The Beinecke is a national merit-based scholarship open to juniors who wish to pursue a research- or creative-focused master’s or doctoral program in the arts, humanities, or social sciences. Each year approximately 145 colleges and universities are invited to nominate a student for a Beinecke Scholarship, and up to 20 new scholarships will be awarded.
The Scholarship program seeks to encourage and enable highly motivated students to pursue opportunities available to them and to be courageous in the selection of a graduate course of study in the arts, humanities and social sciences. Each scholar receives $5,000 immediately prior to entering graduate school and an additional $30,000 while attending graduate school.
- U.S. citizen or U.S. national from American Samoa or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
- College junior pursuing a bachelor’s degree during the 2025-2026 academic year. “Junior” means a student who plans to continue full-time undergraduate study and who expects to receive a baccalaureate degree between December 2026 and August 2027.
- Plan to enter a research- or creative-focused master’s or doctoral program in the arts, humanities, or social sciences. Students pursuing graduate study in neuroscience or clinical psychology should not apply for a Beinecke.
- Have a documented history of being eligible to receive need-based financial aid during their undergraduate years, with a slight preference for Pell Grant recipients.
Selection Criteria
- Evidence of academic success and relevant academic background;
- Clarity of research/creative focus;
- Knowledge and fit of proposed graduate programs;
- Quality and breadth of recommendations.
URI applicants interested in the Beinecke Scholarship must first complete the pre-application (below) and follow the campus application procedure below which helps them, if nominated, prepare for the final application materials as follows:
- Completed eligibility and application forms
- CV
- 1,000-word statement outlining research or creative interests, career goals, and relevant experiences
- Endorsement letter from the campus liaison
- Three faculty letters of recommendation assessing intellectual curiosity, character, and potential for graduate study
- Unofficial transcript (official transcript required if selected)
- For MFA candidates: artist’s supplement with creative writing samples or a link to visual work
Campus Application Procedure
- For those interested in the Beinecke Scholarship Program, please complete the Student Interest form or the Alumni Interest form to receive program updates;
- Read the Beinecke Scholarship Description so you understand the eligibility and selection criteria;
The Beinecke requires institutional nomination, a process coordinated by the Office of Fellowships@URI. Each U.S. institution (college or university) is limited to a maximum of 1 nominee per year. Since the number of qualified candidates for nomination at URI often outnumbers this maximum number, our campus has a pre-application process to select its nominees. The campus pre-application includes:
- Short answer questions
- A resume
- A list of potential letter writers (no letters are submitted at this stage)
- Unofficial transcripts from all undergraduate work
Application Timeline
- There is no such thing as starting too early for the Beinecke! Begin thinking about how to support your graduate school aspirations, and start seeking out or making your own leadership and service opportunities on and off campus. Take academically rigorous courses, and consider the Honors Program;
- Become familiar with the Beinecke Scholar Program site;
- October – November: Consolidate materials for the Beinecke Scholarship Pre-application form
- Campus Pre-application Deadline – December 15 at 11:59 PM ET.
- mid- December – Applicants will be notified of their nomination status, and the one who has been nominated will schedule a meeting with Fellowships@URI to discuss their application timeline
- National Deadline: March 27, 2026 at 5 PM ET
- Financial Aid data sheet deadline: March 30, 2026 at 5 PM ET
- Selectees Notified: mid- March
- Program begins: September 1, 2026
- Program concludes: June 30, 2027