Astronaut Scholarship

Basic Eligibility

All students considered for the scholarship must meet the following requirements:

• Must be nominated by faculty at an ASF affiliated university or institution;
• Must be a U.S. citizen (verified by birth certificate, US passport, or naturalization papers);
• Must have completed two years of full-time study at an ASF affiliated university or institution and demonstrated exemplary academic performance, as noted in transcripts (NOTE: Students may be nominated during their second year of full-time study, for a scholarship that will begin in the third year.);
• Must be a junior or senior at the time their scholarship begins and attending that same ASF affiliated university or institution, and;
  o Must be majoring in an undergraduate degree program in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM), that is listed in the Appendix. The list of approved STEM majors has been derived from the National Science Foundation’s approved fields of study for their Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) with the exception of the categories of Psychology, Social Sciences, and STEM Education and Learning Research which are specifically excluded from ASF Scholarship eligibility;
• Should be a full-time student during both semesters of the ASF supported academic year to receive the full scholarship, which is up to $15,000 (one-semester students may be eligible with Scholarship Committee Chair approval);
• Must have conducted a considerable amount of work outside the classroom in their chosen field of study. This may include laboratory research, cooperative education, internships, relevant military experience, entrepreneurial endeavors, and/or documented independent work resulting in technical papers, patents, or similar work product;
• Must be nominated for consideration by a professor or faculty member who knows the student well enough to identify a special drive or talent that foreshadows a creative career leading to the advancement of scientific knowledge and technology.
• Special consideration is not given to aeronautical/astronautical engineering students or those intending to pursue careers as astronauts.
• Students intending to pursue a practice in professional medicine are not eligible for the scholarship. However, those intending to perform biomedical research are eligible.