Merit Scholarships

Discovery grants can be used to pay for students’:

• Living expenses during a summer unpaid internship;
• Program fees and/or living expenses for a VT faculty-led summer or winter study abroad experience;
• Registration fees, transportation, hotel costs, food, and incidentals when attending academic or professional conferences;
• Transportation, hotel costs, food, and incidentals when participating in a formal visit to an industry, non-profit, or governmental work site.

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. Students participating in VT faculty-led study abroad or actively pursuing the Honors minor with at least twelve (12) Honors minor credits completed may receive up to $6,000 in total grant funding. Students pursuing summer unpaid internships, academic or professional conferences, or a formal visit to an industry, non-profit, or governmental work site may receive up to $3,000 in total grant funding. Preference will be given to students with financial need. Eligible experiences must occur while the student is still completing their undergraduate Honors education.

An Honors Discovery Grant may not be used to support the following:

• purchasing hardware, software, or lab equipment
• paying tuition at another institution
• participation in a training, workshop, or seminar offered by a for-profit company
• participation in the Honors College Presidential Global Scholars Program
  

Round One applications for 2023-2024 academic year experiences close at 11:59pm Eastern time on April 1, 2023. The application is available here.

For more information, contact honors@vt.edu.

The Class of 1954 Fellowship provides outstanding Honors students with unusual opportunities extending beyond the classroom during their last two years of undergraduate study. The winner, named a Class of 1954 Fellow, receives funding to be used toward his or her travel experience and university tuition.

An excellent, well-rounded education necessitates that students define experiences that complement and elevate their understanding of undergraduate learning. Candidates 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.

Fellows:
2019 Karson Lyon
2018 Hannah Ridings
2017 James Owens
2016 Maria Jernigan
2015 Bobby Hollingsworth
2014 Natalie St. John
2013 Cole Smith
2012 Cassidy Grubbs
2011 Craig Wainner
2010 Liz Stokley
2009 Rosemary Filippell
2008 Jessie Gemmer
2007 David W. Grant
2006 Bradley T. Shapiro
2005 Kristen Brugh
2004 Mycroft Smith
2003 Leah M. Lozier
2002 Ashley White (British Marshall / USA Today)
2001 Autumn M. Lockwood
2000 J. Reid Highley
1999 Sarah S. Airey
1998 Mary Sproull
1997 Stacey D. Smith
1996 Rachel Hash

The Class of 1956 Ut Prosim Fellowship provides outstanding Honors students with unusual opportunities extending far beyond the classroom and campus during their last two years of undergraduate study. The winner, named a Class of 1956 Fellow, receives funding to be used toward his or her travel experience and university tuition.

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.

Fellows:
2019 Stephanie Flear
2018 Rachel Kanefsky
2017 Tanha Patel
2016 Gargie Nagarkar
2015 Cynthia Guerin
2014 Christine Tin
2013 Chloe Benner
2012 Meredith Swartwout
2011 Grace Mulholland
2010 Kat Miles
2009 John Hoffman

Wayne and Claire Horton established this 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 his or her 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.

Fellows:
2019 Delaney Snead
2018 Maureen Sawyer
2017 Vincent DiNardo
2016 Richard Tan
2015 Alex Gagliano
2014 Adrian Santiago Tate
2013 Casie Venable
2012 Caroline Richards
2011 Ben Roble 
2010 Darius Emrani
2009 Cody Dunn
2008 Tory P. Smith
2007 John P. Helveston
2006 Brian C. McDonald
2005 Elizabeth J. Traut
2004 David E. Gagnon
2002 Richard Bis, Cindy Schreiber, Michael Willemann

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 Perna 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:
2019   Thomas Mecherikunnel
2018   Andrew Vipperman
2017   Andrea Kuliasha
2016   Erin Hamric
2015   Adrianna Wilson
2014   Michael Muldoon, Brianna Swartwout
2013   Jessica Li
2012   Stephanie Wiltman
2011   James Robison
2010   David Fulbrook

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.

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 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 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.

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