa Society is offering a cohort of 20 Service Scholars majoring in arts and sciences disciplines at Phi Beta Kappa chapter institutions (like the College of Charleston) a $5,000 undergraduate scholarship!

Great Fit For: Sophomores and juniors with a 3.5+ GPA who demonstrate intellectual curiosity, breadth and interdisciplinary depth, leadership, and service to others.

Details: Phi Beta Kappa is committed to highlighting the value of expertise in the arts, humanities, mathematics, natural sciences, and social sciences in service to communities and to the nation. They see the recognition and support of Service Scholars as integral to these goals. Key into Public Service highlights the wide range of career opportunities for liberal arts and sciences majors in local, state, or federal government.

Additional Conference: Selected students are required to participate in an educational conference taking place in Washington, D.C. from June 25-29, 2025. This conference will highlight pathways into a variety of public service careers, provide a mentoring conversation matched to recipient interest, and offer other networking opportunities.

To Apply: Go to this link for the application and details. The application deadline is Tuesday, January 21, 2025 at 11:59pm ET. The Society will notify successful applicants by April 30, 2025. Membership in the Phi Beta Kappa Society is not required to receive this scholarship.

Are you a sophomore studying oceanic, atmospheric, or environmental science? Are you interested in having a summer internship at a NOAA facility?

The Award: If so, consider applying to the NOAA Hollings Scholarship Program! The Hollings Scholarship Program provides successful undergraduate applicants with scholarship funding (up to $9,500 per year) for two years of full-time study and a 10-week, full-time paid ($700/week) internship at a NOAA facility during the summer.

Want to learn more? Explore the NOAA Hollings website to learn more about and application components. The application deadline is January 31, 2025.

• We can help! The Office of Nationally Competitive Awards is here to support students applying to NOAA Hollings. Email us at nationalawards@cofc.edu to get answers to your questions and help with application materials.

Learn more about the Department of Defense SMART Scholarship-for-Service Program with a free webinar.

SMART 101: Sponsoring Facility Focus
Tuesday, October 8, 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. EST

The opportunity: The SMART scholarship offers STEM students who are currently pursuing a bachelor’s, master’s, or Ph.D. a full scholarship, internships, annual stipends, and guaranteed post-grad employment with the Department of Defense.

The benefits: The webinar will help interested students review eligibility requirements, program benefits, and gain tips and insight into the 2024 application.

Honors connection: Several Honors students have won this nationally-competitive scholarship in recent years.

The Program: The TRiO McNair Program prepares undergraduates to be successful in Ph.D. programs. We serve outstanding first generation college students from income-eligible families and undergraduates from racial and ethnic groups underrepresented in graduate education.

The Benefits:

• Summer Research Internship ($2800) with room and board
• Travel to present research
• Travel to explore graduate programs
• Multiple mentors and tutors

Great Fit For: Current juniors and seniors interested in graduate school and research; First-gen students from low-income families; and/or undergrads who identify with a race or ethnicity underrepresented in graduate education.

How to Apply: Online application + two LORs by November 1.