Current Student Scholarships

More than 1500 department scholarships have been awarded to our students over the last three years, thanks to gifts from UMKC alumni, the Kansas City community and other generous donors.

School of Humanities and Social Sciences Scholarships Application

As a current student at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, you may be eligible for these departmental scholarship awards. Simply fill out the application to be matched for the awards for which you qualify.

Application deadline - March 1

Complete the application

Department and Program Scholarships

Communication and Journalism

Alex and Josephine B. Coleman Scholarship Fund

Students majoring in Communication with a cumulative UMKC GPA of 3.3 or above who have completed at least 60 credit hours.

Faye Kircher Public Speaking Award Scholarship

Awarded based on performance at the Faye Kircher Public Speaking Competition; recipients selected by judges. Participants from the current semester’s COMM-ST 110 courses are selected to participate in the contest. Contact the Communication and Journalism Department for more details.

Carol Koehler Memorial Scholarship

Awarded to a junior or senior majoring in Communication who has completed at least 12 credit hours of communication studies and has a cumulative UMKC GPA of 3.0 or above. Students are required to enroll in the department’s three-hour internship course during the ensuing academic year.

Michelle LaPointe Scholarship

Nontraditional students majoring in Communication who have completed at least 24 credit hours and demonstrate financial need.

Dianne and Charles Maggio Scholarship in Communication

Communication major who is in good academic standing and demonstrates financial need. Preference will be given to students who express a desire to enter a career in journalism or mass communications.

Suzanne Crispin Williams Scholarship

Undergraduate student majoring in Communication and/or minoring in Race, Ethnic, and Gender Studies. Preference is given to a returning female student pursuing her first undergraduate degree.

Creative Writing

Gary William Barger Memorial Scholarship

Undergraduate or graduate student majoring in creative writing who demonstrates promise in fiction writing.

Michelle Boisseau Scholarship in Poetry

For outstanding undergraduate students majoring in the Department of English within the School of Humanities and Social Sciences who have a 3.0 GPA. Preference to students at the junior level.

Creative Writing Graduate Scholarship

MFA Creative Writing and/or graduate students in the English program.

Jo Anna Dale Creative Writing Scholarship

Undergraduate or graduate student recognized for his or her creative writing achievement.

The John Mark Eberhart Memorial Scholarship

Graduate students who are receiving an MFA in creative writing and media arts with a preference given to students with an emphasis in nonfiction or poetry.

Crystal Field Scholarship in Poetry

Full-time, upper-level undergraduate student or graduate student majoring in creative writing.

Barbara Storck Award for Poetry

Talent-based writing award open to any UMKC undergraduate or graduate student. Awarded for best poem and short essay written during the year. This award is open to full- and part-time students. Prizes are offered for both fiction (3,000 words or less) and poetry (no more than three poems). Previous first place winners in any category are ineligible in that category.

Criminal Justice and Criminology

Alvin Brooks Scholarship

Full-time undergraduate student majoring in criminal justice and criminology who is in good academic standing with a minimum 2.0 GPA. Preference given to students who are first-generation college students and who graduated from an accredited Kansas City, Missouri, high school or transferred from a Kansas City area community college. The student must demonstrate financial need.

Clarence Kelley Memorial Scholarship in Criminal Justice and Criminology

Students majoring in criminal justice and criminology. Student shall be in good academic standing to be considered.

Economics

Joe E. Brown Institutional Economics Scholarship

Excellence in institutional economics.

James Crew Scholarship

Full-time undergraduate student majoring in economics. Preference is given to students who are also minoring in mathematics and statistics or have an interest in econometric or social discount rate.

Robert L. Greene Scholarship

Undergraduate student majoring in economics who has leadership abilities, a desire to succeed and demonstrates financial need.

Karen S. Vorst Scholarship in Economics

Undergraduate student studying economics who is in good academic standing. Preference is given to juniors or first semester seniors.

Hodges Scholarship Fund in Economics

Undergraduate student majoring in economics with at least a 2.8 GPA and at least junior status. Must demonstrate financial need as determined by the Office of Student Financial Aid. Must be a resident of either Missouri or Kansas.

