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Social and Behavioral Sciences scholarships

The NAU College of Social and Behavioral Sciences is fortunate to have generous donors who make it possible to provide scholarships and awards in support of our students. Our scholarships reflect the diversity and varied interests of our student body.

We are grateful to our donors for helping students achieve their academic dreams.

Whether you’re a current student or a prospective one, we encourage you to explore the opportunities available through our scholarship program.

Basic criteria and application deadlines

Scholarships may be awarded based on academic standing, travel and extracurricular activities, financial need, program, and/or major. Some scholarships are offered yearly, and others are ongoing. Check back with us for future deadlines.

The next application period for yearly scholarships begins in January 2024. Yearly scholarships will be awarded for the 2024–25 academic year.

How to apply

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ScholarshipUniverse

NAU’s scholarship matching tool, ScholarshipUniverse, makes it easy to find and apply for scholarships in one location.

If you have questions or need more information, contact SBS Scholarships.

College-wide scholarships and awards

This fund was established to provide scholarships for full-time undergraduate junior or senior students of any major in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Preference will be given to students from historically underrepresented groups, including but not limited to low-income, veterans, single parents, adult/returning, or first-generation students.

This fund was established to provide scholarships for sophomores, juniors, or seniors of any major in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences with a GPA of 3.3 or higher. Applicants must submit an essay describing how their NAU education will help them achieve their aspirations.

This award recognizes a full-time College of Social and Behavioral Sciences student with a GPA of 3.0 or greater who has significantly volunteered in community activities. The student must document volunteer contributions made to the northern Arizona community.

This fund was established to provide scholarships for full-time undergraduate students of any major in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences in good academic standing with an interest in working in humanitarian relief.

This award is granted to NAU students who are registered members of any American Indian tribe recognized by the US government as a US Tribal entity. This award honors Native American Indian students who have demonstrated academic excellence. Applicants must have completed a minimum of 24 hours of Social and Behavioral Sciences coursework as an undergraduate or 18 hours as a graduate student.

This scholarship is awarded to applicants who successfully completed juvenile probation, are seeking a career that supports the juvenile court system, or faced major life challenges and are making an effort to overcome them.

Department scholarships

Many SBS departments offer scholarships for specific majors. Contact your department with questions.

Anthropology

This award is for graduate students in Anthropology at NAU who will attend a professional conference relevant to their area of study. Students are eligible for funding once during their academic career at NAU. Preference is given to students studying sociocultural anthropology and who are presenting a paper or poster. To apply: 1. Anthropology Scholarship Application. 2. A two-page, double-spaced statement of purpose in which you describe your research and the importance and value of the professional meeting you plan to attend 3. If you are presenting at a conference, also provide a copy of the submitted and/or accepted abstract (if applicable). Include the title, the authors in the order they appear in the submission, and the notification of acceptance of the presentation. Indicate your role in the presentation and whether this will be an oral or poster presentation. 4. If you are not presenting a poster or paper, but plan to attend and network with other professionals, include a list of people you intend to meet with, along with the intended outcome. 5. Send all documents to AnthropologyScholarships@nau.edu at least six weeks prior to the intended date of travel.

This scholarship is for full-time, second-year graduate students in the Department of Anthropology.

This scholarship is for full-time or part-time Anthropology graduate or undergraduate students.

This award is for full-time or part-time graduate students in Anthropology who are studying archaeology. Preference is given to students who are conducting research on Southwestern prehistory, conducting original field, laboratory, collections, and/or multidisciplinary research, or working toward research that leads to public outreach about the past.

This scholarship is for an undergraduate Anthropology major with a GPA of 2.5 or higher.

This award is for undergraduate or graduate students in Anthropology. It is intended to support direct mentoring and research experiences in Anthropology.

This scholarship is for undergraduate or graduate Anthropology students with career plans in cultural resource management in the geographical region where PaleoWest operates.

