AIPG National Undergraduate Scholarship

To assist students with college education costs and to promote student participation in the American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG). Up to ten scholarships will be awarded to declared undergraduate geological sciences majors who are at least sophomores. Details for applying for these scholarships are provided below.

Scholarship Awards

Scholarship awards in the amount of $1,000.00 - $3,000 each will be made to eligible students attending a college or university in the U.S. Scholarships are intended to be used to support tuition and/or room and board.

Eligibility Requirements

Any student who is majoring in geology (or earth science), is at least a sophomore, and is attending a two-year or four-year accredited college or university in the U.S. can apply. Also, the student must be either a student member of AIPG or must have applied for student membership at the time the application for the scholarship is submitted.

Each student who is awarded a scholarship agrees, by accepting the scholarship, to prepare a 600 to 800-word article for publication in The Professional Geologist. The subject of the article must be related to a timely professional issue.

Application Process

1. Submit a cover letter introducing yourself and tell us what you have done outside of the classroom such as research projects, officer in club, or outside activities within the community. Address your career goals in near term and longer term. Provide your academic objectives: If you are attending a two-year institute do you plan to continue to a four-year institute and complete a degree? If you attend a four-year institute do you plan to attend graduate school?
2. Submit a one page (800 words strictly enforced, 12 pt, times new roman, 1 inch margins, left justify and in a Word doc file) essay on “Why I Want to be a Geologist.” Scholarship winner's essays will be printed unedited and in their entirety in the AIPG publication The Professional Geologist (TPG).
3. Portrait of yourself for the purpose of printing in TPG with the scholarship winner's essay.
4. Submit a copy of your transcript (unofficial) and documentation that you are a current student. Requisite standards to apply are a minimum GPA of 2.8 (on a 4 point scale) and a minimum of 12 semester credits of geology/geoscience courses with a 3.0 GPA in these courses completed at time of application.
5. Letter of recommendation from a geology/geoscience professor that provides an emphasis on your performance and activities in the classroom, in the department, and your character in how you work and help other students. Professor can email the the letter to aipg@aipg.org or upload the letter online at https://aipg.org/page/UndergradeRecLtr. Student needs to let professor know to email or upload LOR.

The application packet can be submitted online (preferred) below or emailed to aipg@aipg.org. Questions regarding the application process can be directed to (303) 412-6205 or e-mail: aipg@aipg.org.

If you are submitting your application materials by email (aipg@aipg.org), please format the subject line as follows: AIPG Scholarship - Type of Scholarship (Undergrad or Grad) - Last Name - Submission. For example, AIPG Scholarship - Undergraduate - Doe - Essay - Letter of Recommendation. You may submit all application materials in one email, and, if necessary, one file.

Application Deadline and Award Date

Applications must be received by midnight Mountain Standard Time (MST) on February 1st, which is to say, before February 1st. Awarded the month of May.

Basis of Awards

Awards will be based on the cover letter, recommendation, transcript and the content and creativity of the essay as judged by the Education Committee. The decisions of the Education Committee are final.