Gene Wagner Honorary Scholarship in Labor Economics

Full-time undergraduate or graduate students in economics. Preference is given to students studying labor economics or who have a history, family background or support involvement in organized labor. Students must upload a one page essay to Academic Works documenting their personal or family background in organized labor.

English Language and Literature

Jo Anna Dale English Scholarship

Undergraduate students majoring in English.

Ilus Davis Doctoral Teaching Fellowship

Graduate student fund for Interdisciplinary Ph.D. students. Contact the English Department for more information.

Diversity in English Scholarship

Undergraduate students majoring in English with a focus on literature.

Robert and Sylvia Farnsworth Fellowship in English

Graduate student who demonstrates a focus on post-colonial studies. Reply to the department call for papers (usually in March) from the Director of Graduate Studies in English.

Patricia Huyett Scholarship in English

Undergraduate students majoring in English.

Howard E. Lubow Scholarship in English Studies

Graduate students focused on literary and/or rhetorical studies.

Mbembe Milton Smith Scholarship

Undergraduate student who demonstrates talent in writing, especially in creative writing. Must be a full-time undergraduate student, a resident of the metropolitan Kansas City area and maintain a 2.5 GPA.

 

History

Dr. Stuart Bintner Scholarship in History

Undergraduate or graduate students pursuing a degree in history, in good academic standing. Preference given to students interested in American history and who demonstrate financial need.

John and Delores Clark History Scholarship

Undergraduate or graduate students pursuing a degree in history. Student must maintain a 3.0 grade point average and be in good academic standing with the university. Preference shall be given to students with financial need, as determined by the Financial Aid Office.

Jim Falls Honorary Scholarship

Undergraduate students majoring in history with a GPA of 3.0 or above who demonstrate financial need.

Carla L. Klausner Scholarship

Undergraduate junior or senior student majoring in history with a GPA of 3.2 or above who demonstrates financial need.

Lee A. Takats Scholarship

Students majoring in history.

The Captain Harry S. Truman Prize

This prize is given annually to any UMKC undergraduate or graduate student for the best research paper focusing on any aspect of World War I. Preference is given to papers that include research that ties to materials housed at the National World War I Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri. Please reach out to the Department of History for more information regarding this award.

Media, Art and Design

Advertising Artist Guild Grant

Full-time student majoring in studio art or art history who demonstrates financial need. Preference is given to juniors, seniors and graduate students majoring in studio art. Applicants must file a FAFSA. Studio art students must upload a digital portfolio of five to 10 images showing recent artwork with the application (video or animation projects are accepted) and a numbered image list referring to each digital image that includes the title, medium, size and year for each piece. Art history students must include their best paper in the subject, preferably 10 pages or less of text with up to five additional pages of supporting images, with the application.

George Ehrlich Scholarship

Undergraduate or graduate student majoring in art history. Applicants must upload their best art history paper, preferably 10 pages or less of text with up to five additional pages of supporting images with the application.

Geraldine E. Fowle Art History Scholarship

Undergraduate or graduate student majoring in art history. Applicants must upload their best art history paper, preferably 10 pages or less of text with up to five additional pages of supporting images with the application.

John Gutowski Memorial Scholarship

Full-time student majoring in art. Preference is given to juniors, seniors and graduate students majoring in studio art. Applicants must upload a digital portfolio of five to 10 images showing recent artwork with the application (video or animation projects are accepted) and a numbered image list referring to each digital image that includes the title, medium, size and year for each piece.

S. Jane Voorhees Scholarship in Art and Art History

Undergraduate or graduate students who demonstrate both financial need and academic achievement and are seeking any degree within the Department of Art and Art History in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. Applicants must file a FAFSA. Studio art applicants must upload a digital portfolio of five to 10 images showing recent artwork with the application (video or animation projects are accepted) and a numbered image list referring to each digital image that includes the title, medium, size and year for each piece. Art history applicants must include their best paper in the subject, preferably 10 pages or less of text with up to five additional pages of supporting images, with the application.

The Fred Andrews Jubilee Creative Cinema Fund

Awards and internships for undergraduate or graduate students majoring in Film and Media Arts.

G. Tom Poe Scholarship Fund for Outstanding Achievement in Film and Media Arts

Undergraduate students majoring in Film and Media Arts or Media, Art and Design, or minoring in Film Studies. Preference is given to a senior-level student who maintains a 3.0 GPA.

