NOAA undergraduate scholarship applications are open — Apply today!

Are you interested in a scholarship and paid summer internship with NOAA? Consider applying for the Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship or the Educational Partnership Program with Minority Serving Institutions (EPP/MSI) Undergraduate Scholarship. Applications are open from September 1, 2020, through February 1, 2021.

Haley Capone, class of 2018 NOAA Hollings scholar, out on a fieldwork day during summer 2019 with the Southeastern Fisheries Science Center Team. She is at a sampling site along the Miami Biscayne Bay shoreline recording relic oyster species shell counts within a deployed quadrat near a historic creek mouth.

Haley Capone, class of 2018 NOAA Hollings scholar, out on a fieldwork day during summer 2019 with the Southeastern Fisheries Science Center Team. She is at a sampling site along the Miami Biscayne Bay shoreline recording relic oyster species shell counts within a deployed quadrat near a historic creek mouth. (Image credit: Courtesy of Nicole Besemer)

These prestigious scholarships provide students with an academic award of $9,500 per year for two years of full-time study. The Hollings Scholarship provides a 10-week, full time, paid summer internship opportunity at any NOAA facility nationwide. The EPP/MSI Undergraduate Scholarship offers two paid summer internships, one in a NOAA office in the Washington, D.C., area, and one at any NOAA facility nationwide. All scholars also receive funding to present their summer internship research at two national scientific conferences. Note that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, internships may be held virtually. The Office of Education will review precautionary guidelines provided by the CDC in advance of the internships and will notify selected 2021 scholars when a decision is made whether to hold internships virtually or in person. Read about the 2020 virtual summer internships here.

Hollings scholar Crista Kieley was able to function more independently with the virtual format. Kieley completed her project illustrating benthic invertebrates of Puget Sound by setting her own weekly goals and pace.
Hollings scholar Crista Kieley spent her 2020 virtual summer internship illustrating Puget Sounds benthic invertebrates, with a focus on their key identifying features, for use in science and outreach projects. Crista interned with the Northwest Fisheries Science Center. (Crista Kieley)

Both scholarships are available to second-year undergraduate students studying engineering, meteorology, biological sciences, social sciences, education, and other NOAA-related subjects. Students who are currently enrolled or accepted as a full-time 2nd year student in a four-year academic program or as a full-time 3rd year student in a five-year undergraduate program at an accredited college or university within the United States or U.S. territories can apply for the Hollings scholarship. If students meet these requirements and also attend a minority serving institution, they may apply for the EPP/MSI scholarship. For a full list of eligibility requirements, please visit the frequently asked questions for the Hollings and EPP/MSI scholarships.

In April of 2020, the NOAA Office of Education selected 123 Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholars and 15 EPP/MSI Undergraduate Scholars, hailing from a total of 97 different campuses in 39 U.S. states, as well as Puerto Rico. Next year's class, the Class of 2021, will be the 17th class of Hollings scholars and the 21st class of EPP/MSI undergraduate scholars. Many scholarship alumni have gone on to work full-time at NOAA, while others have worked in areas of the government, in academia, or in the private sector.

Andrew Tokuda, Global environmental science major at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and 2018 NOAA Hollings scholar, holds a chum salmon while kneeling beside the Tutka Bay estuary. Tokuda interned at the Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Homer, Alaska, in summer 2019.
Andrew Tokuda, Global environmental science major at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and 2018 NOAA Hollings scholar, holds a chum salmon while kneeling beside the Tutka Bay estuary. Tokuda interned at the Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Homer, Alaska, in summer 2019. (Jacob Argueta/Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve)

Still wondering if these scholarships are for you? Take a look at the previous year’s #TakeoverTuesday campaign and the 2020 virtual internship story to see the experience through the eyes of past scholars. Read updates from our alumni describing where they are now in our story catching up with NOAA scholars. Follow NOAA Education on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn offsite link to stay up to date, and watch for new #TakeoverTuesday and #WhereAreTheyWednesday (featuring alumni) posts throughout the application season!


For more information and to apply, please visit the Hollings and EPP/MSI Undergraduate Scholarship websites. Don't miss our tips on developing a strong application!

This year, the NOAA scholars had to complete and present their internship project findings virtually. Here, Hollings scholar Hannah Neumiller (left) shows her summer workspace and EPP/MSI scholar Jezella Peraza (right) poses before her presentation.
In the summer of 2020, the NOAA scholars had to complete and present their internship project findings virtually. Here, Hollings scholar Hannah Neumiller (left) shows her summer workspace and EPP/MSI scholar Jezella Peraza (right) poses before her presentation. (Hannah Neumiller and Jezella Peraza, respectively)