The Udall Undergraduate Scholarship is a national opportunity honoring the legacies of brothers Morris and Stewart Udall, whose careers had a significant impact on Native American self-governance, health care, and the stewardship of public lands and natural resources.
The scholarship is open to college sophomores and juniors for leadership, public service, and commitment to issues related to either Native American nations or to the environment.
- U.S. Citizens, Nationals, and Lawful Permanent Residents;
- Sophomore or junior-level students of accredited higher education institutions;
- Intend to pursue careers related to the environment; healthcare, or tribal policy.
- Please see the Udall eligibility page for additional eligibility requirements.
- A strong commitment and deep passion for the either the environment or for tribal policy or Native healthcare;
- A strong character – evidence of leadership potential, a service orientation, and integrity;
- A strong trajectory: career goals, activities and service demonstrating that the student has begun to work towards a career that will allow him/her to make significant contributions to the environment or for tribal policy or Native healthcare.
URI applicants interested in the Udall Scholarship must first complete the pre-application and follow the campus application procedure below which helps them, if nominated, prepare for the final application materials as follows:
- An 11-question application;
- An 800-word essay related to the Udall Foundation’s core values.
- Transcripts for all college coursework; and
- Three letters of recommendation that speak to your leadership, public service, and academic achievements.
Campus Application Procedure
- For those interested in the Udall, please complete the Student Interest form or the Alumni Interest form to receive program updates;
- Read the Udall website so you understand the eligibility and selection criteria;
The Udall Scholarship 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 eight nominees 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:
- A list of potential letter writers (no letters are submitted at this stage)
- Unofficial transcripts from all undergraduate work
- A resume
- Short answer questions
- There is no such thing as starting too early for the Udall Undergraduate Scholarship! Begin thinking about the many avenues to public service 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 Udall website;
- September – October: Consolidate materials for the Udall Pre-application form
- Campus Pre-application Deadline – February 1st at 11:59 PM ET.
- mid- February – Applicants will be notified of their nomination status, and those who have been nominated will schedule a meeting with Fellowships@URI to discuss their application timeline
- National Deadline March 4, 2026 at 11:59 PM MT
- Selectees Notified: April 24, 2026
- Selectee Confirmation Due: April 29, 2026
- Udall Scholar Orientation: August 4-5, 2026