John Scott Shepherd Scholarship

Undergraduate students majoring in Film and Media Arts or Media, Art and Design.

The Philip Alexander Riggs Scholarship

Students in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences majoring in Film and Media Arts or Meda, Art and Design, with a preference given to students who express interest in film studies.

Political Science and Philosophy

The David N. Atkinson Scholarship

Undergraduate student majoring in political science. Preference is given to juniors and seniors.

Dan Bishop Scholarship in Public Policy

Graduate student or advanced undergraduate student with an interest in grassroots public policy and primarily directed by the Department of Political Science.

Randall L. Miller Scholarship

Undergraduate students who demonstrate financial need and are majoring in economics, history, philosophy or political science. Preference is given to political science students.

Ruth L. Gant Memorial Scholarship

Talented students pursuing a career in politics or government.

Pat Gray Memorial Scholarship Fund

Scholarships for students in political science in good academic standing who demonstrate financial need. Preference given to students who express a desire to enter a career in politics.

Sallie Millard and Cornelius Roach Sr. Scholarship

Student who demonstrates high academic achievement in the field of political science or government.

Delia Wong Stephens Scholarship Fund

Full-time sophomore, junior or senior students majoring in political science. Preference is given to students who demonstrate financial need and are in good academic standing.

Henry Frankel Scholarship in Philosophy

Junior or senior students majoring in philosophy with a GPA of at least 3.5.

Dr. George Gale Honorary Scholarship in Philosophy

Undergraduate students majoring in philosophy who demonstrate high academic merit.

Donald R. Nicholas Undergraduate Philosophy Scholarship

Undergraduate students majoring in philosophy.

Selene Scholarship in Philosophy

Missouri residents studying philosophy who demonstrate financial need.

Sociology and Anthropology

Edward Tomich Memorial Award

Full-time undergraduate senior majoring in sociology who exemplifies the characteristics of spirit, commitment to human welfare, thirst for knowledge and personal growth.

World Languages and Cultures

Dr. Louis Imperale Scholarship Fund in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Graduate students majoring in romance language and literature, with an emphasis in Spanish. Recipients must have a minimum 3.0 GPA and be in good academic standing. If there are no applicants meeting this criteria, then a recipient may be selected from graduate students enrolled within the Department of World Languages and Cultures.

Additional Department Scholarships

General

Don and Lucille Armacost Scholarship

Undergraduate students who are seeking a degree in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and demonstrate financial need.

Thomas D. Barr Liberal Arts Scholarship

For undergraduate students who are seeking a degree in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Walt Bodine Scholarship

Undergraduate students majoring in communication studies with an emphasis in TV, radio, film, new media forms or community journalism.

CFM Sustainability Scholarship

Candidates need to demonstrate financial need, have graduated from a Kansas City metropolitan area high school and have an academic or volunteer focus on sustainability issues and efforts.

The Richard L. Diesko Scholarship

For undergraduate or graduate student(s) who are seeking a degree in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Family Fund Scholarship

Family members of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences faculty and staff who are currently attending classes at UMKC.

Luther and Verilee Gill Scholarship

Scholarship awarded to first generation college students studying in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Hodges Opportunity Fund

Awarded to students seeking an undergraduate or graduate degree in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. Preference shall be given to students who demonstrate financial need, reside in the KC metro and have a 3.0 GPA. Award is renewable.

Hogan-Reel Opportunity Award

Undergraduate, freshman or sophomore students studying within the College of Arts. In order to achieve the benefits of a diverse student body, the award(s) will be given to African-American and Hispanic/Latino students. Student recipient(s) must have demonstrated a cumulative GPA as follows:

  • For incoming freshman, high school GPA of at least 2.75 or higher
  • For all other students, GPA of at least 3.0 or higher

Greg and Gaebelle Hulme Scholarship

Undergraduate students ages 25-50 who are returning to college after a minimum five-year hiatus.

Leo Long/Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Scholarship

Minority students seeking an undergraduate degree in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences who are Missouri residents and demonstrate financial need.

Major Engagement in the Sciences and Humanities Scholarship (MESH)

Undergraduate students who have double-majored in natural science and humanities and have maintained a minimum 2.5 UMKC GPA. Preference is given to chemistry and English majors.

