Scholarships & Funding Opportunities

This annual scholarship was established in 2002 by Bess Fosse's grandson in her memory. Bess Fosse (1905. In the 1950s, she taught her grandchildren to appreciate nature, eat wholesome foods and conserve natural resources, "so there will be something for your grandchildren." Her great-grandson graduated from Huxley in 2001. The purpose of this scholarship is to provide support for a full time undergraduate student who is a declared major in Environmental Studies Department in the College of the Environment at Western Washington University. 

Scholarship-Specific Criteria: preference to be made to applicants who plan to work in a field that benefits the environment as determined by the selection committee. All candidates being equal, financial need may be a consideration. The scholarship is not limited to only applicants with financial need. 

This endowed scholarship was established in 1995 to recognize Al Swift’s 16 years of leadership on behalf of positive environmental policy in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Scholarship-Specific Criteria: GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Incoming College of the Environment senior from WWU’s main campus. Applicants who have experienced personal struggles (single parent, caregiver, health issues, financial hardships, etc.) or provided service to our country, and demonstrate academic/research excellence should be considered.

This generous $12,000 scholarships is intended for an incoming College of the Environment senior from WWU’s Salish Sea Region Locations. Applicants who have experienced personal struggles (single parent, caregiver, health issues, financial hardships, etc.) or provided service to our country, and demonstrate academic/research excellence should be considered.

This endowed scholarship was established in 1995 and honors Cecil William Westman by supporting “students who are learning how to care for our precious earth.” One of the joys of Westman’s life was trout fishing and backpacking in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. It saddened him to hear of the damage done by too many people.

Scholarship-Specific Criteria: Statement should include outlining commitment to conservation of public land and preservation of the natural environment and applicant's related career plans.

Formerly the Mary Ruggles Scholarship, this annual scholarship was established in 1971 by The Chuckanut District Garden Club comprised of garden clubs in Whatcom, Skagit, and Island counties and is awarded to deserving College of the Environment students.

Scholarship-Specific Criteria: GPA of 3.0 or higher. Financial need. Statement should include a description of applicant’s community involvement.

If you would like to donate to this scholarship, please visit the donation page!

The purpose of this annual scholarship is to provide a scholarship/fellowship for a graduate student in College of the Environment. Preference shall be given to a student interested in public policy.

This endowed scholarship was established in 1991 and honors the legacy and personal goals of Gary Gray, a Huxley College of the Environment student who lost his life in an avalanche on Mt. Baker. The scholarship is intended for an Environmental Studies/Journalism major with a desire to fulfill the mission of environmental photography as defined by Gray: “The environmental photographer’s goal is to reawaken the environmental consciousness we, as humans, all inherit.”

Scholarship-Specific Criteria: College of the Environment undergraduate student with special interest, aptitude, and aspiration in photography. Statement should include applicant’s plans to use photography as a tool for environmental advocacy.

This annual scholarship was established in 2006 by IEME to aid students studying emergency management planning at College of the Environment.

Scholarship-Specific Criteria: College of the Environment undergraduate student with an interest in disaster risk reduction. Statement should include an outline of applicant’s interest in the emergency management field. 

Outstanding academic candidate pursuing a degree in environmental science who is the first generation in family to pursue a college degree or who is from an underrepresented population. Candidates must submit the College of the Environment scholarship application and a one-page essay describing why they have chosen this path and how it relates to their goals.

The MDU Resources Foundation Scholarship is intended to benefit College of the Environment students from communities served by Cascade Natural Gas Corporation. Recipients must be a sophomore from Western Washington with a 3.0 GPA or higher and majoring in Energy Studies, Environmental Studies or Environmental Science.

This endowed scholarship was established in 1985 in memory of Richard Brian Whitmire, a Huxley College of the Environment student whose focus was terrestrial ecosystems. Whitmire worked in reforestation for six years prior to coming to Huxley College.