This award was established by the parents of Panayotis Farantakis, Kimon and Katerina, and anthropological linguist Dr. David Seaman. It supports full-time Anthropology graduate students pursuing a humanitarian internship as part of their graduate degree. Panayotis Farantakis studied anthropological linguistics at NAU. After leaving the university and completing his Greek military service, he established one of the most modern private language and computer schools in Greece. He also participated in search-and-rescue efforts. In 1996, while searching for a missing mountain climber, Panayotis slipped and fell over a cliff and was killed instantly at the age of 31. The award is to help perpetuate the humanitarian ideals so richly exemplified in his young life.

This award is for full-time undergraduate and graduate students studying Anthropology. To apply: 1. Anthropology Scholarship Application. 2. Submit a two-page, double-spaced statement of purpose in which you describe your research and the importance and value of the professional meeting you plan to attend. 3. If you are presenting at a conference, also provide a copy of the submitted and/or accepted abstract (if applicable). Include the title, the authors in the order they appear in the submission, and the notification of acceptance of the presentation. Indicate your role in the presentation and whether this will be an oral or poster presentation. 4. If you are not presenting a poster or paper but plan to attend and network with other professionals, include a list of people you intend to meet with, along with the intended outcome. 5. Send all documents to AnthropologyScholarships@nau.edu at least six weeks prior to the intended date of travel.

These scholarships are for graduate students entering the MA program in Anthropology. Funds cover resident tuition, books, class fees, travel, and a modest living stipend.

This award is for full-time undergraduate or graduate Anthropology students traveling to present research, obtain professional training or experience, or take part in conference symposia. To apply: 1. Anthropology Scholarship Application. 2. A two-page, double-spaced statement of purpose in which you describe your research and the importance and value of the professional meeting you plan to attend 3. If you are presenting at a conference, also provide a copy of the submitted and/or accepted abstract (if applicable). Include the title, the authors in the order they appear in the submission, and the notification of acceptance of the presentation. Indicate your role in the presentation and whether this will be an oral or poster presentation. 4. If you are not presenting a poster or paper, but plan to attend and network with other professionals, include a list of people you intend to meet with, along with the intended outcome. 5. Send all documents to AnthropologyScholarships@nau.edu at least six weeks prior to the intended date of travel.

This scholarship is for undergraduate Anthropology students who achieve academic excellence, make timely progress toward completion of the Anthropology major, and demonstrate financial need.

This scholarship is for full-time or part-time second-year graduate students in the Department of Anthropology with a GPA of 3.5 or higher.

This scholarship is for full-time or part-time undergraduate or graduate Anthropology students who are members of a federally recognized Native American tribe. Preference for the award will be given to undergraduate seniors and first-year graduate students in Anthropology.

Applied Indigenous Studies

This fund was established by Thomas J. and Dolores C. Ballew to provide scholarships at NAU for Native American students. The fund is meant to educate members of federally recognized Native American nations and tribes. The founders have a sincere appreciation of the goals of Native Americans to honor their history, culture, philosophy, and language; and for NAU to become the nation’s leading university serving Native Americans.

This scholarship supports junior or senior students from the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences majoring in Applied Indigenous Studies, Anthropology, or with a declared minor in Ethnic Studies.

School of Communication

One to three scholarships will be awarded to (a) qualified broadcast student(s) majoring in a program in the School of Communication who is involved in one of the broadcast/cablecast student media operations in the School of Communication.

This scholarship is available to a meritorious broadcast news major in either the Journalism program or Electronic Media & Film.

The recipient is selected by the Creative Media and Film faculty.

These scholarships are awarded by the Phoenix Advertising Club. Up to two scholarships will be awarded.

The recipient will receive payment of half the awarded amount of the scholarship at the first of each semester from the NAU Office of Financial Aid.

