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Merit Scholarships

HONORS DISCOVERY GRANTS



The purpose of Honors Discovery Grants is to promote and support students’ experiential learning activities related to their Honors Laureate Diploma and/or their Honors Minor in Collaborative Discovery. The grants can be used to support VT faculty-led study abroad and conference participation. Honors Discovery Grants are available to all students in the Honors College up to $6,000 total funding depending on a student’s financial need.

Guidelines for study abroad programs

  • Students may request Discovery Grant funds to support their participation in Virginia Tech faculty-led study abroad programs.
  • Study abroad programs offered by other universities or by third party corporations are not eligible for Discovery Grant funds, even if the course credits earned can be transferred to Virginia Tech.
  • The URL for the study abroad program’s website must accompany the proposal.
  • Students should submit study abroad proposals to the Director of Admissions and Scholarships at least five weeks before departure.
  • Students pursuing study abroad must coordinate carefully with VT Global Education requirements for reporting and approval.

Guidelines for domestic conference travel

  • Students may request Discovery Grants to support their participation in domestic scholarly, academic, or professional conferences, but not industry showcases like the Consumer Electronics Show or South By Southwest (SXSW).
  • A formal copy of the conference program/schedule along with a link to the conference website must accompany the proposal.
  • Students can apply for funds to support one conference trip per year. That conference must take place between August 15 and May 15.
  • Honors College students work with the Director of Admissions and Scholarships to develop the conference travel budget.
  • Conference travel proposals should be submitted to the Director of Admissions and Scholarships at least five weeks before departure.

Eligibility

Only current Honors College students who have either received HLD Plan approval (students who entered Honors in Spring 2023 or earlier) or have completed UH 1404 with a passing grade (students who enter Honors in Fall 2023 or later) are eligible to receive this grant. Students may apply for funding only once per academic year.

Interested students will follow these steps for a Discovery Grant application:

  1. The student and Director of Admissions and Scholarships (Russell Shrader) will first meet in person to determine whether the proposed experience is appropriate for Discovery Grant consideration. To initiate this process, email rbshrade@vt.edu to schedule a meeting.
  2. If the experience is deemed appropriate for consideration, the Director will provide the student with a Discovery Grant application.
  3. The student will submit the Discovery Grant application to the Director, who will forward the application to the Discovery Grant committee.
  4. Once the committee makes a decision, the Director will communicate with the student.

Remember to plan ahead for these experiences, allowing enough time for the initial meeting, application review, and decision.

Discovery Grants will be reviewed on a rolling basis until funds are exhausted.

No retroactive Discovery Grant applications will be considered.

Important Deadlines:

September 1 – the earliest day that Discovery Grant applications can be submitted in a given academic year
May 1 – the last day to submit a Discovery Grant application in a given academic year

ODYSSEY FELLOWSHIPS

The Odyssey Fellowships provide an opportunity for Honors students to propose an experience to help them to better understand the world and their place in it. While the Fellowships provide meaningful individual experiences, many applicants find that the application process itself helps them develop essential skills in a global world.

Learn more about the application process.


Students interested in an Odyssey Fellowship should contact Christina McIntyre (cmcintyre@vt.edu) for an appointment to discuss their ideas and interests.

The Class of 1954 Fellowship provides outstanding Honors students with unusual opportunities extending beyond the classroom. The recipient, named a Class of 1954 Fellow, receives funding to be used toward the experience and cost of attendance. An excellent, well-rounded education necessitates that students define experiences that complement and elevate their understanding of undergraduate learning. Applicants must seek beyond a simple addition to their disciplinary studies. They are encouraged to reflect on their passions and intellectual interests and then define an experience that embodies these curiosities. The experience must offer them the opportunity to expand a world view, refine a philosophy of life, engage their curiosity, and/or investigate and join a significant intellectual conversation.

Recent fellows:

2021 Nate Doggett
2019 Karson Lyon
2018 Hannah Ridings
2017 James Owens
2016 Maria Jernigan

The Class of 1956 Ut Prosim Fellowship provides outstanding Honors students with unusual opportunities extending far beyond the classroom and campus. The recipient, named a Class of 1956 Fellow, receives funding to be used toward the experience and cost of attendance. An excellent, well-rounded education necessitates that students define experiences that complement and elevate their understanding of undergraduate learning. The Class of 1956 Ut Prosim Fellowship seeks to identify students with outstanding ability and the capacity to make a difference in the world in which we live, through volunteerism or service.

Recent fellows:

2024 Tara Blue
2021 Hannah Jane Upson
2020 Maggie Smith
2019 Stephanie Flear
2018 Rachel Kanefsky

Wayne and Claire Horton established their fellowship to provide assistance to outstanding honors students in the College of Engineering. Wayne Horton was a graduate of Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering, and Claire Horton was an anthropology professor who taught at Marshall University. They lived in Huntington, West Virginia.

