SCHOLARSHIPS AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
NOVEMBER 1
Scholarship applications open
DECEMBER 31
Scholarship applications close
Scholarship Resource Center
Open to all students regardless of financial aid eligibility status, the Scholarship Resource Center was established at Georgia State in 2011 and offers guidance and support to students seeking financial assistance by providing year-long promotion of scholarship opportunities.
Scholarship Opportunities
The Andrew Young Undergraduate Scholarship
To provide financial assistance to outstanding leaders and scholars in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. Awards of up to $2,000 for one year will be made based on academic merit, leadership and need. Students must be in good academic standing to be selected for the scholarship.
Nance Lu Mescon Scholarship
To provide support to undergraduate students in good standing at Georgia State. The award is intended for, but not limited to, students interested in research in the area of eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa, from a policy or intervention perspective. Preference will be given to qualified students enrolled at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies.
Amis Stephan Endowment for Undergraduate Retention
Established by Drs. William Amis and Paula Stephan, the Amis Stephan Endowment provides financial assistance to outstanding undergraduate leaders at Georgia State University. This university-wide scholarship is awarded for academic merit, leadership, and need. Half of the scholarship recipients are Andrew Young School students.
Summer Accelerator Scholarship
The Summer Accelerator Scholarship provides financial assistance to seniors who take one or two summer courses to complete the Andrew Young School undergraduate degree.
RISE Award
Established through the generosity of Sam and Angie Allen, this award provides financial assistance to outstanding undergraduates in the Andrew Young School. This scholarship is awarded for academic merit, commitment to community service, and financial need.
Byars Family Undergraduate Scholarship
Established by alumna Linda Byars (B.B.A. ’68, M.A. ’73), this award provides financial assistance to first-generation college students in good academic standing with a 3.0 GPA or higher.
Public Management and Policy
PMAP and CPUA Scholarship
To provide scholarships to students who are enrolled in good standing in an undergraduate or graduate program in the Department of Public Management & Policy. Recipients must demonstrate merit for assistance in a letter of application and a statement of goals and their academic record must establish scholastic merit. Recipient must also maintain a GPA of 3.0 or better during the period of the award.
Rick Anderson Scholarship
To provide scholarships to undergraduate or graduate students in the Department of Public Management and Policy who are also employees of a local municipality or county government in the area covered by the Atlanta Regional Commission. Preference will be given to employees who are majoring in an area related to local government financial management.
Economics
Jim Mills Memorial Scholarship
To provide one annual scholarship to a student in good standing who demonstrates an interest in real estate, housing, community development, urban economic development or urban planning. Preference will be given to students with an interest in a public sector career.
Zeinah Danielle Aouani Scholarship
To provide scholarships to undergraduate students majoring in economics in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. The recipients of the award must be in good academic standing at Georgia State University and have a minimum 3.2 GPA. Preference will be given to students who are registered for research credits in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies or registered for the research internship course.
Urban Studies Institute
Jim Mills Memorial Scholarship
To provide one annual scholarship to a student in good standing who demonstrates an interest in real estate, housing, community development, urban economic development or urban planning. Preference will be given to students with an interest in a public sector career.
Social Work
Chris Perrin Memorial Scholarship
To provide scholarships to rising juniors or seniors majoring in social work or criminal justice and who is enrolled in good standing at Georgia State. Recipient must have completed at least 90 hours in the degree program with a grade point average of 2.5 or better, and the GPA must remain at or above that level in order for the student to receive funds from this scholarship.
Social Work and CPUA Scholarship
To provide scholarships to students who are enrolled in good academic standing in an undergraduate or graduate program in the department. Students must be currently enrolled at Georgia State, must demonstrate a combination of scholastic merit and financial need, must maintain a GPA of 3.0 or better during the term of the award or must maintain the minimum GPA for their degree program, whichever is greater.
