This scholarship program encourages minority women to pursue an education and later a career in the geosciences. Specifically, it provides up to $6,000 in awards each year to undergraduate students and matches them with AWG mentors in their fields. Awards also include a year’s membership in AWG, the world’s largest organization for women [...]]]> AWG MINORITY GEOSCIENCE SCHOLARSHIP

This scholarship program encourages minority women to pursue an education and later a career in the geosciences. Specifically, it provides up to $6,000 in awards each year to undergraduate students and matches them with AWG mentors in their fields. Awards also include a year’s membership in AWG, the world’s largest organization for women geoscientists. Students can develop close relationships with their mentors, contacting them to discuss ideas, get advice, or learn about career paths. Any applicant may request an AWG mentor, even if she does not receive a scholarship.

If you are enrolled or enrolling in an earth-science education or geoscience degree program and would like to apply for a scholarship for the 2009-2010 school year, please review the qualifications and procedures outlined on the Application Form. All application materials must be received at AWG headquarters by June 30th, 2009. Late applications will not be accepted. Any questions may be sent to minorityscholarship@awg.org. Please mail the completed application materials to:

Association for Women Geoscientists
Attn. Minority Scholarship
1400 West 122nd Avenue, Suite 250
Westminster, Colorado 80234

Winner(s) will be notified in August and the award(s) will be distributed in early fall.

Qualifications
A. Applicants must be women who can prove that they belong to one of these under-represented ethnic minorities: Black, Hispanic, or Native American (including American Indian, Eskimo, Hawaiian, or Samoan).

B. Financial support is for full-time students who are enrolling or already enrolled in an accredited institution as undergraduates in a degree-granting program (a student who has completed coursework at a community college and intends to transfer to a college or university with a geoscience program is also eligible for this award); they must also be majoring in a geoscience field such as geology, geophysics, geochemistry, hydrology, meteorology, physical oceanography, planetary geology, or earth-science education. This program does not support students in other
natural sciences, mathematics, engineering, or land-use planning.

C. High school seniors may apply, but if they are selected to receive a scholarship, the funds will not be sent until AWG receives proof of enrollment in an appropriate program, such as a letter from the student’s academic advisor or a course schedule.

D. Prior recipients of AWG Minority Geoscience Scholarships may reapply for continuing support during each of their undergraduate years.

Application Procedure
A. AWG must receive the following materials by June 30, 2009:
• Signed and completed application form (it must be typewritten)
• Unofficial original transcripts for all high schools and colleges or universities attended (if you are a high school senior, you must submit official high school transcripts)
• Unofficial copies of SAT or ACT scores
• Two letters of recommendation from faculty members at the school that you are attending when you apply, including one from your primary advisor or high school counselor and another from a geoscience professor or earth science teacher. If your high school does not have an earth science teacher, you may substitute a letter from the chairman of the school’s science department.
• If you will be an entering freshmen and your institution will not allow you to declare a major until your sophomore year, you must also submit a letter signed by your academic advisor which states that you plan to major
in the geosciences or earth-science education.

B. Renewal applications must include a completed application form, transcript(s) from your undergraduate institution(s), and two letters of recommendation (at least one from a person who did not provide a letter for the previous application). The new application’s “statement of purpose” should address your academic progress and plans. NOTE: Continuing support is contingent upon a student’s academic progress and will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

C. All letters of recommendation should be sent directly to the AWG address above.

The applicant is responsible for ensuring that all application materials are submitted by the deadline. If you include a self-addressed postcard with your application form, it will be returned to you when all of your application materials have been received.