External Scholarships and Fellowships

USC Academic Honors and Fellowships supports applicants with individual advising for select competitive national and international scholarships and fellowships. Outstanding undergraduate students, recent alumni, and graduate students may qualify for fellowships offering funding to pursue research, study, and internship in the U.S. and abroad.

If this is your first time visiting our website, we recommend starting with the Advising page to learn more about how to navigate our resources.

University endorsement requires participation in a formal campus process. Applicants are unable to apply to these opportunities directly. Endorsement signifies to administrators of a fellowship that candidates submitted by USC have been thoroughly vetted by a University-designated review panel.

For some fellowships, USC is limited in the number of applicants who can move forward to the national or international competition. Most of these processes will require a campus interview. While USC may not be able to endorse all applicants, participation in the process can be very beneficial for qualified applicants to explore their personal narrative and further develop relationships with faculty mentors.

Direct-apply opportunities do not require university endorsement to apply, however, Academic Honors and Fellowships  will conduct general advising and/or draft reviews during specified periods.

This select group of awards (as listed on the right side menu) require applicants to participate in a campus endorsement process. Beyond this select list, many more competitive scholarships and fellowships are available by direct application. AHF provides individual advising and an endorsement process for qualified applicants.

Thematic categories below can help applicants identify awards that share a similar purpose.

Download our Fellowship-Exploration-Guide for guided reflection on best-fit fellowship themes based on your interests and goals.  Download and review our brochure for a list of awards by year and theme as well as tips for how to prepare. All of these awards, and many more, are also included in the USC Awards & Fellowships Database.