Scholarship-Specific Criteria: College of the Environment undergraduate student in Environmental Science. Senior standing (135 credits) by fall quarter of academic year of award. GPA of 3.0 or higher. Financial need. Statement should include a description of applicant’s interest in terrestrial ecology.

This endowed scholarship was established to provide scholarship support for students in good standing who are enrolled at College of the Environment at Western Washington University who are pursuing a degree to prepare for a career in wildlife biology. To be eligible to receive this scholarship, students must show academic promise and have a demonstrated need for financial support.

Scholarship-Specific Criteria: College of the Environment student preparing for career in wildlife biology. Financial need. GPA 3.0 or higher. Statement should include description of how student is preparing for a career in wildlife biology.

This annual scholarship was established in 1973 by the State Federation of Garden Clubs, which comprises all local and regional garden clubs in Washington.

Scholarship-Specific Criteria: GPA of 3.0 or higher. Legal resident of Washington State. Financial need. Statement should include a description of applicant’s community service, good character, and demonstrated ability.

College of the Environment student who is a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces. Preference given to student of non-traditional age who has worked while attending college. Statement should include description of service in the U.S. Armed Forces as well as employment held while attending college.

For more information, contact the Honors Program Office directly at College Hall 007, (360) 650-3034.

To be qualified for this $5,124 scholarship you must be a member of APA and a full-time student working towards a Master of Urban Planning (MUP) at UW, Master of Urban & Regional Planning (MURP) at EWU, or Bachelor of Arts in Urban Planning and Sustainable Development (UPSD) Program at WWU.

Criteria: The APA scholarship will be awarded to the student who demonstrates the most overall: 

• academic excellence
• commitment/experience in planning and the APA
• potential future effectiveness in the field of planning
• financial need
• interest in specific planning issues

Application: APA WA 2023 Scholarship Application_WWU - due 4-7-2023.pdf

Deadline: April 7, 2023

The Dean’s Fund for Sustainability was established to support scholarly projects or activities that focus on sustainability. Awards from this fund can be used to offset a wide variety of costs including registration fees and travel expenses to attend conferences, professional meetings or competitions.

The dean’s office will determine the amount of funds available at the beginning of the academic year and inform each department of their allocated amount. The College of the Environment Extensions program will also be given an allocation.

Application Process and Criteria

The Dean and Sandy Blinn Travel & Research Fund endowment was established by Dean and Sandra Blinn to celebrate the success of the College of the Environment and to support faculty-mentored student research. Funds are intended to support student research expenses with priority given for student travel to state and/or national meetings to present research. If no student is deemed eligible in a given academic year, funds may be awarded to support expenses for a faculty member to present their research at a state and/or national meeting.

Accepted Use of Funds: This fund can be used for the following expenses:

• Conference registration

• Travel-related expenses (i.e. air fare, bus fare, state rate mileage for use of personal vehicle, per diem meals, per diem hotel/motel, etc.)

Restrictions:

• Funds to be used for travel to present faculty-sponsored research

Application: Blinn_Fund_CENV_Application.pdf

The Department of Environmental Studies Technology Equity Award aims to support historically under-represented students who are starting or continuing their Environmental Studies major. It is especially aimed at students who would benefit from having access to a state-of-the-art personal laptop, but due to financial need, do not currently have access to such technology. The award aligns with the College of the Environment's goals of increasing student diversity and better supporting retention and success of historically under-represented students.

A state-of-the-art laptop will be awarded each year to qualified students to keep for the duration­ of their studies contingent on maintaining eligibility criteria and to be returned prior to graduation. 

Applications are available in the Environmental Studies Office, Arntzen Hall 217. 

Application Deadline: Friday,  April 29, 2022, by 4:00pm PST

This scholarship was established in 1974 by Robert and Marilyn Monahan in memory of their son, Patrick. The open and perpetual fund has continued to grow through a succession of gifts from Robert and Marilyn Monahan, friends of the family, and Geography graduates.

