National Fellowships & Prestigious Awards

Compete Nationally. Represent a Legacy.

Students at Prairie View A&M University belong on every stage where excellence is recognized. The Honors College empowers students to compete for and earn nationally recognized fellowships, scholarships, and graduate opportunities that open doors to leadership, research, public service, and global engagement. From the Rhodes and Marshall to the Fulbright, Truman, Goldwater, and Knight-Hennessy, these awards carry more than funding.

They carry access, networks, and the affirmation that a scholar's ideas belong in the national conversation.

We believe all PVAMU students are ready for that conversation. Our work is to make sure the nation knows it too.

How We Prepare Scholars

Fellowship competition begins long before an application opens. The Honors College introduces future scholars to the fellowship landscape early, helping students understand which opportunities align with their ambitions and what a competitive candidacy looks like over four years.

Through dedicated advising, scholars receive one-on-one guidance on identifying awards, crafting personal statements, securing meaningful letters of recommendation, and preparing for interviews.

Our approach is developmental. Every essay draft, every mock interview, and every information session builds a scholar's capacity to articulate who they are, what they have done, and why it matters. Scholars who complete the process emerge with a sharpened sense of purpose, whether or not they win the award. Many win.

Awards Available for Scholars Pursue

Graduate Study Worldwide

  • Rhodes Scholarship. Fully funded graduate study at the University of Oxford for scholars who pair academic distinction with a demonstrated commitment to service and leadership.
  • Marshall Scholarship. Supports up to two years of graduate study at any university in the United Kingdom for Americans of exceptional academic ability and leadership promise.
  • Gates Cambridge Scholarship. Provides full funding for postgraduate study at the University of Cambridge, selecting scholars devoted to improving the lives of others.
  • Mitchell Scholarship. Sends a small cohort of American scholars for one year of postgraduate study at institutions in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
  • Knight-Hennessy Scholars. Funds any graduate degree at Stanford University and places recipients within a global leadership development community.
  • Schwarzman Scholars. Supports a fully funded one-year master's degree in global affairs at Tsinghua University in Beijing.
  • Yenching Academy of Peking University. Offers a fully funded interdisciplinary master's degree in China studies for scholars building cross-cultural expertise.

Research and Discovery

  • Barry Goldwater Scholarship. Recognizes sophomores and juniors pursuing research careers in the natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering.
  • National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. Provides three years of stipend and tuition support for graduate research across STEM and the social sciences.
  • Hertz Fellowship. Delivers up to five years of doctoral funding and lifelong mentorship for scholars in the applied physical, biological, and engineering sciences.
  • Astronaut Scholarship. Awards support to juniors and seniors conducting significant research in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Public Service and Policy

  • Harry S. Truman Scholarship. Provides graduate funding and a national network for juniors committed to careers in public service and change-oriented leadership.
  • Udall Scholarship. Supports scholars pursuing careers in environmental policy, tribal public policy, and Native health care.
  • Thurgood Marshall College Fund Scholarships. Extends scholarship support, leadership training, and employer connections to students at publicly supported historically Black colleges and universities.

Global and Language Study

  • Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Funds a year abroad for research, graduate study, or English teaching assistantships in more than 140 countries.
  • Boren Awards. Supports intensive study of less commonly taught languages in world regions critical to United States interests, followed by a federal service commitment.
  • Critical Language Scholarship. Provides a fully funded summer of immersive language study abroad in languages essential to global engagement.
  • Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. Makes study and internships abroad accessible to Pell Grant recipients pursuing international experience.

Arts, Humanities, and Creative Industries

  • Beinecke Scholarship. Awards graduate study funding to juniors of exceptional promise in the arts, humanities, and social sciences.
  • Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Graduate Scholarship. Provides substantial multi-year funding for high-achieving students with financial need entering graduate or professional study.
  • Fashion Scholarship Fund. Connects scholars to industry mentorship, case competitions, and awards including the Virgil Abloh "Post-Modern" Scholarship for students in design, business, and merchandising.

Aerospace and Emerging Industry

  • Brooke Owens Fellowship. Places undergraduate students in paid aerospace internships paired with executive mentorship.
  • Patti Grace Smith Fellowship. Combines a paid aerospace industry internship with sustained mentorship for undergraduate scholars.
  • Matthew Isakowitz Fellowship. Supports juniors, seniors, and graduate students entering the commercial spaceflight industry through internships and a professional network.

The Honors College advises all students on campus on these awards and on many others suited to individual disciplines and goals. Award availability, eligibility, and deadlines change from year to year, so scholars should confirm current details with their fellowships advisor.

The Eminence Factor: The Legacy Dimension

When a Prairie View scholar earns a national award, the achievement belongs to more than one student. It extends a 150-year tradition of excellence and widens the path for every scholar who follows. Our fellowships culture is built on that understanding: preparation is personal, and victory is communal.

Ready to compete?

Schedule a fellowships advising appointment or attend an upcoming information session to begin building your candidacy.