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The NSF and Scholarships, Fellowships, and Financial Aid

The National Science Foundation does not have a "college financial aid program," or, in fact, any general scholarship or fellowship programs for individual undergraduate students. The only program of direct student support maintained by the NSF is the Graduate Research Fellowship which is intended for students seeking a research-based master's or doctoral degree in an NSF field.

For more information, see the Graduate Research Fellowship page; more information about these programs is also available by writing to:

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
Oak Ridge Associated Universities
P.O. Box 3010
Oak Ridge, TN 37831-3010

Requests for information may be telephoned to: (865) 241-4300; or sent by electronic mail to: NSFGRFP@ORAU.GOV.

High school seniors and undergraduate students often inquire about NSF's Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) and Research Assistantships for Minority High School Students (RAMHSS) programs. Neither of them offers scholarships to graduating high school seniors.

RAMHSS provides supplemental funds to NSF-supported investigators to permit them to include qualified minority high school students in their research activities. NSF does not maintain a centralized listing of RAMHSS awards or opportunities.

The REU Program makes it possible for undergraduate students to join NSF-supported research activities each summer. REU is not a scholarship, financial aid, or "summer job" program. Two modes of support are maintained in all NSF fields of science, mathematics, and engineering:

  • REU Supplements: Principal investigators with NSF research grants apply (through their cognizant program officers) for supplemental funding to permit the association with their projects of one or two undergraduate students during the summer months or in the academic year. NSF does not maintain a centralized listing of REU Supplements.
  • REU Sites are institution-based projects hosting (usually) ten or more undergraduates, half of whom must come from an institution different from the host. Students accepted at an REU Site participate in the research programs of the host institution. Students are granted stipends, and in some cases assistance with housing and travel. Information about REU Sites should be obtained from the contact persons of the individual projects. A listing of REU Sites is maintained on the NSF web, and can also be retrieved through the NSF Online Document System (the document reference number is "reulist").

The best sources of information concerning fellowship and scholarship opportunities for undergraduate students are the Student Aid Offices of colleges and universities. In addition, students currently enrolled may seek assistance through the departments in which they are pursuing their majors.

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