Scholarships & Assistantships
Our department awards its students $50,000 every year in scholarships relating to academic achievement, activity in the local community and extracurricular organizations, research interests, and much more. As well as positions for graduate students in graduate teaching assistantship (GTA) and graduate research assistantship (GRA), at a $7,000-$8,000 per semester stipend.
Scholarship winners and those granted assistantship positions for the academic year are announced annually in April.
Congratulations to all our scholarship winners and assistantship recipients for the 2025-2026 academic year!
SCHOLARSHIP/FELLOWSHIP WINNERS
Evelyn M. Bieker Scholarship |
Patrick Donnelly, sophomore in the university honors program majoring in political science |
Amy Button-Renz Public Administration Scholarship |
Josie Brooks, master’s student in public administration |
Don and Marian Button Political Science Scholarship |
Andrew Quang Le, junior in the university honors program, double majoring in political science and global food system leadership, with a minor in leadership studies |
John W. and Lynn L. Carlin Public Administration Scholarship |
Jacob Hofman, accelerated master’s student in public administration |
Reba L. Cobb Memorial Scholarship for Outstanding Women in Political Science |
Gracie Jo Stanton, junior in political science with two minors in business and English, a pre-law designation, and a primary text certificate |
Sally Coberly Political Science Scholarship |
MaKenna Villwok, sophomore in political science and economics |
Louis H. Douglas Scholarship |
Brenna Barnes, junior in political science and natural resources and environmental science, with a pre-law designation |
Joseph Hadja Student Scholarship |
Gibson Akers, master’s student in public administration |
Donald R. Hill Scholarship |
Gabriela Patricia Guillen, junior in political science and Spanish, with a pre-law designation |
Edward Allen McCoy, Jr. Memorial Scholarship |
Alondra Alvarez, junior in political science and Spanish with a pre-law designation Samantha Suchanek, junior in political science with a pre-law designation, a certificate in film studies, and a minor in gender, women, and sexuality studies |
Barbara Meyer Scholarship in Political Science |
Reagan Montgomery, junior in the university honors program, majoring in political science, with a minor in business, and a pre-law designation |
Political Science Excellence Award |
Anna Halstead, sophomore in the university honors program, majoring in political science and art, with a pre-law designation Kadence Henke, freshman in political science with a pre-law designation Dylann Hoffman, freshman in political science with a pre-law designation Isabella Leo, freshman in political science with a minor in journalism & mass communications Zachary Weeks, freshman in political science with a pre-law designation and a primary texts certificate. |
Richter Family “Beyond the Campus” Scholarship |
Brooke Miller, junior in political science and Spanish with a pre-law designation and a primary texts certificate |
Rieger-McCrery Scholarship |
Zahir Nooristani, master’s student in public administration |
Nicolas Salgo Political Science Scholarship |
Lilly Schultejans, junior in political science and history with a pre-law designation |
Samarrai Middle East Fellowship |
Grant Holsman, freshman in political science with a minor in middle east studies |
Dennis K. Tapsak Memorial Scholarship |
Emily Freeman, sophomore in political science and history with a pre-law designation and a minor in leadership studies |
Tummala Master of Public Administration Fellowship Student |
Emily Voskoyan, master’s student in public administration |
Jon David Wagner Scholarship |
Sophie Bond, junior in political science and French with a pre-law designation and a primary texts certificate |
Raoul Wallenberg Scholarship in International Relations |
Rosa Estrada-Ramirez, master’s student in public administration |
GRADUATE TEACHING/RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIP RECIPIENTS
Graduate Teaching Assistantship |
Lamya Achelha, doctoral student in security studies Emmanuel Ofori-Bah, doctoral student in security studies Stephen Zimmer, master’s student in public administration Mia Wells, master’s student in public administration |
Graduate Research Assistantship |
Richard Johnson, doctoral student in security studies Channa Dissanayake, doctoral student in security studies |
Congratulations to all the award recipients and thank you to all the donors who make these scholarships possible
| Undergradute Scholarships | Graduate Scholarships |
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Barbara Meyer Memorial Scholarship For junior of senior students majoring in political science at K-State that are active on campus and/or in their local community. |
Amy Button Renz Family Public Administration Scholarship For full-time graduate students majoring in public administration at K-State. |
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Dennis K. Tapsak Memorial Scholarship For undergraduate students majoring in political science at K-State with a 3.0 GPA or above. |
Evelyn M. Bieker Scholarship in Political Science For undergraduate and graduate students majoring in political science, public administration or security studies at K-State. Preference given to those with child(ren), or who are active duty in the U.S. military or veterans, or who are spouses of active duty U.S. military of veterans. |
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Don and Marian Button Political Science Scholarship For undergraduate students majoring in political science at K-State, who have an expressed interest in public service. |
John and Lynn Carlin Public Administration Scholarship For graduate students judged to have outstanding potential and high scholastic aptitude; majoring in public administration at K-State. |
