About Us

Application Support

The Office of Student Fellowships supports SCU students and alumni as they apply for a variety of awards that fund domestic and international independent research and travel, teaching, and post-baccalaureate work or study. We also coordinate internal review processes for fellowships that require a campus nomination. 

While we advise students pursuing a wide range of opportunities, we are most involved with those competitions that require a campus nomination. These include the Rhodes, Marshall, and Fulbright for seniors and recent alumni, and the Truman, Goldwater, and Udall for sophomores and juniors.

Fellowship Promotion

We strive to make the entire university community aware of nationally competitive undergraduate scholarship opportunities. Through fellowship workshops, class and group presentations, email announcements and direct student contact, our office aims to notify students of specific fellowship opportunities and create a more comprehensive understanding of the fellowship process in general.

Applicant Identification

Through collaboration with students, faculty, and staff, we work proactively to identify students whose qualifications and goals match specific fellowship opportunities and encourage them to apply for nationally competitive scholarships that support their professional goals and academic interests.

Student Support 

The OSF seeks to develop student excellence. We believe that the fellowship application process provides students with a unique opportunity for personal growth.  Fellowship applicants refine their future plans and goals, and hone their ability to write and speak persuasively about their experiences and aspirations. While national fellowships are competitive and the final outcome may be uncertain, every student who pursues a fellowship will benefit from the experience of applying.

UGST 101: Preparing Fellowships and Graduate School Applications 

We also offer a 2-unit course on preparing Fellowships and Graduate School Applications. It will be co-taught in Spring 2025 by Stephen Carroll and Loring Pfeiffer. This course prepares students to identify their life-goals and achieve their potential by extending their intellectual development beyond their Santa Clara education. It focuses on constructing effective fellowship and scholarship applications and on gaining admission to graduate school and professional school (law, medical, business, etc.). Together, we walk through every step of the process, reflecting on and refining students' goals, researching appropriate fellowships and graduate schools, crafting strong curriculum vitae (résumés), writing compelling research proposals and personal statements, interviewing well, and assembling helpful letters of reference. The course, which is part of the Vocation Pathway, is open to all students, but we recommend taking it early in your undergraduate career.

Who we are