The purpose of the fellowship is twofold: first, to provide an outstanding Honors Engineering student with the resources to design and complete a major educational experience that gives focus and direction to his or her undergraduate efforts, and second, to ensure that the Horton Fellow obtains significant experience in the humanities and social sciences in addition to his or her degree in Engineering. Applicants must be in the College of Engineering but must also have significant experience in the humanities and social sciences and demonstrate significant engagement in a foreign language and the performing arts. Upon graduating, the Horton Fellow will possess broad knowledge of world affairs and contemporary social and political issues, all of which is intended to inform and enhance their work in the field of engineering.

While Honors students in all areas of engineering are encouraged to apply, special attention will be given to students who are interested in fields of engineering that confront issues of energy and alternative energy sources. The Horton Fellow will receive funding for an experience that:

  • Requires international travel
  • Demonstrates awareness and knowledge of cultural and social differences
  • Attempts a project of meaning to both the student and the host country
  • Develops a program to internationalize the engineering education of the student

Once awarded, Horton Fellows must complete three courses introducing the idea of the social sciences, including STS 2054: Engineering Cultures and two tutorials focusing on Social Science to be determined in consultation with Honors, and must also earn a degree in the College of Engineering.

Recent fellows:

2024 Victoria Carpe
2022 Landen Furr
2021 Sumaiya Haque
2020 Kelly Ruffner
2019 Delaney Snead

The Patricia C. Perna Fellowship was created by the Perna family in honor and memory of the family’s matriarch, Patricia C. Perna, who passed away in 2006 following an extended battle with cancer. The fellowship allows students interested in medical occupations or management to design an experience to explore and research quality of life issues associated with healthcare treatment and equipment. Priority will be given to experiences involving the care of patients and families affected by cancer, terminal illness, or injury. Through participation in the fellowship, students will develop opportunities to acquire hands-on field experience that can inform solutions to specific challenges associated with medical processes, equipment, facilities, or care. Funding will support the proposed learning experience.

Fellows:

2023 Elea Abisamra
2022 Liam McMillan
2021 Saket Bikmal
2019   Thomas Mecherikunnel
2018   Andrew Vipperman

FRANK N. COWAN SCHOLARSHIP

This scholarship was established in memory of Frank N. Cowan, a Virginia Tech alumnus dedicated to service and the empowerment of others. This scholarship seeks to recognize students who demonstrate leadership and other qualities that were characteristic of Mr. Cowan and encourage these students to support Virginia Tech throughout their careers.

Eligible students shall be, upon receipt of the scholarship, Honors College students who are pursuing a major within the Pamplin College of Business. Recipients will have a demonstrated history of academic accomplishment, involvement in the community, mentoring others, affection for Virginia Tech, a competitive spirit, and leadership potential.  The application opens January 15 and closes February 15 each year.

The application is available online through VT Scholarship Central.

LESLIE SHERMAN SCHOLARSHIP

This scholarship is in memory and in honor of Leslie Sherman, a History and International Studies major who died during the tragic shootings at Virginia Tech on April 16, 2007.

The Leslie Geraldine Sherman Memorial Scholarship is awarded to support travel abroad experiences. To be eligible, a student must be an undergraduate majoring in History or International Studies. Winners are selected based on high academic achievement with a preference for Honors College students.

The application is open from October 15 to November 30. Announcement of the winner(s) will be made by the last day of classes in the fall semester. The winner(s) will receive funding for spring or summer study abroad experiences planned for the academic year in which they have applied for funding.

The application is available online through VT Scholarship Central.

THE SKELTON HONORS SCHOLARSHIP

The Skelton Honors Scholarship supports international travel experiences of Honors College students in their last two years of undergraduate study.

The international travel experience must appear on the Virginia Tech transcript. Eligible students must be able to demonstrate involvement in leadership activities, have a 3.7 or better cumulative GPA, and must have completed at least six hours of foreign language classes at the university level.

Application Process and Selection
The application is open from October 15 to November 30. Announcement of the winner(s) will be made by the last day of classes in the fall semester. The winner(s) will receive funding for spring or summer study abroad experiences planned for the same academic year.

The application is available through VT Scholarship Central.

THE PAUL AND LYNNE KNOX STUDY ABROAD SCHOLARSHIP

The Paul and Lynne Knox Study Abroad Scholarship supports Honors College students who plan to study abroad.

The study abroad program must appear on the Virginia Tech transcript. Preference is given to students who have demonstrated financial need and who are attending a program of study at the Steger Center for International Scholarship. The application is open from October 15 to November 30 each year.

The application is available through VT Scholarship Central.

DR. CLAIRE F. AND E. WAYNE HORTON ’50 ENGINEERING SCHOLARSHIP

This scholarship, presented to the Honors College by Claire and Wayne Horton, recognizes exceptional engineering majors in the Honors College who also show demonstrated coursework in the arts (such as music, writing, performance/theatre, fine arts, sculpture).

The application process opens annually. Eligible Honors College students will be contacted through the Honors College newsletter and personal communication along with guidelines for the application process.