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Donald R. Hill Scholarship in Political Science For undergraduate students majoring in political science at K-State. |
Jon Wefald International Security Scholarship For graduate students in the Department of Political Science at K-State who have interest in national security affairs. |
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Edward Allen McCoy Jr. Memorial Scholarship in Political Science For junior or senior students majoring in political science at K-State. |
Joseph Hadja Student Scholarship For undergraduate or graduate students majoring in political science, public administration or security studies at K-State. Preference given to students who demonstrate financial need, excellent academic performance, and a strong international commitment. |
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Evelyn M. Bieker Political Science Scholarship For undergraduate and graduate students majoring in political science, public administration or security studies at K-State. Preference given to those with child(ren), or who are active duty in the U.S. military or veterans, or who are spouses of active duty U.S. military of veterans. |
Nicholas Salgo Political Science Scholarship For undergraduate and graduate students majoring in political science, public administration, or security studies at K-State. Preference given to students interested in Russia and Eastern Europe. |
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Jon David Wagner Scholarship For junior or senior students majoring in political science at K-State who are Kansas residents. |
Raoul Wallenberg Scholarship in International Relations For graduate students majoring in public administration at K-State. |
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Joseph Hadja Student Scholarship For undergraduate or graduate students majoring in political science, public administration or security studies at K-State. Preference given to students who demonstrate financial need, excellent academic performance, and a strong international commitment. |
Rieger McCrery Scholarship For junior, senior or graduate students majoring in political science, public administration or security studies at K-State whose primary interest is in international relations and peaceful resolutions of international conflict through the United Nations or other diplomatic means. |
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Louis H. Douglas Scholarship For junior or senior students majoring in political science at K-State who has shown academic excellence. |
Samarrai Middle Eastern Students Scholarship For graduate students of U.S. citizenship in the Department of Political Science specializing in Middle East-American Relations, Middle East Politics and/or International Politics of the Middle East. |
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Middle East Studies Minor Scholarship For undergraduate students who have declared the Middle East Studies Minor, completed at least one semester at K-State, and a cumulative 3.0 grade point average. |
Tummala Master of Public Administration Student Fellowship For graduate students majoring in public administration at K-State. |
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Nicholas Salgo Political Science Scholarship For undergraduate and graduate students majoring in political science, public administration, or security studies at K-State. Preference given to students interested in Russia and Eastern Europe. |
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Orma Linford Scholarship For junior or senior students majoring in political science at K-State, with a Pre-Law designation. |
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Reba L. Cobb Memorial Scholarship for Outstanding Women in Political Science For junior female students majoring in political science at K-State, who have the highest overall academic grade average (GPA). |
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Richter Family "Beyond the Campus" Scholarship For undergraduate students majoring in political science at K-State, who demonstrate academic excellence. This scholarship should enhance experience beyond the campus environment, such as out-of-state internships, study abroad or community service abroad. |
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Rieger McCrery Scholarship For junior, senior or graduate students majoring in political science, public administration or security studies at K-State whose primary interest is in international relations and peaceful resolutions of international conflict through the United Nations or other diplomatic means. |
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Sally Coberly Political Science Scholarship For undergraduate students majoring in political science at K-State.
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In all other respects, for all scholarships, these funds will be used without restriction to sex, race, color, handicap, religion or national origin.
As a political science undergraduate student, you are encouraged to apply for all departmental scholarship for which you qualify. To apply, students must have an account on the K-State Scholarship Network (KSN).
After completing your profile, you will have access scholarship applications, including those for political science. To be considered for a Political Science scholarship, you must fully complete the Political Science section of the "College of Arts and Sciences" application, and upload two letters of recommendation. If this section is not filled out, your application will not be considered.
Applications require the following:
- Department application form** (link below)
- Completed Political Science section of the "College of Arts and Sciences" KSN application.
