Most scholarship and loan opportunities for incoming students are available through the Admissions/Financial Aid process. The scholarships listed below are for more advanced students.

NOAA Hollings Scholarship (for sophomores) This nationally competitive, two-year scholarship (which also includes a paid summer internship at a NOAA laboratory) is for students with majors in any marine-related discipline (and GPA’s > 3.0) who have career intentions that relate to NOAA’s mission.  The application DEADLINE is in January of the sophomore year. For 15 consecutive years, URI students have won Hollings Scholarships and a total of 48 URI students with majors in Marine Biology, as well as in Aquaculture and Fisheries Technology, Marine Affairs, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, Natural Resource Economics, and Ocean Engineering have received this prestigious scholarship since the program’s inception in 2005. Contact Dr. Webb or Kathleen Maher (Director, National Scholarships and Academic Opportunities) early in the Fall Semester of your sophomore year and/or watch for announcements of information sessions in the Fall semester. It is strongly recommended that applicants attend our annual Hollings Workshop and consult with Dr. Webb or Kathleen Maher as you develop the essay required for the Hollings application.

URI’s 42 Hollings Scholarship Recipients (2005-Present)

• 2024 – Mary Brantley (MBio ’26), Grace Dandeneau (MBio and Animal Science ’26), Alec Duffy (MBio ’26), Grace First (MBio ’26), Nicole Kobasa (MBio ’26) and Brooklyn Mitchell (MBio and Wildlife and Conservation Biology ’26).
• 2023 – Owen Fleischer (Aquaculture and Fisheries Science)
• 2022 – Matthew Brander (MBio and Aquaculture and Fisheries Science), Taya Clements (MBio), Kara James (MBio), Ellie Madigan (MBio/WCB), Zoe Scipioni (MBio/WCB), Maricarmen Serna (MBio/ENRE), Alexandra Sinno (MBio),and Molly Halla (GEO).
• 2021 – Rosie Bailey (MBio), Emily Drappeau (MBio), Eliza Taylor (Ocean Engineering), Sebastian Murray-Brown (Marine Affairs/ENRE)
• 2020 – Myles Wagner (MBio/CMB)
• 2019 – Elizabeth Saraf (MBio)
• 2018 – Erin Tully (MBio), Max Zavell (MBio)
• 2017 -Dawn Parry (MBio), Sara Shapiro (MBio), Samantha Ward (MBio/WCB)
• 2016 – Johann Becker (MBio/Ocean Engineering)
• 2015 – Jessica Freedman (MBio) and Jamie Schicho (Ocean Engineering)
• 2014 – Rachell Marshall (Aquaculture and Fisheries Technology)
• 2013 – Nicole Marone (MBio/Ocean Engineering), Emily Bishop (MBio),  Catharine Egan (MBio)
• 2012 – Michael Canton (MBio), Eilea Knotts (MBio), Sarah Merolla (MBio), Benjamin Sevey (MBio), Callie Veelenturf (MBio), Brenton Wallin (Ocean Engineering)
• 2011 – Russell Dauksis (MBio)
• 2010 – Alexa Kretsch (Aquaculture and Fisheries Technology), Benjamin Negrete (MBio), Megan Nepshinsky (MBio)
• 2009 – Connor Capizzano (MBio), Megan O’Brien (MBio), Harrison Zimmer (Ocean Engineering)
• 2005 – Alison LaFerriere (Ocean Engineering/Electrical Engineering), Theresa Smith (Marine Affairs)

Other Nationally-Competitive Scholarships (e.g., Goldwater, Rhodes, Marshall, Mitchell, Truman, Udall, Boren, National Science Foundation REU’s and Graduate Research Fellowship, etc.) Contact Kathleen Maher, Director URI National Scholarships and Academic Opportunities for more information.

• 2021 – Goldwater Scholarship – Myles Wagner (Marine Biology)
• 2012 – Fulbright Scholarship – Megan O’Brien (Marine Biology, Iceland)
• 2012 – Goldwater Scholarship – Russell Dauksis (Marine Biology)
• 2009 – Goldwater Scholarship – Megan O’Brien (Marine Biology)

The Women Divers Hall of Fame is a non-profit organization dedicated to honoring and raising awareness of the contributions of outstanding women divers. A wide range of scholarships related to divers training and research are offered by the WDHOF.

Marine Technology Society – for student members as well as non-members.

Marine Aquarium Societies of North America offers a scholarship for a full-time undergraduate who will be seeking a degree in a marine science field.

Updated April 6, 2023 (JW)