USRA Scholarships

Scholarship Value: $5,000

Awards Available: 5

Award Deadline: Aug 7, 2025


The USRA Distinguished Undergraduate Awards provide college scholarship awards to students who have shown a career interest in science or engineering with an emphasis on space research or space science education, and aeronautics-related sciences.

These scholarships are funded solely by your donations. Donate now.

OVERVIEW

USRA presents up to five scholarship awards to undergraduate students each fall as part of its Distinguished Undergraduate Award program.

Applicants must be full-time undergraduate students attending a four-year accredited college or university that offers courses leading to a degree in science or engineering. Applicants must be within two (2) years of earning a B.S. or a B.A. in a field of science and engineering, including life science and science education by the time the award is received. Scholarship awards are made in the fall, with applications accepted during the summer.

Detailed eligibility and application requirements are available here.  Applications for 2025 awards will be accepted starting in June 2025.

THE SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS

Thomas R. McGetchin Memorial Scholarship Award

This scholarship award honors the late Thomas R. McGetchin, former Lunar and Planetary Institute Director, for his significant contributions in the area of volcanic and igneous processes, work accomplished through field, experimental, and theoretical investigations of volcanic activity on Earth, the Moon, and Mars. One-time award of $5000.

John R. Sevier Memorial Scholarship Award

During his 22 years of service to USRA, Sevier served as Acting Director of the Lunar and Planetary Institute and as Deputy Director of the Division of Space Life Sciences. This memorial scholarship award honors his dedication to education and advancements in aerospace technology. One-time award of $5000.

James B. Willett Educational Memorial Scholarship Award

This scholarship award recognizes the efforts of the late James B. Willett, a noted astrophysicist who worked with USRA through the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and NASA Headquarters. One-time award of $5000.

Frederick A. Tarantino Memorial Scholarship Award

This scholarship award recognizes the late Frederick A. Tarantino, USRA President and CEO from 2006 - 2014, in recognition of his many contributions to USRA and his dedication to furthering the education of young scientists and engineers in space science related fields. One-time award of $5000.

Judith L. Pipher Memorial Scholarship Award

This scholarship award recognizes the late Judy Pipher for her contributions to infrared astronomy, her mentoring the next generation of scientists and engineers, and her many contributions to USRA as a member of the Board of Trustees, the representative for University of Rochester, and the Chair of the USRA SOFIA Science Council. One-time award of $5000.

ELIGIBILITY

  1. Applicants must be full-time undergraduate students attending a 4-year accredited college or university in the United States at the time the award is received.
  2. Applicants must be majoring in a field of science or engineering, including life sciences or science education, with application to fields in space science or aerospace engineering.
  3. Applicants must be within two years of a B.S. or B.A. in a space science-related field of science or engineering (including life science and science education with application to fields in space science or aerospace engineering) by the time the award is received.
  4. Applicants must have a Cumulative GPA of 3.50 or greater.
  5. Applicants must be US citizens or lawful Permanent Residents.
  6. Previous USRA scholarship winners are not eligible.
  7. Non-US students attending USRA Member Universities located outside the United States are also eligible to apply. Applicants must be citizens of the country in which the university is based. In addition, all application materials must be in English, and eligibility with regard to academic grades and number of years to undergraduate degree must be equivalent to that for U.S. applicants. We recognize the differences in education systems among different countries and will apply reasonable interpretations of the guidelines. (The eligible non-US universities are University of Toronto, University of British Columbia, University of Leicester, University of Sheffield, Chinese University of Hong Kong, University of Stuttgart, University of Cologne, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Tel Aviv University, University of Canterbury, University of Sydney, University of Bern, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), University of Zurich, Seoul National University, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, University of Padua, and Polytechnic University of Turin.

The USRA Distinguished Undergraduate Awards are awarded without regard to race, sex, religion, age, national origin, or sexual orientation. USRA maintains impartiality in the selection of scholarship awards, and scholarships are awarded solely based on the merits of the application. USRA will not award scholarships to applicants who are not qualified and reserves the right not to award a scholarship in a given year.