Application

Award Amount: One or more scholarships with a $1,000 minimum award amount.

Eligibility: Students must be full-time undergraduate College of the Environment student declared as a major or pre-major in one of the following majors:

• Environmental Studies-Geography Emphasis, BA  
• Environmental Studies-Geographic Information Science Emphasis, BA  
• Geography—Elementary, BAE  
• Geography/Social Studies, BA
• Geography, BA 

Qualifications: Undergraduate Geography major with strong potential for contributions and leadership in the field of Geography shall be major factors for awarding scholarship funds. Academic achievement and financial need are also important considerations.

For more information, contact the UEPP office at 360-650-3284

The purpose of this student support fund is to provide support for Senior Thesis or Project work for upper division undergraduate students in the College of the Environment. Preference to be made to applicants who demonstrate outstanding academic merit, a cumulative GPA of not less than 3.2, and demonstrate intent to dedicate their career to improve environmental water quality.

The student support fund may be used to pay any costs related to their Senior Thesis or Project work, including, but not limited to research related expenses, field work related expenses, conference registration.

Application Deadline: 04/02/2023 at 11:59pm PT.

Application: Steve Liming Scholarship Application.pdf

Enrolled graduate or undergraduate students of College of the Environment may apply for the Tommy Gaines Research Stipend (TGRS) to conduct or apply research in or about the Canyon Lake and Kenney Creek watersheds, located 27 miles east of Bellingham. Research opportunities are varied and include ecology, biology, hydrology, geomorphology, forestry, natural resource policy and regulation, environmental education, land use and management, and others. This fund was made available by Canyon Lake community members and other generous donors.

Application Deadline: Applications are accepted anytime during the academic year when funds are available. 

Application: TGRS_Application_11-29-16-rev.pdf

Award Amount: $1,000. Email the scholarship coordinator for fund availability.

The purpose of this fund is to provide an annual scholarship of $10,000 to an Indigenous student of the College of the Environment and is renewable, if student is in good standing, for up to 4 years. Preference will be made to applicants who are, in descending order of priority:

• an Indigenous student who has declared a major or pre-major in the College of the Environment OR has expressed interest in the College of the Environment on their Western Washington University Admissions Application.
• a Coast Salish student.
• in Financial Need.

A College of the Environment pre-major is a WWU student who has expressed interest in becoming a College of the Environment major and is being advised by our professional advising staff. This scholarship can either serve as an Admissions Scholarship for first year or transfer students, or for current College of the Environment majors or pre-majors as a retention scholarship.

Application Link

College graduation rates for low-income and underserved students are 20 percentage points lower than the rest of the population. Here at the College of the Environment, we believe it is critical we fix this “opportunity gap.” This is why the College of the Environment has made need-based admissions scholarships it’s #1 fundraising goal. As a sign of this commitment, last year the College re-purposed eight existing scholarships into need-based, multi-year admissions scholarships for deserving students who might not otherwise be able to afford to attend Western Washington University and study at the College of the Environment

Application Link

This $3,000 scholarship will be provided to an indigenous*/native student, who possesses an interest in Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, or Urban and Environmental Planning & Policy. The scholarship may be renewed for up to four years as long as the student remains in good academic standing and is making progress toward a College of the Environment pre-major or major.

*Indigenous is synonymous with Tribal Peoples, First Peoples and Native Peoples from around the globe and includes peoples from tribes not federally recognized by the United States Government.

Application Link

Application Link

The Thomas Graham Memorial Endowment is intended to fund a scholarship for a student transferring into the College of the Environment from a Washington State Community College.

Application Link

The purpose of the Bliss Family Academic Scholarship is to provide support for students in good standing who are incoming freshmen who have been accepted to Western and are seeking admission to the College of the Environment. To be eligible to receive this scholarship, students must show academic promise and have a demonstrated need for financial support. Preference is also given to students who are members of an underrepresented population and/or are first generation college-bound students.

Application Link