Udall Scholarship

Udall Scholarships award $7,000 to students committed to environmentally-focused careers, or to Native American students interested in tribal policy or Native health care.

ELIGIBILITY

• Sophomores or juniors
• U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents
• For the Tribal Policy or Native Health Care tracks: Must be Native American or Alaska Native OR U.S. citizen or permanent resident who is a member of the First Nations of Canada.
• GPA of at least 3.0

CANDIDATE PROFILE
The Udall Foundation seeks academically strong, service-minded students whose coursework, research, extracurriculars, activism, and career goals are focused on environmental issues or tribal affairs.

 The specific criteria include:

1. Commitment to the environment, or to tribal public policy or health care
2. Personal characteristics: Desire to solve problems and make a difference; leadership; recognition by peers, mentors, and the community; well-roundedness
3. Academic achievement – challenging coursework related to goals, honors and awards, academic record with positive trend

WEBSITE
https://www.udall.gov/OurPrograms/Scholarship/Scholarship.aspx

HOW TO GET STARTED

Students must apply through FSO by the required campus deadline in order to be considered for nomination.  Carnegie Mellon may nominate up to four environmental candidates and up to four Native American candidates.

Make an appointment as early as possible in fall semester with Dr. Richelle Bernazzoli, Assistant Director and Udall Campus Representative, in order to discuss your fit with the award.  . 

In order to receive login credentials for the online application, email Richelle Bernazzoli the following information:

1. Full legal name
2. Permanent address
3. Phone number
4. Preferred email address
5. Field of study – Environment, Native health care, or tribal public policy
6. Citizenship status – U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or permanent resident
7. Grade level – sophomore or junior

Applicants are encouraged to receive feedback on their draft applications well in advance of the campus deadline.

REQUIRED CAMPUS DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 1, 2024

Required Materials:

1. A signed FSO Scholarship Waiver
2. A completed Udall application, submitted online, including the 800-word Udall Essay*
3. Three letters of recommendation focused on your leadership, public service, and commitment to your career goals.  These letters can be from a mix of academic and professional references.  They should be emailed to fso-general@andrew.cmu.edu. See advice for recommenders.
4. Transcripts for all colleges and universities attended (unofficial is fine at this stage)

*Essay prompt: "The public service careers of Congressman Morris K. Udall and Secretary of Interior Stewart L. Udall were guided by the core values of civility, integrity, and consensus. In 800 words or less, tell us how these three characteristics resonate with you today and how you exemplify at least one of these values in your personal and professional life" 

After the campus deadline, a committee will review all applications.  The nominated applicants will then be notified and guided through the final steps of the application process.

NOMINEE DEADLINE: MARCH 4, 2024 at 12:00pm (noon)

By this date and time, the nominees must submit their final application materials online. Any updated transcripts or letters of recommendation will also need to be submitted to FSO at this time for attachment to your application. 

NATIONAL SELECTION PROCESS

The Udall Foundation announces winners and honorable mentions on the Udall website by May 1.  Udall Scholars attend a conference in Arizona the summer immediately after being selected.