Scholarships for Meteorology

Fund Part of All of Your College Education

Meteorology is the scientific study of atmospheric phenomena, chiefly weather in the lower 30 miles of the earth’s atmosphere (the troposphere and stratosphere). Part of the meteorologist’s function is to collect data like temperature and moisture and predict effects occurring in the atmosphere, including both ordinary forecasting and research on severe weather.

Meteorologists work for industry, providing information about weather conditions and atmospheric pollution, deliver forecasts on television, and conduct research on how to improve the science, for example by producing more accurate weather modeling.

Government Scholarships

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has set up several scholarships for students in atmospheric science. There are two principal types of NOAA scholarship, the Ernest F. Hollings and the Educational Partnership Program (EPP) scholarships.

The Hollings scholarships are given to undergraduates for one or two years. The program includes financial aid for school (at most, $8,000 a year), followed by a full-time internship paying $650 a week at a NOAA facility. If NOAA selects you to stay for another year, you receive the same level of financial aid during that period.

The goal is to train new atmospheric scientists to fill the ranks at NOAA, so if you perform well as a Hollings scholar that will open a path to government employment.

The EPP program is designed for students attending Minority Serving Institutions such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Tribal Colleges and Universities. It includes both scholarships for undergraduates and a graduate training program. Undergraduates receive about $28,000 over a two-year period for tuition and fees.

The Graduate Sciences Program pays for expenses like tuition, books, and lab fees, in addition to paying a salary during the student’s 16 weeks of work at a NOAA facility.

Scholarships From Private Organizations

National Weather Association

The National Weather Association and AccuWeather, Inc. cooperate in underwriting the AccuWeather Undergraduate Scholarship in Meteorology. The Accuweather award brings $1,000 per year to an undergraduate who is at least a sophomore. This is a one-time award based on your academic success, and you must submit transcripts, two reference letters, and a personal statement with your application.

American Meteorological Society

The American Meteorological Society (AMS) maintains a list of its current scholarship offerings. Here are three of the available options for undergraduates:

• The AMS/Industry Minority Scholarships go to students from groups underrepresented in meteorology, such as African-Americans, Native Americans, and Hispanics.
• The AMS Freshman Undergraduate Scholarship is intended to encourage high school students to study atmospheric science.
• The AMS Named Scholarship goes to a full-time senior.

Scholarships From Colleges

Most colleges with meteorology degree tracks provide some scholarship aid, so the following is only a sample of what you can expect to find.

Lyndon State College

The Department of Meteorology at Lyndon State College (LSC) currently has three scholarships in the amount of $500 each that are designated for its students, and here they are:

• The Norman Sebastian Scholarship in Meteorology goes to a highly motivated first-year student at LSC. You must show financial need as well as academic accomplishment in the sciences.
• The Gil and Avis Ford Scholarship in Meteorology is given to a continuing major in atmospheric science who will return to LSC next year. Because the scholarship is named for a volunteer weather recorder, the judges look for a student who demonstrates both academic achievement and community involvement.
• The Jim Cantore Scholarship Fund is the gift of the Weather Channel meteorologist, who graduated from LSC.

Texas A&M University

Texas A&M University’s Department of Atmospheric Sciences has posted a page of information on its scholarships. Here are four of your choices:

• The Geosciences Scholarship, funded by the National Science Foundation, brings as much as $10,000 per year for two years to a new meteorology major. You must fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to document financial need.
• The Ernestine P. Scoggins Memorial Scholarship goes to the student who has finished at least two semesters and 25 hours with the highest GPA.
• The Allan Curry Reynolds Endowed Memorial Scholarship and the Lauren D. Murphy ’85 and Michael J. Baker ’85 Endowed Scholarship (3.0 GPA required) are awarded based on both academic history and financial need.

University of North Dakota

The Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Washington has established the Academic Achievement & Mindlin-Reed Scholarships. One new scholarship is awarded every year for academic excellence to a major in Atmospheric Sciences, and the scholarship is renewable for all four years of the program. It covers one-third of your in-state tuition.