- Copy of your CV/Resume (upload to KSN)
- Personal Statement: 1-page document describing your career plans and objectives (upload to KSN)
- Recommendation Letters (2): One reference must be able to evaluate your academic performance (emailed to polsci@ksu.edu)
K-State University and the College of Arts and Sciences also offers some scholarship and financial assistance options that are university-wide.
- Incoming freshmen must complete scholarship applications by February 1st.
- Incoming transfer students, international students and all returning students must complete scholarship applications by March 15th.
If you have any questions regarding our scholarship process, please contact the department office at polsci@ksu.edu, or 785-532-6842.
**The scholarship application period for the 2026-2027 academic year will open in January 2026.
As a student in one of our graduate or accelerated programs, you are encouraged to apply for all departmental scholarships/fellowships for which you qualify, as well as graduate assistantship positions.
To apply, graduate students must have an account on the K-State Scholarship Network (KSN).
Applications require the following:
- Department application form***
- Copy of your CV/Resume
- Personal Statement: 1-page document describing your career plans and objectives
- Recommendation Letters (2): One reference must be able to evaluate your academic performance
***Please click the button below to download our Graduate Scholarship/Assistantship application. Send your finished application, along with any additional, requested materials to polsci@ksu.edu.
Applications are due by March 15th.
Assistantships are awarded for one academic year. Graduate students are required to apply for each additional year of support.
If you have any questions regarding our scholarship process, please contact the department office at polsci@ksu.edu, or 785-532-6842.
**The application period for the 2026-2027 academic year will open in January 2026.
The department provides financial aid for assistance with faculty teaching, research, or sometimes both. A graduate assistant's assignment depends on the needs of the department and abilities of the assistant.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Graduate assistants are chosen based on the following:
- Academic performance, promise, and intellectual ability
- Teaching and research needs of the department faculty
- Financial need of the applicant
- Minimum 6 hour (full-time) enrollment during term of assistance
- Reasonable progress towards Master's degree
- Does not hold another paid full-time position
AMOUNT OF ASSISTANCE
Graduate assistantships involve a stipend, a tuition waiver and fee reductions. The amount of the stipend changes from year to year and may be obtained by contacting the Director of Public Administration, Dr. Ethan Bernick, or the Assistant Director of Security Studies, Dr. Michael Flynn.
SUPERVISION
Each assistant is assigned to one or two faculty members, depending on the department's needs and the student's preference. Graduate assistants may be asked to help any member of the department faculty, subject to clearance with the student's principal advisors.
DUTIES
Graduate assistants are required to work 20 hours per week in support of their faculty supervisor(s). Faculty supervisors are responsible for notifying their assigned graduate assistant of their obligations for the year, as each graduate assistant is responsible for keeping his or her principal faculty supervisor(s) informed on how these obligations are being met.
CONDITIONS OF ASSISTANTSHIP
All teaching assistants are expected to maintain a 3.0 GPA during the period of appointment and to perform their duties satisfactorily. The department reserves the right to withdraw support if academic performance falls below the 3.0 GPA or if the job performance is not satisfactory.
RENEWAL OF ASSISTANTSHIP
The assistantship is awarded for one academic year. A reapplication is required for each additional year of support.
The Swogger Primary Texts Scholarship has been established in honor of Dr. Glenn and Mrs. Claire Swogger, whose Redbud Foundation is a major supporter of K-State’s Primary Texts Certificate. The Swoggers’ commitment to primary texts education at K-State has made possible the program’s core course “POLSC 420: Primary Texts Seminar” and many other benefits, including the possibility of promoting the primary texts idea to other institutions of higher education. The purpose of this scholarship is to promote undergraduate primary texts coursework and research using primary texts and to facilitate travel to take courses or do primary texts-related research. In either case the program will help students with the goal of presenting and potentially publishing related work as appropriate.
To apply for this scholarship, a student must be enrolled in the Primary Texts Certificate program. For more information and to apply: lauriej@ksu.edu.
The deadline for Fall 2025 Swogger Scholarship applications is Friday, September 26, 2025.
The Boren Scholarships fund the intensive study of language and culture abroad by U.S. undergraduate students. Applicants must be enrolled in an associate’s or bachelor’s degree program located within the United States and accredited by a body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time of application.
They must remain enrolled for the duration of the scholarship and may not graduate until the scholarship is complete.
Maximum awards are determined by duration abroad:
- Up to $25,000 for 25-52 weeks
- Up to $12,500 for 12-24 weeks
Contact Beth Powers (bethpowers@ksu.edu) at the Nationally Competitive Scholarship office with help in preparing your application.
