National Fellowships and Scholarships
Coe students are among the nation’s brightest and most motivated, and their success in competing for national fellowships and scholarships proves it. Having produced 35 Fulbright students in the last 13 years, Coe has earned the distinction as a top producer of Fulbright U.S. students three times. In recent years, Coe has had the highest percentage of applicants receiving awards among bachelor’s institutions in Iowa, and have also won Truman scholarships, Goldwater scholarships, Gilman scholarships and National Science Foundation fellowships. In all, Coe has produced 40 national fellowship or scholarship winners and finalists in the past decade.
Competing for and receiving scholarships such as these can open a number of doors for students. Not only do they provide financial support for further undergraduate and graduate studies, but they also afford networking opportunities with others who have won the award.
Coe has a dedicated National Fellowship Advisor who will work with you 1-1 and introduce you to other campus resources to support your pursuit of a high-level scholarship or fellowship.
Below is an overview of several national fellowships Coe students have applied for over the past several years.
Goldwater
The Goldwater Scholarship Program seeks to identify and support college sophomores and juniors who show exceptional promise of becoming this nation’s next generation of research leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The characteristics the Foundation seeks in a Goldwater Scholar include:
- Strong commitment to a research career in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering
- Effective display of intellectual intensity in the sciences, mathematics and engineering
- Potential for a significant future contribution to research in his/her chosen field
Students apply during the winter of their sophomore or junior year at Coe. Tyler Salrin ’25 was named a Goldwater Scholar in 2024.
Truman
The Truman Scholarship is the premier graduate fellowship in the United States for those pursuing careers as public service leaders. The Foundation identifies young people at an important inflection point in their development—when they are college juniors—and recognizes and rewards their commitments to devote themselves to public service.
Click here to learn more about Coe College's 2019 Truman Scholar Larrisa Alire. Coe also had finalists for the Truman in 2021, 2023 and 2024.
Fulbright
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program provides grants for individually designed study/research projects or for English Teaching Assistant Programs. The program facilitates cultural exchange through direct interaction on an individual basis in the classroom, field, home and in routine tasks, allowing the grantee to gain an appreciation of others’ viewpoints and beliefs, the way they do things and the way they think.
Students apply for Fulbright awards during the fall of their senior year at Coe or as recent alumni. In 2023 Emma Lassen earned a Fulbright assistantship to teach in Spain. In 2024, Sarah Hyatt earned a Fulbright assistantship to teach in Greece.
Rhodes and Marshall
The Rhodes Scholarships are the oldest and most celebrated international fellowship awards in the world. Each year 32 students from the United States are selected as Rhodes Scholars, through a decentralized process representing the 50 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories. Rhodes Scholars are chosen not only for their outstanding scholarly achievements, but for their character, commitment to others and to the common good, and for their potential for leadership in whatever domains their careers may lead.
Marshall Scholarships finance young Americans of high ability to study for a graduate degree in the United Kingdom. Up to 40 Scholars are selected each year to study at graduate level at an UK institution in any field of study.
Students apply for Rhodes or Marshall awards during the fall of their senior year at Coe or as recent alumni.
McElroy
Each year, the R.J. McElroy Trust selects two fellowship recipients from among graduates of nine colleges in Northeast Iowa. Based upon satisfactory progress toward a Ph.D. degree, the stipend of $10,000 may be renewed for two additional years, for a total of $30,000.
Students apply during the spring of their senior year at Coe.
NSF Fellowships
The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based Master's and doctoral degrees at accredited United States institutions. Students may apply in their senior year of undergraduate work or in early years of graduate study. Deadlines vary depending on field, but are in late October. In 2022, Ian Slagle was awarded a NSF fellowship as a senior at Coe.
Gilman
The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship is sponsored by the United States Department of State and enables students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad. The application process begins in the fall for sophomores or juniors.
Two Kohawks — Faith Zeonweh and Faith Webb — were recently awarded Gilman scholarships.
Udall
The Udall Foundation awards scholarships to college sophomores and juniors for leadership, public service and commitment to issues related to Native American nations or to the environment. Students apply during the spring of their sophomore or junior year at Coe.
