Scholarships, Awards, and Funding
Opportunities for undergraduates
Divisional awards
Undergraduate students in the Politics Department are eligible for a wide range of scholarships and awards from the Division of Social Sciences. Applications for two of these programs are coordinated through the Department of Politics:
The Gabriel Zimmerman Memorial Scholarship supports students interested in social issues and public service.
The Benjamin Quaye Memorial Endowment for Social Justice is for students who are pursuing educational and career goals in social justice.
Department awards
The Politics Department also administers its own award specifically for politics majors:
Valerie Fuette Scholarship
The Valerie Fuette Scholarship provides $2,300 to one or more high-achieving students with financial need who have a demonstrated record of improving their academic performance and overcoming challenges, whether academic, financial, or otherwise. Applications should be submitted via email to Politics Department Undergraduate Advisor Jerry Diaz by April 1 each year. For more details on the award and how to apply, download the application packet.
Campus awards
Students who conduct undergraduate research are also eligible for campus-level research awards:
- The Deans’ Undergraduate Award provides $100 to 10 students from each academic division for excellent undergraduate research.
- The Chancellor’s Undergraduate Award recognizes top projects among each division’s Dean’s Undergraduate Award winners with an additional $500.
- The Steck Award provides up to an additional $2,000 to the most outstanding research project overall, chosen from among the chancellor’s awardees.
Opportunities for graduate students
UC Santa Cruz offers all eligible new and continuing doctoral students five-year funding packages. The campus will also be offering an annual housing supplement of $2,500, until more campus graduate student housing is available. In addition to these resources, UC Santa Cruz offers graduate student research positions or teaching assistantships and a wide range of fellowship opportunities.
UCSC’s Division of Graduate Studies hosts more resources related to fellowships and financial aid, and the Office of Research website has information about student research funding.