Criminal Justice and Criminology
Chris Perrin Memorial Scholarship
To provide scholarships to rising juniors or seniors majoring in social work or criminal justice and who is enrolled in good standing at Georgia State. Recipient must have completed at least 90 hours in the degree program with a grade point average of 2.5 or better, and the GPA must remain at or above that level in order for the student to receive funds from this scholarship.
James L. Maddex, Jr. Scholarship
To provide scholarships to students who are enrolled in good academic standing in an undergraduate or graduate program in the Criminal Justice Department. Applicants must demonstrate a combination of scholastic merit and financial need and maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0.
Judge Andrew A. Mickle Scholarship in Criminal Justice
To provide scholarships to undergraduate students who are studying criminal justice. Preference is given to active military personnel, veterans, active POST-certified law enforcement officers, children of the preceding classes, children of retired or deceased military and law enforcement personnel, children of parents (one or both parents) born in upstate New York or students who were born there. If there are no qualified undergraduate applicants the scholarship may be awarded to a graduate student who meets the requirements. This scholarship is awarded based solely on merit. Recipients must have a Georgia State institutional GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Larry E. Quinn Scholarship
To provide scholarships to employees of law enforcement agencies in the Metropolitan Atlanta area who are part-time or full-time students in the Criminal Justice program.
Phil Peters Scholarship
To provide scholarships for juniors majoring in criminal justice and who have at least a 3.0 GPA and who plan to have a career in criminal justice. The scholarships will be awarded based solely on merit.
Bobby Joe Chancey Sr. Memorial Scholarship
To provide scholarships to full-time criminal justice students planning a career in law enforcement who are entering their sophomore or junior year, considered “at-risk” and have financial need. Recipients may continue to receive the scholarship each year until graduation as long as they remain in good academic standing. Preference will be given to applicants who have been Camden County residents or residents of nearby counties, however, all students who otherwise qualify are encouraged to apply.
Claudia Lacson Memorial Endowment
Provides funds for rural health program development and for scholarships. The scholarships associated with this endowment are granted to graduate research assistants for the Health Policy Center in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies.
E.D (Jack) Dunn Fellowship and Research Fund
Provides annual graduate fellowships and commissions research papers on banking. The fellowship is for one year only for a master’s or doctoral student. The recipient must be a second or third-year student with academic and research interests in public finance, financial regulatory policy impact on national, regional and local economics or public management. Preference is given to students with a potential career in the Georgia workforce.
Jean Childs Young Fellowship
The Andrew Young School will award up to $5,000 each year for two academic years for the Jean Childs Young Fellowships. The fellowship may be used for tuition, books, room, board and other expenses incurred by graduate students. Recipients must be enrolled in a graduate degree program at the Andrew Young School, have a minimum 3.0 GPA and remain in good standing while receiving the fellowship. Applicants will be evaluated on merit, need and how well their scholarship and/or professional life aligns with the legacy of Jean Childs Young.
Public Management and Policy
Amanda G. Hyatt Fellowship
Provides fellowships to enrolled students pursuing a master’s degree with a concentration in nonprofit studies. Candidates will have shown excellent academic performance in undergraduate, degree-related coursework. They must be and in the first semester of their master’s degree coursework. Students in the first year of study may apply for the fellowship, which will provide support for their second year of graduate work.
Center for State and Local Finance Public Finance Fellowship
The Center for State and Local Finance (CSLF) has established the CSLF Public Finance Fellowship to recognize and support students who have a commitment to innovative, non-partisan state and local public finance research. The fellowship is awarded annually to an incoming or current graduate student in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies who is pursuing an MPA, MPP or master’s degree in economics.
Dan Sweat Scholarship
Provides scholarships to students enrolled in the master of public administration degree program within the Department of Public Management and Policy. Eligibility is based on a combination of scholastic merit and financial need. Recipients must have completed 20 hours in the degree program with a grade point average of 3.5 or better and be preparing for or further developing, a career in public administration.
