Department scholarships and fellowships

We provide many ways to help you meet your educational costs. Aid is available to all students in the form of scholarships, grants, loans, campus jobs and cooperative training; and to graduate students in the form of assistantships and fellowships. Physics students are often hired by faculty to assist in research projects at the forefront of science. This gives our majors the type of practical experience that future employers find valuable. Some students also enjoy teaching and are paid to assist in the teaching laboratories or Physics Learning Center.

Scholarships

A variety of scholarships and grants are regularly offered to qualified students. Large scholarships include out-of-state tuition waivers for National Merit scholars and others scholars of high caliber, Curators' Scholarships for high ranking Missouri high school graduates, Pell grants for needy students.

Physics department also offers academic scholarships including the Lee Woodmen Scholarship, the Harold Q. Fuller Scholarship, the Chuck Rice Scholarship, and the B. Miller Scholarship.

Fellowships and assistantships

All graduate students making normal progress toward their degrees are supported by teaching or research assistantships. Additional scholarships, fellowships and summer appointments are awarded on a regular basis. Each semester the department awards more than two-dozen teaching and research assistantships. We offer a level of financial support that is nationally competitive and the cost of living in Rolla is relatively low.

Scholarships available to physics students include:

AFCEA Educational Foundation

  • The Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association Education Foundation offers a wide variety of undergraduate and graduate scholarships for students pursuing degrees in science and technical majors, including physics.
  • Scholarship awards range from $2,000 to $5,000 each and are provided directly to the winners. Most are offered to sophomore and junior undergraduates and full or part time graduate students.
  • You must be a U.S. citizen, be currently enrolled at S&T and have letters of recommendation to be eligible for this award.

Astanza Q-Switch Laser Annual Scholarship

  • Annual scholarship established to support students entering the fields of medicine, nursing, engineering, physics, biology, and applied sciences.
  • You must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above to be eligible for this award.
  • Astanza is the leading aesthetic laser manufacturer specializing in Q-switched laser technology.

Microsoft Scholarship Opportunity

  • Created to encourage students from groups currently underrepresented in the field of computer science to pursue technical degrees.
  • You must be enrolled full-time and making satisfactory progress toward an undergraduate degree in computer science, computer engineering, or a related technical discipline, such as math or physics, with a demonstrated interest in computer science, and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above to be eligible for this award.
  • Preference will be given to female students, underrepresented minority students or students with disabilities. Minority applicants must be a member of one of the following groups underrepresented in the software field: African-American, Hispanic or Native American.

SMART Scholarship from the Department of Defense

  • You must be a U.S. citizen to be eligible for this award.
  • The Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation scholarship for service program fully funds undergraduate and graduate degrees in a wide range of technical areas, including physics.

Society of Flight Test Engineers

  • You must be the son or daughter of a SFTE member in good standing or a student member in good standing pursuing your first undergraduate degree in engineering, computer sciences, mathematics, physics or other technical discipline to be eligible for this award.
  • Through the generous donations of SFTE corporate members, chapters and individuals, the society provides yearly scholarship awards to deserving students.

Women’s Programs Scholarships

  • You must be a first-time female freshman or transfer student from the U.S. with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above and majoring in engineering, math or science to be eligible for this award.
  • If you are a first-time freshman, you can renew the scholarship for one additional year as long as you have a first year cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above and complete at least 24 credit hours.