Fellowships
Udall Undergraduate Scholarship
Is it for you?
The Udall Undergraduate Scholarship Program honors the legacies of U.S. Congressman Morris Udall and U.S. Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall, whose careers had a significant impact on Native American self-governance, health care, and the stewardship of public lands and natural resources. The Scholarship covers eligible expenses for tuition, fees, books, and room and board, up to a maximum of $7,000. It also pays for each scholar to attend a five-day orientation in Tucson, AZ to meet with other Scholars, elected officials, environmental and tribal leaders in early August. Juniors are eligible for one year of support; sophomores may be re-nominated during their junior year and compete for a second year of support.
What are the key dates?
Your first step is to request access to our Udall Canvas course, which houses our key resources and is where applicants submit materials for review. Please send us an email at [email protected] noting that you would like to join the Udall Canvas course (please include your JHED if you are using a non-JHU email address).
Deadline for draft review: TBD for 2025 (normally mid-January)
JHU nomination deadline: TBD for 2025 (normally early February)
Official deadline: March 5, 2025
Please note that scholarship recipients are obliged to attend the Udall Scholar Orientation, which will be in August 2025 (exact dates TBD).
Are you eligible?
Candidates for the Udall Scholarship must:
- be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
- have demonstrated their commitment to addressing environmental challenges or to issues impacting Indian country through public service and leadership (with an emphasis on civility and consensus building).
- intend to pursue careers in an environmental field, or work on policy issues or in health care in Indian country.
- meet the Udall definition of Native American if applying in that category.
How do you work with the NFP?
JHU nomination is required through a campus selection process (JHU may nominate up to four candidates in the environment category and four in the Native American category). Udall applicants work closely with us, following the steps below, for the duration of the application process.
The timeline gives an overview of the application process and when to reach out to us. In preparation, see “have a closer look” below for more resources about the Udall.
| early December – January | Contact NFP and join applicants’ Canvas course |
| January – early February | Attend essay workshop; work on application materials; upload complete drafts to Blackboard for feedback |
| mid-February | Meet JHU campus deadline; JHU may nominate up to 8 candidates |
| mid-February – mid-March | Revise applications (for nominees) |
| mid-March | Meet official Udall deadline |
Are you competitive?
About 50 scholarships are awarded each year. Applicants first submit their materials to a campus committee for review. JHU chooses up to eight students as nominees to the national Udall Scholarship competition. The campus committee offers the nominees advice on how to improve their materials for final submission. Selection decisions (both on-campus and at the national level) are based on the following criteria:
- Career path: Candidates must demonstrate a strong commitment to pursuing a career related to improving or preserving the environment -OR- for Native American or Alaska Native candidates, a strong commitment to pursuing a career in any area of health care or tribal policy. Students should demonstrate such commitment through their academic program and extracurricular activities.
- Potential for significant future contribution in the student’s chosen career field: Selection committees judge the student’s potential by looking at performance in relevant coursework and level of contribution to public service and community activities related to the student’s stated career interest.
- Academic record: Outstanding academic achievement is necessary. While no stated minimum GPA is required, selection committees are looking for steady achievement or an upward trend.
- Three letters of recommendation: Recommenders are asked to comment on the student’s motivation and potential for a career in the chosen area, as well as academic performance. One letter should highlight your academics/research, another your leadership, and the last your service. Choose recommenders who know you both academically and personally. Strong letters focus on your potential ability to make an impact on public policy and cite specific examples of maturity and initiative.
- Essay: This 800-word essay must focus on the Udall Foundation’s core values of civility, integrity, and consensus. Applicants are asked to reflect on how “these three characteristics resonate with you today and how you exemplify at least one of these values in your personal and professional life.”
Have a closer look:
Visit the Official Website
Explore JHU and NFP Resources
All interested applicants are enrolled in JHU’s Udall Canvas site, which contains, among other resources, the JHU Udall Guidelines. These provide in-depth advice for completing the application and a snapshot of the entire process. Contact NFP in the fall/winter to be added to this Blackboard site.