E.D (Jack) Dunn Fellowship and Research Fund
Provides annual graduate fellowships and commissioning research papers on banking. The fellowship is for one year only for a master’s or doctoral student. The recipient must be a second or third year student with academic and research interests in public finance, financial regulatory policy impact on national, regional and local economics or public management. Preference given to students with a potential career in the Georgia work force.
Governor Joe Frank Harris Endowed Scholarship
Provides an annual scholarship to an incoming MPA or MPP student who is a Georgia resident and has a 3.0 or higher grade point average.
Jim Mills Memorial Scholarship
Provides one annual scholarship to a student in good standing who demonstrates an interest in real estate, housing, community development, urban economic development or urban planning. Preference will be given to students with an interest in a public sector career.
Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program
The Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program offered by the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies recognizes returned Peace Corps volunteers enrolled in a participating master’s program with an opportunity to receive a tuition waiver and stipend. Applicants into the Master of Science in Criminal Justice, Master of Arts in Economics, Master of Public Administration, Master of Public Policy or Master of Social Work programs are eligible to apply for this fellowship. Before applying, returned Peace Corps volunteers who completed a full tour will receive an application fee waiver for one of these programs. Upon admission, eligible applicants are then considered for the Coverdell Fellowship program. Recipients must complete an internship in support of an underserved Atlanta community organization and up to an eight-hour-per-week research assistantship.
PMAP-CPUA Scholarship
Provides scholarships to students who are enrolled in good standing in an undergraduate or graduate program in the Department of Public Management & Policy. Recipients must demonstrate merit for assistance in a letter of application and a statement of goals and their academic record must establish scholastic merit. Recipients must also maintain a GPA of 3.0 or better during the period of the award.
Rick Anderson Scholarship
Provides scholarships to undergraduate or graduate students in the Department of Public Management and Policy who are also employees of a local municipality or county government in the area covered by the Atlanta Regional Commission. Preference will be given to employees who are majoring in an area related to local government financial management.
Senate Budget and Evaluation Office Legislative Fellowship
The Department of Public Management and Policy (PMAP) in partnership with the Georgia Senate Budget & Evaluation Office (SBEO) has established a fellowship that is available to MPA and MPP students. The fellowship with SBEO fulfills the three-credit-hour MPA/MPP internship requirement and can also be applied toward an additional three-credit-hour MPA/MPP elective. The fellowship lasts for one year, with an option to renew for an additional year depending on performance.
UPS Foundation, Inc. Fellowship
The UPS Foundation is UPS’s charitable arm and leads the company’s corporate citizenship efforts. Its approach to philanthropy is centered of four pillars that are directly aligned with UPS’s business goals: diversity, environment, community safety and volunteerism. It fulfills the 3 credit hour MPA/MPP internship requirement and can also be applied toward an additional three-credit-hour MPA/MPP elective. It lasts for one year, with an option to renew for an additional year depending on performance.
Economics
Carole Keels Endowed Scholarship
Provides scholarships to eligible graduate students enrolled in a degree program in economics. Eligibility is based exclusively on merit. Preference given to non-traditional students.
Center for State and Local Finance Public Finance Fellowship
The Center for State and Local Finance (CSLF) has established the CSLF Public Finance Fellowship to recognize and support students who have a commitment to innovative, non-partisan state and local public finance research. The fellowship is awarded annually to an incoming or current graduate student in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies who is pursuing an MPA, MPP or master’s degree in economics.
E.D (Jack) Dunn Fellowship and Research Fund
Provides annual graduate fellowships and commissioning research papers on banking. The fellowship is for one year only for a master’s or doctoral student. The recipient must be a second or third year student with academic and research interests in public finance, financial regulatory policy impact on national, regional and local economics or public management. Preference given to students with a potential career in the Georgia work force.
Jack Blicksilver Scholarship in Economics
Provides scholarships to graduate students enrolled in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies in a degree program in economics.