The scholarship will be renewed automatically if the student obtains a 3.7 GPA during the first semester the award is received. The scholarship can be renewed for up to eight semesters for the same student. The recipient will receive payment of half of the awarded amount at the first of each semester from the NAU Office of Financial Aid.

For Communication Studies or pre-law major with preference given to Communication Studies with an emphasis in pre-law, or be a graduating student who has been accepted and enrolled into an ABA accredited law school.

The award will be made by the KJACK faculty advisor in consultation with the scholarship committee chair at the beginning of each semester. This scholarship may be used for KJACK recruitment purposes for out of state students.

Preference will be given to current or past staff members of the The Lumberjack newspaper. The scholarship will be awarded half in the fall semester and half in the spring semester.

For those whose expressed career ambition is to write non-fiction for newspapers, magazines, or other print-oriented mass media.

For NAU students with a declared undergraduate major in Communication Studies or those admitted to the Masters program in Applied Communication with a Communication Studies emphasis.

This scholarship is awarded in honor of Phoenix advertising executive E.B. Lane.

Applicants for this scholarship must be Photography majors or intending to major in photography.

One scholarship is available to an outstanding and deserving undergraduate student.

For students intending to pursue careers in print journalism.

For those who demonstrate a commitment to pursuing a career in print or online media.

For those who have demonstrated leadership in the Merchandising program.

For graduate or undergraduate students enrolled full-time in the School of Communication on the Flagstaff campus.

Three or more scholarships are available to meritorious students majoring in the communication program of Visual Communication/Graphic Design.

This fund is established to support students in the Creative Media and Film program at Northern Arizona University. NATAS is an association dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of television and the promotion of creative leadership for artistic, educational, and technical achievements within the television industry.

This fund is established to support a student who is a declared major in Photography.

For NAU students majoring in one of the programs in Journalism.

This annual scholarship is provided by former students and graduates of the School of Communication and is awarded for either one or two semesters for a total of $500.

These scholarships are funded by the Scripps League Newspaper Education and Research Fund and are awarded to outstanding Journalism and Strategic Communication students.

Applicants must a be full-time (12 credit hours per semester) Journalism majors with preference given to sports journalists/reporters.

Criminology and Criminal Justice

This scholarship is given to students studying criminology and criminal justice.

United Way of Northern Arizona and the League of Neighborhoods (representing the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association of Flagstaff, Inc., the Southside Community Association, Inc., and La Plaza Vieja Neighborhood Association, Inc.) established this scholarship to support and encourage future leaders in community policing who are working toward a degree in Criminal Justice at NAU. It was created in recognition of the community policing efforts of the late City of Flagstaff Police Chief, Brent Cooper.

This scholarship awards a student planning a career in public law enforcement.

This scholarship is for students seeking a career in law enforcement.

This scholarship was established by NAU alumnus Henry Encinas who was born and raised in Douglas, AZ. Henry graduated from NAU in 1973 with a degree in Political Science.

This fund supports junior or senior students with a major in Criminology and Criminal Justice and GPA of 3.0 or higher.

This scholarship will provide students with funds for educational research, scholarly, and creative projects.

Ethnic Studies

This scholarship supports junior or senior students from the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences majoring in Applied Indigenous Studies, Anthropology, or with a declared minor in Ethnic Studies.

Geography, Planning, and Recreation

This scholarship will support an undergraduate geospatial science and community planning major focused on land management and interrelationships between the earth and humankind. Preference is given to students involved in research and thesis work.

This scholarship goes to an undergraduate parks and recreation management major.

This fund will provide scholarships for students majoring in Geographic Science or Community Planning, with preference given to students interested in community planning or GIS.

This fund awards undergraduates who are majoring in parks and recreation management. Preference may be given based on financial need and to those who are physically disabled.

This scholarship awards parks and recreation management majors to help support the transition from the classroom into the park, recreation, and leisure service industry.