The U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship is a grant program that enables students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad, thereby gaining skills critical to our national security and economic competitiveness.
The Gilman Scholarship Program is open to U.S. citizen undergraduate students who are receiving Federal Pell Grant funding at a two-year or four-year college or university to participate in study and intern abroad programs worldwide. Program must be at least 3 weeks in length.
Applications will not be considered for a country with a travel advisory of 3 or 4.
Contact Beth Powers (bethpowers@ksu.edu) at the Nationally Competitive Scholarship office with help in preparing your application.
The Gilman-McCain Scholarship is a congressionally funded initiative of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State and named after the late senator John S. McCain from Arizona.
It provides awards of $5,000 for undergraduate child dependents of active duty service members to study or intern abroad on credit-bearing programs. Developed under the framework of the State Department’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program, the John McCain International Scholarship for the Children of Military Families (Gilman-McCain Scholarship) is open to eligible students enrolled at accredited U.S. colleges and universities who receive any type of Title IV federal financial aid. Deadlines vary, please see website for more information.
Contact Beth Powers (bethpowers@ksu.edu) at the Nationally Competitive Scholarship office with help in preparing your application.
The mission of the Fund for Education Abroad (FEA) is to provide scholarships and ongoing support to students who are underrepresented among the US study abroad population. FEA makes life-changing, international experiences accessible to all by supporting minority, community college, and first-generation college students before, during, and after they participate in education abroad programs.
REQUIREMENTS
- U.S. citizen or permanent resident
- Currently enrolled as an undergraduate at a college or university in the U.S.
- Study abroad program must be eligible for credit at the student’s home institution
- Study abroad program must be at least 4 weeks (28 days) in country/countries
FEA gives preference to students with demonstrated financial need, and strongly encourages students to apply who represent a group that is traditionally underrepresented in education abroad. These groups include, but are not limited to:
- First-generation college students
- Minority students
The Don and Carol Kissinger Experiential Learning Scholarship will award up to $2,500 for students participating in internships and study abroad. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.
The John S. McCain Strategic Defense Fellowship Program is a 12-month Department of Defense (DoD) leadership development program for recent advanced degree program graduates from across multiple academic disciplines.
Established by the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2019, this program provides the DoD headquarters staff offices with the ability to recruit and develop future leaders from across the United States.
Fellows are provided with challenging developmental opportunities and flourish into problem solvers, strategic thinkers, and future leaders. The program instills a spirit of public service and a commitment to the larger DoD community.
Fellows that successfully complete the program are eligible for conversion into a position with the DoD.
The Presidential Management Fellows Program is the Federal Government's flagship leadership development program for advanced degree holders across all academic disciplines. It was established 45 years ago by Executive Order and has gone through changes over the years, but the essential mission remains the same: to recruit and develop a cadre of future government leaders drawn from all segments of society.
Eligible individuals apply to be selected as Finalists. Finalists then have 12 months to secure an appointment as a Fellow, which is a two-year, full-time, paid fellowship at a Federal agency. The PMF Program creates a lasting bond among Fellows and Alumni. It also instills a spirit of public service, which, for Fellows who complete the program successfully, can ultimately encourage and lead to a career in government.
The White House Fellows program is one of America’s most prestigious programs for leadership and public service. White House Fellowships offer exceptional emerging leaders first-hand experience working at the highest levels of the Federal government.
Selected individuals typically spend a year working as a full-time, paid Fellow to senior White House Staff, Cabinet Secretaries, and other top-ranking government officials.
Fellows also participate in an education program consisting of roundtable discussions with leaders from the private and public sectors, and potential trips to study U.S. policy in action both domestically and internationally. Fellowships are awarded on a strictly non-partisan basis.
Applicants must have completed their undergraduate education by the time they begin the application process.
Various fellowships, scholarships, and grants are available to provide financial support to graduate students throughout their graduate education. Some funding opportunities are offered by the Graduate School and other units at K-State. Other funding opportunities are offered by external agencies and organizations.
These include a monthly stipend AND a fully-furnished apartment at no cost. Live in/near the residence halls or Jardine apartments.
K-State has many Student Affairs related graduate assistant positions available. Click the button below for information regarding available positions, the application process, and interview day.
Department of Political Science
Kansas State University
802 Mid Campus Dr. South
101D Calvin Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506
785-532-6842
polsci@ksu.edu