Jim Mills Memorial Scholarship
Provides one annual scholarship to a student in good standing who demonstrates an interest in real estate, housing, community development, urban economic development or urban planning. Preference will be given to students with an interest in a public sector career.
Mark E. Shaefer Graduate Fellowship
Provides scholarships for graduate students in economics.
Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program
The Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program offered by the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies recognizes returned Peace Corps volunteers enrolled in a participating master’s program with an opportunity to receive a tuition waiver and stipend. Applicants into the Master of Science in Criminal Justice, Master of Arts in Economics, Master of Public Administration, Master of Public Policy or Master of Social Work programs are eligible to apply for this fellowship. Before applying, returned Peace Corps volunteers who completed a full tour will receive an application fee waiver for one of these programs. Upon admission, eligible applicants are then considered for the Coverdell Fellowship program. Recipients must complete an internship in support of an underserved Atlanta community organization and up to an eight-hour-per-week research assistantship.
Quantitative Economics Award
Provides scholarships for students enrolled in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. Funds will be used for tuition, books, room and board.
Theodore C. Boyden Excellence in Teaching Economics Award
This award recognizes the graduate student in economics who best displays excellence in teaching economics.
Urban Studies Institute
Jim Mills Memorial Scholarship
Provides one annual scholarship to a student in good standing who demonstrates an interest in real estate, housing, community development, urban economic development or urban planning. Preference will be given to students with an interest in a public sector career.
Andrew J. Swope Equity and Justice Scholarship
Established by Swope Dreams, this scholarship is offered to graduate students pursing a masters or doctoral degree in the Urban Studies Institute in the Andrew Young School. This scholarship is awarded to applicants who have demonstrated commitment to equity and justice.
Social Work
Claudia Lacson Memorial Endowment
Provides funds for rural health program development and for scholarships. The scholarships associated with this endowment are granted to graduate research assistants for the Health Policy Center in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. It is not a general scholarship available by application.
Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program
The Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program offered by the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies recognizes returned Peace Corps volunteers enrolled in a participating master’s program with an opportunity to receive a tuition waiver and stipend. Applicants into the Master of Science in Criminal Justice, Master of Arts in Economics, Master of Public Administration, Master of Public Policy or Master of Social Work programs are eligible to apply for this fellowship. Before applying, returned Peace Corps volunteers who completed a full tour will receive an application fee waiver for one of these programs. Upon admission, eligible applicants are then considered for the Coverdell Fellowship program. Recipients must complete an internship in support of an underserved Atlanta community organization and up to an eight-hour-per-week research assistantship.
Social Work-CPUA Scholarship
Provides scholarships to students who are enrolled in good academic standing in an undergraduate or graduate program in the department. Students must be currently enrolled at Georgia State, must demonstrate a combination of scholastic merit and financial need, must maintain a GPA of 3.0 or better during the term of the award or must maintain the minimum GPA for their degree program, whichever is greater.
Quantitative Economics Award
Provides scholarships for students enrolled in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. Funds will be used for tuition, books, room and board.
University-Wide Scholarships
Please visit the Scholarship Resource Center for more information about scholarships offered throughout the university.
Criminal Justice and Criminology
James L. Maddex, Jr. Scholarship
Provides scholarships to students who are enrolled in good academic standing in an undergraduate or graduate program in the Criminal Justice Department. Applicants must demonstrate a combination of scholastic merit and financial need and maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0.
