Explore scholarship websites to learn about eligibility, selection criteria, application materials, and timeline. To build a strong application, start preparing early and be sure to come chat with Distinguished Fellowships staff. We recommend that potential applicants for fellowships with fall national deadlines make an appointment with the Distinguished Fellowships team by late spring.
Keep in mind that some fellowships (Rhodes, Marshall, Mitchell, Churchill, Truman) require an internal endorsement. Students must submit by the MIT internal deadline for consideration. Contact fellowships@mit.edu for specific information on this year’s internal deadline dates and required materials.
Alphabetical List of Select Distinguished Fellowships
Beinecke
Funds graduate study in arts, humanities, or social sciences at any academic institution in the world.
- Eligibility: Juniors
- Note: MIT may nominate only one student per year
- MIT Deadline: January
- National Deadline: Second week of February
- Campus Contact: Kim Benard
More info: http://fdnweb.org/beinecke/
Boren Scholarship (for undergraduates)
Funding for study abroad experiences for undergraduates (summer-STEM, semester, or year). Separate award for graduate students
- Eligibility: Current undergraduate
- MIT Deadline: December
- National Deadline: First week of February
- Campus Contact: Kim Benard (undergrads) and Dr. John Tirman/CIS (grad students)
More info: https://www.borenawards.org/
Chateaubriand
Funds Ph.D. candidates—to conduct research in France for a 4-9 month period.
- Eligibility: Ph.D. students
- MIT Deadline: December
- National Deadline: First week of January
- Campus Contact: Kim Benard and Vanessa Bouvry (MISTI-France)
More info: https://www.chateaubriand-fellowship.org/
Churchill
Graduate study in science, mathematics, or engineering at Churchill College at the University of Cambridge in the UK
- Eligibility: Seniors or graduate students
- Note: MIT may nominate only two students per year. Internal endorsement required.
- MIT Deadline: June
- National Deadline: Late October
- Campus Contact: Kim Benard
More info: http://www.winstonchurchillfoundation.org
Fulbright U.S. Student Program
Independent research, graduate study, or English teaching in countries around the world
- Eligibility: Seniors, graduate students, or alumni who are U.S. Citizens
- Note: Interested students should contact Distinguished Fellowships in the spring
- MIT Deadline: August
- National Deadline: Early October
- Campus Contact: Julia Mongo, Fulbright Program Advisor
More info: http://us.fulbrightonline.org/
Gates Cambridge
Graduate study in any field at the University of Cambridge in the UK
- Eligibility: Seniors, graduate students, or alumni
- MIT Deadline: June
- National Deadline: Second week of October
- Campus Contact: Kim Benard
More info: https://www.gatescambridge.org/
Gilman
Funds Pell Grant Awardees to study abroad
- Eligibility: Currently enrolled undergraduates on Pell Grants
- MIT Deadline: August (Spring and Summer), January (Fall, full year)
- National Deadline: October (Spring and Summer), March (Fall, full year)
- Campus Contact: Kim Benard
More info: https://www.gilmanscholarship.org/
Knight-Hennessy
Funds graduate study at Stanford University
- Eligibility: Seniors
- MIT Deadline: June
- National Deadline: Second week of October
- Campus Contact: Kim Benard
More info: https://knight-hennessy.stanford.edu/
Marshall
Funds graduate study at any institution in the UK
- Eligibility: Seniors and alumni (no more than two years past their BS) with at least a 4.7 GPA
- Note: Internal Endorsement required. Students must submit by MIT deadline to be considered.
- MIT Deadline: June
- National Deadline: September 30th
- Campus Contact: Kim Benard
More info: http://www.marshallscholarship.org/
Mitchell
Funds one year master’s program at any Irish university
- Eligibility: Seniors and alumni
- Note: Internal endorsement required. Students must submit by MIT deadline to be considered.
- MIT Deadline: June
- National Deadline: Late September
- Campus Contact: Kim Benard
More info: http://www.us-irelandalliance.org/
Rhodes
Funds graduate study at Oxford University in the UK
- Eligibility: Seniors and alumni (Per Rhodes: "Upon entry to Oxford, the candidate must either be under 25 years of age, or up to a maximum age of 28 years old if they have completed their first undergraduate degree within the last 2 years.") Requires at least a 4.7 GPA and strong leadership potential.
- Note: Internal endorsement required. Students must submit by the MIT deadline to be considered.
- MIT Deadline: June
- National Deadline: Early October
- Campus Contact: Kim Benard
More info: http://www.rhodesscholar.org/
Schwarzman
Funds a special 1-year Master’s program at Tsinghua University in Beijing,China
- Eligibility: Seniors and alumni
- MIT Deadline: June
- National Deadline: Late September
- Campus Contact: Kim Benard
More info: schwarzmanscholars.org/
Soros
Funds graduate education for “New Americans” (immigrants or children of immigrants)
- Eligibility: Seniors, graduate students, or alumni
- MIT Deadline: August
- National Deadline: Early November
- Campus Contact: Kim Benard
More info: https://www.pdsoros.org/
Truman
Funds graduate study in the U.S. or abroad for students interested in public service leadership
- Eligibility: Juniors
- Note: MIT may nominate only four students per year. Students must submit by the internal deadline for consideration.
- MIT Deadline: November
- National Deadline: February
- Campus Contact: Kim Benard
More info: https://www.truman.gov/
Udall
Provides up to $7000 for undergraduate academic expenses for Native American students interested in tribal policy or health care, or any student interested in environmental issue
- Eligibility: Sophomores and Juniors
- MIT Deadline: January
- National Deadline: March
- Campus Contact: Kim Benard
More info: http://www.udall.gov/OurPrograms/Scholarship/Scholarship.aspx