Beinecke Scholarship Program
Nomination required
Eligibility
About this scholarship
College juniors at participating U.S. institutions who plan to enter graduate school immediately after graduation may be nominated. Applicants must be U.S. citizens (with limited exceptions), demonstrate financial need, show a record of academic excellence, and plan to pursue graduate studies in the arts, humanities, or social sciences.
The Beinecke Scholarship provides a total award of $35,000: $5,000 upon receipt and an additional $30,000 during graduate study. All funding must be used within six years of undergraduate graduation or five years of graduate school entrance.
Nominations are submitted by campus liaisons at eligible colleges, not by students directly. Contact your campus liaison for nomination instructions.
Established in 1971, this scholarship honors the Beinecke family. Roughly 135 colleges nominate students each year.
Essay question
What else to submit
- Personal statement of 1,000 words or less
- Current C.V.
- Campus-liaison endorsement letter
- Three faculty or advisor recommendation letters
- Unofficial transcript(s)
- Financial Aid Data Sheet
- Certification of Eligibility (completed in online portal)
- Personal information and graduate school information (in portal)
- A current C.V. listing all collegiate activities and awards
- An endorsement letter from the Beinecke campus liaison summarizing reasons for the nominee's selection
- Three letters of recommendation from faculty members or advisors
- An unofficial copy of the nominee's transcript(s)
- Financial Aid Data Sheet (completed, signed, submitted by 5pm EST April 1, 2026)
- MFA applicants must submit an artist's supplement: creative writers max five pages double-spaced text; visual artists a digital portfolio of up to ten images at >=300 dpi; performing artists/filmmaker
- Nomination by a participating institution required (not open application); campus liaison submits via online portal by 5pm EST March 27, 2026
- MFA applicants must submit the specified artist's supplement.
- Funding must be used within six years of undergraduate graduation or five years of graduate-school entry.