Judge Andrew A. Mickle Scholarship in Criminal Justice
Provides scholarships to undergraduate students who are studying criminal justice. Preference is given to active military personnel, veterans, active POST-certified law enforcement officers, children of the preceding classes, children of retired or deceased military and law enforcement personnel, children of parents (one or both parents) born in New York or students who were born there. If there are no qualified undergraduate applicants the scholarship may be awarded to a graduate student who meets the requirements. This scholarship is awarded based solely on merit. Recipients must have a Georgia State institutional GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program
The Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program offered by the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies recognizes returned Peace Corps volunteers enrolled in a participating master’s program with an opportunity to receive a tuition waiver and stipend. Applicants into the Master of Science in Criminal Justice, Master of Arts in Economics, Master of Public Administration, Master of Public Policy or Master of Social Work programs are eligible to apply for this fellowship. Before applying, returned Peace Corps volunteers who completed a full tour will receive an application fee waiver for one of these programs. Upon admission, eligible applicants are then considered for the Coverdell Fellowship program. Recipients must complete an internship in support of an underserved Atlanta community organization and up to an eight-hour-per-week research assistantship.
Andrew Young Fellowships
Through the generosity of many supporters and in honor of Ambassador Andrew Young, the college established the Andrew Young Fellowships. These fellowships, in combination with a graduate research assistantship, will provide a stipend of $28,000 annually and a tuition waiver for three years for the selected graduate students pursuing a Ph.D. in Public Policy, Economics, Social Work, Urban Studies, and Criminal Justice at the Andrew Young School.
All applicants for admission to the Ph.D. programs at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies receive automatic consideration for the Andrew Young and AYSPS Dean’s Fellowships.
AYSPS Dissertation Fellowship
This fellowship supports doctoral students who have defended their dissertation proposals and need funding to complete their dissertation research. This funding supports research expenses only. It does not include GRA/GTA funding or a tuition waiver.
This funding is intended to offer partial or full support for expenses related to collecting and analyzing data for dissertation research. It may include expenses to buy datasets, administer surveys, offer payments for experiments, travel to conduct interviews, etc. It does NOT include funding to attend or travel to conferences to present your dissertation research.
This funding is limited and competitive. All students in doctoral programs of the Andrew Young School are eligible to apply, and amounts vary by budget availability and number of students applying. If awarded, these funds will be issued through the student’s GSU account and are subject to caps on student scholarship awards.
Doctoral students become eligible to apply for this support after successfully defending their dissertation proposals. To apply for this support, students should submit a 1-2 page summary of their approved proposal and a budget request with appropriate supporting documentation. The budget request should clearly state how the requested funds would be used. The Dean’s Office may request clarification, require additional supporting materials, or confer with dissertation chairs and doctoral directors about the appropriateness of funding requests. Grants will be competitively awarded based on the feasibility of the project, innovation/originality, and the potential scholarly contribution of the dissertation. Priority will be given to proposals that meet these criteria.
Students should not expect that this grant will fully support their dissertation research. Since it is competitively awarded and limited, students should have other sources of support identified to complete their dissertation research.
Students may submit materials by the following dates:
- Apr. 15 → Summer semester funding start dates
- July 30 → Fall semester funding start dates
- Dec. 15 → Spring semester funding start dates
Questions about dissertation grants and proposals should be emailed to Dr. Jan Ivery, Assistant Dean for Academic Programs.
Andrew J. Swope Equity and Justice Scholarship
Established by Swope Dreams, this scholarship is offered to graduate students pursing a masters or doctoral degree in the Urban Studies Institute in the Andrew Young School. This scholarship is awarded to applicants who have demonstrated commitment to equity and justice.
Carolyn McClain Young Scholarship
The Carolyn McClain Young Scholarship exists in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies due to the generosity of Andrew Young and Carolyn McClain Young. The Carolyn Young Fellowship impacts lives, one student at a time.
The scholarship is open to highly motivated, well-qualified individuals interested in pursuing a master’s or doctoral degree in the departments of Economics, Criminal Justice, Social Work, Urban Studies or Public Management and Policy. The recipient will receive an award of up to $20,000 a year GRA stipend. The scholarship seeks applicants from countries in the Caribbean or the African continent who are leaders or potential leaders of their respective countries.
The candidates for this award will be initially selected during the recruitment and admission process. The department will often choose to continue the scholarship awards past the first year. No student will receive the Carolyn McClain Scholarship for more than three years. The number of scholarships awarded will depend on the fund balance and expected contributions.
