The Beinecke Scholarship Program seeks to encourage and enable highly motivated junior-year college students with a demonstrated history of financial need to pursue advanced graduate study in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Each year, approximately 145 colleges and universities are invited to nominate a single student for a Beinecke Scholarship, and up to 20 new scholarships will be awarded.

Campus Deadline

February 1

National Deadline

Last Friday in March

Institutional Nomination

The Beinecke Scholarship does not accept direct applications; students must be nominated by Temple University.  Please see below for application instructions for nomination.

Eligibility and Selection Criteria

To be eligible for nomination for the Beinecke Scholarship, a student must:

• Be a current junior (you must have at least one semester but no more than two remaining AFTER the spring semester of your application)
• Be a US citizen or US national from American Samoa or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
• Have a documented history of being eligible to receive need-based financial aid
• Intend to pursue creative- or research-focused graduate study (preferably a PhD or an MFA) in the arts, humanities, or social sciences

Strong candidates demonstrate superior standards of intellectual ability, scholastic achievement, and personal promise during their undergraduate career.

Campus Application Instructions and Checklist

The Beinecke forwards application materials in October to institutional representatives (at Temple University, Barbara Gorka). Interested applicants should plan to meet with the campus representative well in advance of the campus application deadline. 

The Beinecke scholarship requires institutional nomination. Submit the following application components by February 1. Please compile items 3 to 6 into one PDF and send to [click-for-email].

1. Campus Waiver and Agreement. Complete the online agreement.
2. Three letters of recommendation. Writers should send letters of recommendation directly to Barbara Gorka ([click-for-email]) as a PDF by February 1. Recommenders should be faculty members or advisors who can assess the nominee’s intellectual curiosity, character, and potential for advanced graduate study. Share this letter writing guidance with your recommenders.
3. Essay. A statement of 1,000 words or fewer describing your research or creative interests for graduate study and career aspirations beyond these studies. It should also include a discussion of the most relevant academic, professional, extracurricular, and personal experiences that have influenced or shaped your interests and plans.
4. Graduate Programs. A paragraph (up to 200 words) explaining your top two proposed graduate programs and why they are an excellent fit for your academic and career trajectory. Note that Beinecke has a strong preference for candidates intending to pursue a PhD or an MFA. (It is okay if you will pursue an MA as part of a PhD program). Graduate programs can be in the US or abroad; however, Beinecke warns that it is not possible to guarantee that Beinecke funds will be accepted by non-US institutions.
5. C.V. A current C.V. that lists all collegiate activities and awards.
6. Transcript(s). Submit (to Fellowships Advising) an unofficial copy of your Temple transcript or academic record as a PDF. If you earned transfer credit for work at a previous institution, summer school, or study abroad (on a non-Temple program), provide an unofficial transcript as a PDF.