Christopher Dyer-Bennet Scholarship

$150 awarded in Fall 2024

• Eligibility: Students must meet the below criteria:
  • 3.0 GPA
  • Government/Political Science major
  • Junior, Senior, or Graduate Student
  • Participant in a CSUS government-related student group
• Submission: In addition to completing the application (see top of page), applicants will be required to submit:
  • Statement of no more than two double-spaced, typewritten pages explaining how you meet the criteria and discussing your role in the CSUS government-related student group.

College Access Foundation of California Scholarship

$5,000 awarded in Fall 2024

• Eligibility: Students must meet the below criteria:
  • 3.3 overall and 3.5 major GPA
  • Government/Political Science or Government/Political Science-International Relations major
  • Sophomore, Junior, First Semester Senior, or Graduate Student with at least two semesters left to graduate
  • Financial need is required (see below)
  • Must be enrolled full-time at time of application and award (12 units for undergraduate students, 9 units for graduate students)
  • Completed 6 units of government/political science courses
• Submission: In addition to completing the application (see top of page), applicants will be required to submit:
  • 600 word typewritten, double-spaced essay addressing how you have personally overcome challenges to get to this point in your college career, and describing your interest in Government/Political Science
  • OPTIONAL: one page written explanation of your financial needs

Financial need is required. Applicants must qualify for financial need to be eligible for this scholarship. The department verifies financial need with the Financial Aid office. You must have completed a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to be eligible for the scholarship. Applicants have the option to submit a one-page written explanation of their financial needs. The Sacramento State Financial Aid office is the only official office that can determine “Financial Need” of any student.

Note: The College Access Foundation of California’s policy prohibits awarding scholarship funds to the children of, or persons related to, any director or employee of the College Futures Foundation of California. The Foundation policy further prohibits awarding these funds to any relative of an employee, board member or trustee of the University Foundation at Sacramento State.

Donald R. Gerth Scholarship in Political Science

$500 towards Fall 2024 tuition

• Eligibility:
  • Government/Political Science or Government/Political Science-IR major
  • Must be enrolled at least half-time at time of application and award (6 units for undergraduate students, 4 units for graduate students)
  • Junior, Senior, or Graduate Student
  • Completed at least 12 semester units in residence at CSUS (excluding units graded CR/NC)
  • 3.0 overall, CSUS and major GPA
  • Must be enrolled in at least one course with the Political Science Department at time of award
• Submission: In addition to completing the application (see top of page), applicants will be required to submit:
  • Essay of at least one typewritten double-spaced page stating your expected career objectives.

Financial need may be considered in the selection process; however, it is not determinative.

Douglas McDaniel Memorial Scholarship

$500 awarded in Fall 2024

• Eligibility:
  • must be a Government/Political Science major with a concentration in International Relations
  • Juniors, Seniors or Graduate student currently enrolled at CSUS.
  • completed at least two semesters at CSUS
  • 3.0 overall and 3.5 major GPA
  • be enrolled at least half-time (6 units minimum) at CSUS.
• Submission: In addition to completing the application (see top of page), applicants will be required to submit:
  • 2 letters of recommendation: one from a faculty member and from a person (this could be faculty, also) who is able to judge ability based on appropriate practical field or job experience (i.e., an internship)
  • an essay of no more than two double-spaced, typewritten pages on the following topic: How do you see your education in International Relations relating to your future plans?

Livingston Fellow in Pol. Theory & American Institutions Scholarship

$1,500 awarded in Fall 2024

• Eligibility:
  • Must be enrolled full-time at time of award (12 units for undergraduate students, 9 units for graduate students)
  • Juniors, Seniors or Graduate student during the semester the award is received.
  • 3.0 or better major GPA
• Submission: In addition to completing the application (see top of page), applicants will be required to:
  • Identify a Political Science faculty sponsor and include verification of their support.
  • Submit a proposal of no more than two double-spaced, typewritten pages, outlining your plans for a one-semester research project in political theory, American institutions, or a relevant field.
    Please note that a final evaluation of the semester's project is required, and must be submitted to the department chair's office before the end of last week of classes in the semester in which the award is made.

The Jeff Lustig Memorial Prize

$750 awarded in Fall 2024

• Eligibility – Students must meet the below criteria:
  • Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, or Senior
  • Must be enrolled full-time (12+ units) at CSUS at the time of application and award
• Submission: In addition to completing the application (see top of page), applicants will be required to:
  • Submit a research paper of 8-20 double-spaced, typewritten pages on social and political theory, university politics, and/or California politics. Revised term papers from undergraduate courses are welcome. Submissions will be assessed with regard to intellectual and literary merit, originality, and critical engagement with questions of both scholarly and political importance.

Robert G. Thompson Memorial Scholarship

$500 towards Fall 2024 tuition

• Eligibility:
  • must be a Government/Political Science undergraduate major
  • be enrolled full-time (12+ units minimum) in the fall semester of the upcoming academic year
  • have earned at least 30 units and have sophomore standing at the time of award
  • have completed at least one semester at CSUS
  • 3.0 minimum overall GPA
• Submission: In addition to completing the application (see top of page), applicants will be required to submit:
  • One letter of recommendation from a faculty member
  • submit an essay of no more than two double-spaced, typewritten pages in response to the following: The ideal of democracy has been the cornerstone of our political system in the modern world, especially in the United States. But now in the 21st century we have to seriously ask ourselves: Is democracy still possible? Can we make it work?

Financial need may be considered, but is NOT determinative.

Thomas D. Swift Government/Journalism Scholarship

$1,000 awarded in Fall 2024

• Eligibility:
  • must be a Government/Political Science-Journalism major
  • Juniors or Seniors currently enrolled at CSUS.
  • 3.0 overall GPA
  • be enrolled full-time (12+ units minimum) at CSUS at the time of application and at the time of award.

Wade R. Smith Memorial Scholarship

$1,000 awarded in Fall 2024

• Eligibility:
  • must be a Government/Political Science major
  • Sophomore or Junior currently enrolled at CSUS.
  • 2.5 overall GPA
  • be enrolled at least half-time (6+ units minimum) at CSUS at the time of application and at award
• Submission: In addition to completing the application (see top of page), applicants will be required to submit:
  • an original paper (including those submitted for a course at Sacramento State) demonstrating critical thinking skills by evaluating all sides of a current event or issue and explaining personal position.