In this context, the terms scholarships and fellowships are often used interchangeably and refer to awards funded by an outside (non-Ohio State) source. This funding source is usually referred to as a foundation and ranges from government agencies to non-profit organizations.
Students from universities across the country compete for a set number of funds awarded at the national level.
Fellowships that require campus nomination
Many of the national foundations that grant these awards require students be nominated by their university in order to apply; students are not able to apply for these awards directly. The UFO coordinates the campus selection process to select which students the university will nominate. Thus, for many awards, you are initially applying for Ohio State’s nomination for the award, rather than the actual award itself.
Because Ohio State must have time to conduct a campus selection process, the campus application deadline will be earlier than the final deadlines posted on many of the foundations’ websites. Students must meet the campus deadline to be considered for these awards, so it is important to plan ahead! Some campus deadlines are six months prior to the final, national date.
Fellowships you can apply to directly
Some awards do not require a university nomination, and students may apply directly to the foundation granting the award. We encourage students to work with the UFO on these applications as well. We will support you as you craft and revise your applications for these types of awards.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility criteria are minimum requirements which students must meet in order to apply, and they differ for each fellowship. Some awards require students to be at a specific point in their college career (e.g., sophomore, junior). These are not defined by the number of credits you have completed or your Ohio State-defined rank. This is defined by the amount of time left before you plan to graduate. If you are unclear as to whether you meet an award’s requirements, please contact our office.
The chart on the Major Fellowships page and the pages for individual awards spell out the criteria for each award.