This Fund is established by Steve Chatinsky, owner of Peace Surplus, a Flagstaff Outdoor Specialty Store. Over the past thirty years, Mr. Chatinsky has had the opportunity to employ many NAU students. He has continued to follow the careers of his former NAU employees and is most impressed by their remarkable achievements. This fund will provide scholarships for students in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences Parks and Recreation Program.

This scholarship is given to junior and senior students majoring in undergraduate Geospatial Science and Community Planning.

This scholarship is awarded to undergraduate students majoring in Geospatial Science and Community Planning.

Honoring a life well lived! Joe Rommel passed away on July 14, 2009, following a tragic motor vehicle accident near Sunset Crater. He lived and worked in Flagstaff while attending NAU. He majored in Parks and Recreation at the time of his death. This award is used to pay fees for students who apply for the Wilderness First Responder Certification.

This scholarship is given to an undergraduate Parks and Recreation Management major with a career goal of leading individuals or groups in the outdoors.

Masters for Sustainable Communities Program

This fund is established to support sustainability-related education and internships/projects in the region.

This fund will be used to defray expenses for student travel, conferences, workshop participation, and costs associated with thesis research.

Politics and International Affairs

This scholarship is established by family and friends to honor the life and memory of Darin Richard Bergman. On Sunday, January 27, 2008, Darin, age 31, was killed by a drunk driver in a car accident in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. Before moving to St. Croix in 2007, Darin lived, worked, and studied in Flagstaff, Arizona. Darin graduated from Northern Arizona University with a major in Political Science and International Affairs with a minor in Economics.

This award will be used to defray travel living and other related expenses associated with a student internship in Washington, D.C. In addition to this award, the recipient will receive a stipend every month.

This scholarship is given to students majoring in a Politics and International Affairs degree program.

This scholarship is given to students majoring in political science, international and political affairs, or American political studies.

This scholarship honors the late John M. Ostheimer, an extraordinary and inspirational professor and the first department chair in political science. It is for full-time students majoring in Politics and International Affairs.

This scholarship is given to students studying political science.

Psychological Sciences

This scholarship is for full-time degree-seeking graduate students in Psychological Sciences.

This award is given to undergraduate students who require financial support to present at a research conference.

This award recognizes outstanding students that have demonstrated high academic standards and a desire to improve the community through volunteer activities or public service.

This award provides support to psychological sciences graduate students for thesis research. Applications are available at the Psychological Sciences department.

This award provides financial assistance to undergraduate senior or graduate students in the Department of Psychological Sciences who are invited to interview for admittance into a psychological sciences (or closely related) graduate program by an accredited graduate school.

This scholarship awards psychological sciences majors based on cumulative grade point average and an essay about future educational goals and career objectives.

Social Work

This scholarship provides support for students majoring in Sociology or Social Work.

This scholarship is awarded to students with a sincere intention to work in the social work field.

Sociology

This fund provides scholarships to support junior or senior students majoring in Sociology.

This fund provides scholarships to support students majoring in Sociology.

This fund was established to provide scholarships for students with a Sociology, Social Science, Environmental Sustainability, or related interdisciplinary major who demonstrates interest in quantitative research and quantitative methodology pertaining to human populations and their impact on ecosystems. Applicants must have a GPA of 3.0 or greater and submit a brief essay outlining a demonstrated interest in quantitative research and quantitative methodology as they pertain to human populations and their impact on ecosystems.

This fund was established to provide scholarships for students with a Sociology, Social Science, Environmental Sustainability, or related interdisciplinary major who demonstrates interest in quantitative research and quantitative methodology pertaining to human populations and their impact on ecosystems.

This fund provides scholarships to support students majoring in Sociology.

This scholarship is awarded to Sociology majors and is based on a student’s character and scholarly ability.

Women’s and Gender Studies Program

This fund provides scholarships for students who demonstrate an interest in women’s or sexuality issues.

This fund provides scholarships for students who major or minor in Women’s and Gender Studies.