Richard McKinizie Memorial Scholarship

Full-time undergraduate student seeking a degree in any major in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. Preference given to nontraditional students who are older than 23 and returning to college to finish their degree.

Ann and Ernest Manheim Memorial Scholarship for Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences

Junior or senior undergraduate students in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. Preference will be given to student with a GPA between 3.0-3.5. Preference shall also be given to students with a double major, or students with a declared minor. Second preference shall be given to students with a second major in music or a minor in music.

Paseo High School Reunion Scholarship

Graduates of the Paseo High School.

Pizza 51 Scholarship

Undergraduate student majoring in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences with a minimum UMKC GPA of a 3.0 or higher who demonstrates financial need. Students must submit an additional one-page essay on what common sense means to them. Upload the essay with the application.

Charlotte Flavin and Emma Schille Honorary Scholarship Fund

For undergraduate and graduate students who are seeking a degree in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.Preference will be given to students from underrepresented backgrounds, including the children of new immigrants from developing countries. In the event that the State of Missouri adopts the Dream Act or similar legislation, undocumented students shall be eligible.

Marilyn T. and Bryon C. Shutz Scholarship Fund

An award for exceptional writing in fields such as creative writing, English literature, fiction and art history.

Linda and Thomas Talbott Scholarship and Leadership Award

Undergraduate student leaders in their junior or senior year and majoring in either English or economics. Students need to be graduates of the Kansas City metropolitan area high schools and have superior GPAs.

Joseph S. and Grace M. Thompson Fund in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Undergraduate or graduate students majoring in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. Recipients must have and maintain at least a 3.0 GPA or above and be in good academic standing.

James Philip Wahlman Scholarship Award Fund

Pursuing a humanities or social science degree in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at UMKC. Students must demonstrate financial need and be in good academic standing. Students must also submit a research paper on some aspect of non-Western culture. Essays can be uploaded with the application.

Frank Neal Willis Jr. Minority Scholarship

Undergraduate, minority students with a 3.0 GPA who also demonstrate financial need.

Dr. Shona Kelly Wray Scholarship in Medieval Studies

Graduate students enrolled in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, focusing on medieval studies. Submit a one-page essay on how you focus on medieval studies with the application.

Debate

Linda M. Collier Women in Debate Scholarship

Deserving female students seeking degrees in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences participating in policy debate at UMKC.

Ben and Rose Eisenmann Scholarship

Degree-seeking student who is a member of the debate squad. Contact Dr. Steven Melling.

Johnston/MacDonald Memorial Scholarship

Deserving students seeking degrees in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences who participate in policy debate at UMKC.

Walter Murrish Memorial Scholarship

Deserving students seeking degrees in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences who participate in policy debate at UMKC.

Study Abroad

UMKC Mugunghwa Scholarship - Application through Applied Language Institute

Deadline: February 15, 2023

This is a $2,000 scholarship to study abroad for one semester in South Korea. Students pay tuition and fees at UMKC while attending one of our partner universities in South Korea.

Find out more

Explorer avec UMKC: French Study Abroad Scholarship

Deserving students in the UMKC School of Humanities and Social Sciences participating in the UMKC French Summer Study Abroad Program. Preference will be given to students who are majoring in Languages and Literatures with an emphasis in French Language and Literature or students who are minoring in French. Preference will be given to student with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Preference shall be given to students with financial need.

Mirkin and Finegan Study Abroad Scholarship

Deserving undergraduate students in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences participating in UMKC’s Study Abroad program for a minimum of one month abroad. Preference is given to students who will be sophomore, junior or senior level students and who maintain a 3.0 grade point average. A one-page essay describing how the student will academically prepare for study in the country of destination and what specific or related courses and research the student will complete before studying abroad is required.

Thomas D. Barr Liberal Arts Scholarship

For undergraduate students seeking a degree in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Funding Support Available on Continuous Basis

SHSS Textbook Scholarship

Students who are struggling to purchase needed textbooks and supplies for classes. Fill out the application and send it by email.

Emergency Scholarship

Students who have experienced an emergency situation that impacts their financial wellbeing may apply for Emergency Scholarship funding to help with their educational expenses. Fill out the application and send it by email.