Dan E. Sweat Dissertation Fellowship
The Dan E. Sweat Dissertation Fellowship Program invites applications from doctoral students who are writing dissertations. The Fellowship is sponsored by the Dan E. Sweat Distinguished Chair in Educational and Community Policy.
The $5,000 Dissertation Fellowship supports completion of dissertation research. The dissertation must address an issue in educational or community policy, broadly defined. The dissertation could be based in any discipline, including but not limited to: public policy, anthropology, economics, education, political science, psychology or sociology. The dissertation should have clear implications for public policy.
Fellowship Requirements:
- Applicants must be Georgia State doctoral students and have passed their proposal defense by the end of the fall semester (about mid-December).
- A letter of support from your dissertation adviser is required. This letter must be sent by your adviser to Professor Ross Rubenstein at [email protected].
- Fellowship awardees are expected to acknowledge the fellowship award in the dissertation and any publications that result from the dissertation research.
Application information is sent out around the midpoint of the fall semester.
Dean’s Fellowships
Through the generosity of the Coca-Cola Foundation and in honor of Ambassador Andrew Young, the college established AYSPS Dean’s Fellowships. These Fellowships, in combination with a graduate research assistantship, will provide a stipend of $26,000 annually and tuition waiver for three years for the selected graduate students pursuing the Ph.D. in Public Policy at the Andrew Young School.
Applicants for admission to the Ph.D. programs at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies receive automatic consideration for the Andrew Young and AYSPS Dean’s fellowships.
George Melanos Economics Scholarship
Provides scholarships to students in the Ph.D. in economics program who best contribute to the intellectual and professional development of the economics community at Georgia State.
Application Tips
Read all instructions carefully.
- Applications open November 1 and close December 31
- University scholarship deadlines may differ from college deadlines.
- Double-check your work for grammar and spelling mistakes before submitting.
- Reach out to your home department or college for more information.
The scholarship system is a blind matching system, which means you will not apply for scholarships individually; you will complete one application and be automatically matched to those scholarships for which you qualify.
Answer all questions. Be sure to answer ALL questions to the best of your ability. This will increase your likelihood of qualifying for more scholarships.
Short response questions. If the question does not indicate a minimum or maximum word requirement, provide an answer that is 100–250 words. Submitting a short or too few sentences does not give the scholarship committee a chance to get to know you.
Long response questions. If a question asks for a 500-word maximum response, provide no less than 300 words.
Essay response question: what do I say? A few questions to consider:
- Why do you deserve a scholarship?
- What makes you unique?
- What are some of your hopes and dreams?
- Are there any obstacles you’ve had to face in your journey?
- How did you overcome these obstacles?
- How will a scholarship help you overcome these obstacles?
Tell your authentic story.
Save your application often. The application has options to ‘Save and Keep Editing’ and ‘Finish and Submit’. Click ‘Save and Keep Editing’ every so often as you are filling out the application to ensure your answers are being saved. You can even finish the application at a later time after saving if needed.
The application asks for two references. These can include a supervisor, teacher, counselor, coach, mentor, spiritual leader, or an administrator. Informal references like friends and relatives are NOT recommended.
When listing a reference, talk to your reference first and ask if they have time to write a letter of recommendation on your behalf and/or if they feel comfortable doing so. Give them at least 2 weeks to complete this task.
Include a copy of your resume or CV and a personal statement listing your future academic and career goals so they can have reference material when writing on your behalf. They may know you well but may have forgotten important details.
Be sure to follow up with them once you submit their contact details in the system, let them how they can complete the recommendation process and any deadlines they should be aware of. If you need to follow up and remind them of these, do so.
Student Success Programs
Open to all students regardless of financial aid eligibility status, the Scholarship Resource Center was established at Georgia State in 2011 and offers guidance and support to students seeking financial assistance by providing year-long promotion of scholarship opportunities.