Scholarships & Funding Opportunities

To be qualified for this $2,750 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. 

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

This annual scholarship was established in 2002 by Bess Fosse's grandson in her memory. In the 1950s, Bess Fosse 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.

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. Preference is also given to students who are members of an underrepresented population and/or are first generation college-bound students.

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 scholarship is intended for an incoming College of the Environment senior from WWU’s Western on the Peninsula 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.

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.

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

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.

This scholarship is awarded to an incoming student who plans to major in one of the College of the Environment's degree programs and who have significant financial need. Each award is renewable—with demonstrated excellence in Western's College of the Environment preparation—for up to four years for first-year students and two years for transfer students. 

The purpose of this fund is to provide an annual scholarshipto a 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:

• Preference for registered member of Federally Recognized Coast Salish Tribe.
• 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.

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.”

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

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.

This scholarship provides support for students in good academic standing who have demonstrated an interest or have been admitted to the College of the Environment. It is renewable—with demonstrated excellence in Western's College of the Environment preparation—for up to four years for first-year students and two years for transfer students.  

The MDU Resources Foundation Scholarship is intended to benefit College of the Environment students from communities served by Cascade Natural Gas Corporation. 

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.

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.

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

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, BA with a geography concentration
• Environmental Studies, BA with a Geographic Information Science concentration
• Geography—Elementary, BAE  
• Geography/Social Studies, 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 ENVS office at 360-650-3284

This scholarship is awarded to students who are enrolled members of a federally recognized tribe who possess an interest in Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, or Urban and Environmental Planning and Policy. It is renewable—with demonstrated excellence in Western's College of the Environment preparation—for up to four years for first-year students and two years for transfer students. 

This scholarship is awarded to an entering student transferring to Western Washington University from a Washington state community college with demonstrated excellence in working towards a degree at the College of the Environment. 

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.

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

The Gastellum Scholarship is awarded to an Honors College student in a College of the Environment major on the basis of academic merit. More information available from the Honors College: webpage, email to honors@wwu.edu, phone number 360-650-3034 or office location in Old Main 330. 

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.

Quarterly application due dates are:

• 10/10/2025, Fall 2025
• 1/16/2026, Winter 2026
• 4/10/2026, Spring 2026

See application for more details.

The Ernst L. Gayden Lectureship in Human Ecology offers an opportunity to support one or more public educational lectures or presentations. These foster a deeper understanding of human interactions with the environment, highlighting the importance of human ecology as a field of study. Lectures give an opportunity to explore diverse topics related to sustainability, environmental challenges, and the socio-cultural dimensions of human life within ecological systems. Through this endowment, we hope to cultivate greater awareness and appreciation for the interconnectedness of humans and their surroundings, paving the way for informed action and responsible stewardship of our natural resources.

See website and application for more

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, alternating on even years to a declared Environmental Studies student, and on odd years to a declared Environmental Sciences student. 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 improving 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, and conference registration.

Annual application deadline: 4/10/2026 at 11:59pm PT.

See application for more details: Here

Awarded in Fall (31 Oct) and Spring Quarters (15 May) for Environmental Sciences and Environmental Studies students. You must have a Thesis Topic Approval or Project Approval on file to be considered. Used to cover expenses for such items as expendable supplies (chemicals, glassware, computer disks, etc.), travel to field sites and/or, when funds are available and after applying for Ross Travel funds through the Graduate School, attendance to present research results at a professional meeting. Application here.

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.