How to Apply:

No Essay Scholarship by Sallie

Deadline: Jul 31, 2025
$2,000
The $2,000 No Essay Scholarship by Sallie is only open to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and any US Territory age 17 or older at the time of entry, and who meet one (1) of the four (4) following eligibility requirements at the time of entry:A parent who currently has a child enrolled in...

ScholarshipOwl Scholarship

Deadline: Aug 01, 2025
$2,025
ScholarshipOwl is your source of relief from the dreaded application process. We put students on the fast-track to success by providing direct access to the scholarships they need the most. Take the hassle out of financial aid and maximize your chance at a free ride in college. No matter how much funding you need for school, we have the opportunities...

Niche $10,000 Scholarship

Deadline: Jul 31, 2025
$10,000
Niche can help with every step of the college search including paying for it. We're giving one student $10,000 to help cover tuition, housing, books and other college expenses — no essay required!High school seniors who apply can also be eligible to receive acceptance (and scholarship!) offers from our Niche Direct Admissions partner colleges.Apply for our $25,000 No Essay Scholarship...

Be Bold Scholarship

Deadline: Aug 01, 2025
$25,000
The "Be Bold" Scholarship is a no-essay scholarship that will be awarded to the applicant with the boldest profile. It takes less than 2 minutes to apply.To us, boldest does not mean "best", or "most accomplished". Being bold means being:EarnestDeterminedMovingThe scholarship will be awarded to the student whose profile is most bold, according to these characteristics.Furthermore, the scholarship will be...

$10,000
The Scholarships360 $10,000 “No Essay” Scholarship is open to all students who want some extra help paying for their education. Whether you are a high school student who hopes to go to college, a graduate student who’s in a master’s program, or an adult learner who wants to return to school, you are eligible for our no essay scholarship.This scholarship...

A Better Financial Future Scholarship

Deadline: Jul 31, 2025
$2,000
The Scholarship is open to all residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, age 17 or older at the time of entry. Employees and contractors of LeverEdge Association are ineligible to participate in the Scholarship Program. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply.SelectionOne (1) entry will be selected at random at the end of the...

The Future is Now Scholarship

Deadline: Jul 31, 2025
$1,001
The Lenny Scholarship offers $1,001 US to support young individuals aged 16 and above, enrolled in college and residing in the US or India. Automatic disqualification may occur for multiple applications.EligibilityYou must be a resident of the US or IndiaYou must be 16 years of age or olderYou must be enrolled in a college

Appily Easy Money Scholarship

Deadline: Jul 31, 2025
$1,000
The Appily scholarship application is fast and easy.Scholarship Eligibility: This scholarship is open to high school sophomores, juniors, and first semester senior students for all majors and schools. We will judge this scholarship based on other criteria such as volunteer work, extracurricular activities, special circumstances, etc.About the sponsors of the scholarship (EAB and Appily):EAB is the market leader in helping colleges...

10 Words or Less Scholarship

Deadline: Nov 15, 2025
$1,000
Scholarship Eligibility:A) Anyone who is between the ages of 14-25 who will be attending school in the Fall of 2026.B) This scholarship is provided by StudentScholarships.org. In order to apply for our scholarship follow these instructions:1. Go to www.facebook.com/myscholarships and place a comment on any post you see answering the question:In 10 words or less, tell us why you deserve...

VSA Emerging Young Artists Program

Deadline: Jul 27, 2025
$3,000
Our programs for artists with disabilities shape the future of the arts. The Access/VSA Emerging Young Artists Program, a Jean Kennedy Smith Arts and Disability Program, amplifies the voices of emerging visual artists through career development and professional empowerment.This national juried exhibition seeks artwork that demonstrates the excellence and important perspectives of artists with disabilities, ages 16-25, residing in the...