Paleontology Scholarships
Uncover Funding and Pay for College
Students pursuing a program of study in Paleontology will be engaged in studying the history of the Earth through its fossil remains. For most undergraduate students, however, a course of study like this might be undertaken in the wider realm of a Geoscience major. This wider course of study prepares students across a multi-disciplinary curriculum that analyzes all of the planet’s processes including our history.
Paleontology majors often pursue Masters and Ph.D. programs and work in research and academia. Professionals work in both laboratory or field settings, in museums and private research.
Private Funds
The well-recognized Barry M. Goldwater Scholarships are awarded en masse to students in colleges across the country. Eligible applicants must be pursuing the sciences as well as possess amazing academic motivation. Awards may be as much as $7,500.
Like many other professional organizations, the Association of Applied Paleontological Sciences makes it part of its mission to help student members with education costs. The AAPS provides scholarships to outstanding students who can prove their fit for the funds. Awards are $1,000 and preference is given to students who are doing field research.
Minority students pursuing a program of study in Paleontology may qualify for scholarships from the American Geological Institute. The AGI Minority Geoscience Scholarships are intended to diversify the field by assisting those underrepresented populations. Scholarships may be as much as $3,000.
Female students planning to work in the field of paleontology may benefit from a membership with the Association for Women Geoscientists. Memberships in many professional organizations can be costly. In order to offset this cost, the AWG offers the Winifred Goldring Award, which buys an outstanding student a new membership.
College Scholarships
University of Missouri sponsors a number of scholarships for paleontology students. The Department of Geological Sciences vigorously solicits alumni for their support, which enables them to offer scholarships like these:
- Wallace B. Howe Fellowship in Geological Sciences goes to a graduate student majoring in paleontology. Applicants must be top academic leaders in their classes.
- Maurice G. Mehl Memorial Scholarship in Field Geology may be awarded to a paleontology major. The associated funds are for travel expenses and other related costs.
- Ernest J. Palmer Memorial Scholarships are awarded to paleontology majors who prove a demonstrated financial requirement for these funds. Without additional assistance recipients risk not finishing school.
- Carl B. Rexroad Geological Sciences Endowment Fund goes to students in the paleontology major with a preference for graduate students wishing to study in Missouri.
- James H. Stitt Memorial Scholarship Fund is reserved for graduate level students who are in the midst of research.
Students concentrating on paleontology studies at the University of Florida have the following scholarships available to them, sponsored by the Florida Museum of Natural History:
- R. Jerry Britt, Jr., Paleobiology Scholarship is awarded to undergrad or grad students at UF with superior academics and passion for paleobiology research.
- Miss Lucy Dickinson Scholarship in Vertebrate Paleontology.
