USGIF has awarded more than $1.7M in scholarships since launching the program in 2004.
Applying for USGIF Scholarships
- Scholarship applications open on January 22, 2024.
- Students can visit USGIF’s scholarship application portal to apply.
- The components required for scholarship application are:
- Two letters of recommendation (1 letter for graduating high school seniors)
- Most recent school transcript
- Short answer questions
- Write an essay (undergraduate, graduate, and PhD candidates)
- Scholarship applications will close on May 31, 2024.
- USGIF will notify applicants of award decisions at the beginning of July 2024.
USGIF in Partnership with Member Organizations Offers Sponsored Scholarships
USGIF awards general scholarships to graduating high school seniors, undergraduates, graduates, and doctoral students. In addition to USGIF’s regular scholarship fund, we offer sponsored scholarships in coordination with member organizations. USGIF works with the awarding organization to tailor the scope of the scholarship to meet the goals of the organization and the needs of the GEOINT community.
These sponsored scholarships may have additional criteria for applicants to meet in order to apply. For each sponsored scholarship, please review the information to see if you qualify. If you have any questions about sponsored scholarships or are unsure if you qualify, email education@usgif.org for more information.
Stu Shea USGIF Endowed Scholarship
$15,000 annual scholarship awarded to a Ph.D. student studying geospatial.
Reinventing Geospatial, Inc. (RGi) Scholarship for Geospatial and Engineering
$15,000 annual scholarship awarded to one undergraduate student with interest in both the engineering and geospatial disciplines.
Ken Miller Scholarship for Advanced Remote Sensing Applications
$10,000 annual scholarship awarded to one master’s student working in or planning to enter the Defense/Intelligence workforce.
Maxar Scholarship for Diversity and Innovation in GEOINT
$10,000 annual scholarship awarded to one undergraduate or graduate student who embodies Maxar’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, and belonging and brings an innovative perspective to the GEOINT field.
EVONA Scholarship for Diversity in STEM
$10,000 annual scholarship awarded to one undergraduate student from a diverse gender and racial background pursuing a geospatial, data science, or space-focused degree.
AWS Scholarship for Inclusive Leadership in GEOINT
$10,000 annual scholarship awarded to one undergraduate, graduate, or Ph.D. student studying a GEOINT-related field who embodies AWS’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
GDIT Horizons Scholarship
$10,000 annual scholarship awarded to one graduating high school senior who intends to study a STEM or geospatial-related field. First-generation college students, students attending community college, or students from a diverse background are particularly encouraged to apply.
Globe Building St. Louis Scholarship
$5,000 annual scholarship awarded to one undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral student studying geospatial or a related field at a St. Louis area college or university.
Frequently Asked Questions
A: Scholarship applications open on January 22, 2024 and close on May 31, 2024.
A: From graduating high school seniors to those pursuing a PhD, USGIF has scholarship opportunities for students in many stages of their education. While USGIF is a geospatial intelligence foundation, we invite students from a range of academic interests to apply. Past winners come from myriad disciplines.
Past award recipients are welcome to apply. Applicants do not need to be USGIF members, nor are scholarships limited to students at USGIF accredited schools.
U.S. citizenship is not required for USGIF's general award fund. Any sponsored scholarship that requires U.S. citizenship will be clearly marked as such.
A: USGIF will consider students with a 2.5 GPA and higher for scholarships. We do not require a minimum number of enrollment hours to qualify. Students from a variety of educational institutions including community colleges, technical colleges, traditional four-year universities, and other post-secondary institutions are eligible.
A: Applicants should be prepared to submit letters of recommendation, their most recent school transcripts, and to answer several short answer (250-word) questions. Undergraduate, graduate, and Ph.D. candidates must also submit an essay. We recommend beginning your application early to allow enough time to submit all the required pieces.
A: Students interested in one of USGIF’s many sponsored scholarships are required to complete short-answer questions specific to each scholarship they wish to apply for. Short answer questions should be completed in 500 words or less. Some sponsored scholarships may also require applicants to provide demographic information. Please read the application carefully and familiarize yourself with the requirements of each scholarship opportunity.
A: Yes, students can begin their application and pause and save at any time.
A: USGIF employs a volunteer panel of experts to serve as our selection committee. Each member will review applications and score them on a peer-to-peer basis. For example, undergraduate students will only be scored relative to other undergraduate students, etc.
A ranking system is in place to ensure an equitable approach to evaluation. Each application will have a distribution of points available. Please read the “evaluation guidelines” section of the application carefully.
A: USGIF will notify all applicants (awardees and non-awardees) of award decisions by mid-July 2024, before the Fall Semester begins.
A: USGIF will work directly with your school’s financial aid department to issue your award. Scholarships are divided between the fall and spring semesters to be applied to your tuition costs. If funds are remaining after course costs/tuition has been covered, students will receive a direct refund. Refunded scholarship money can be used to cover housing, books, technology needs, or other expenses related to being a student. USGIF scholarships are nontaxable.
A: Send an email to scholarships@usgif.org. USGIF will also host two informational sessions for interested applicants during the open application timeframe. The informational sessions are optional and intended to provide applicants with direct insights from USGIF’s education staff. They will be held on Thursday, February 15, 2024, at 12 p.m. ET and Monday, April 22, 2024, at 12 p.m. ET. Sign up using the "Informational Sessions" link at the top left of this page.
Leidos Scholarship for AI/ML Advancement
$10,000 annual scholarship awarded to one graduate or Ph.D. student who uses artificial intelligence, advanced analytics, or machine learning for geospatial research.
GeoFutures STL Scholarship
$10,000 annual scholarship awarded to one undergraduate or continuing education (certificate program, trade/vocational school, etc.) student interested in geospatial or related fields who is from the St. Louis area or studying at a St. Louis region institution.
Westway Services Scholarship for Veterans
$5,000 annual scholarship awarded to one undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral student studying geospatial or a related field that is also a veteran of the United States armed forces.