Scholarships & Funding Opportunities

Clinton School of Public Service students are eligible for numerous national awards, scholarships, and fellowships. 

For the Fall 2024 enrollment cycle, the Clinton School is increasing the number of merit-based scholarship opportunities available to enrolling students. Enhanced cost-of-living stipends are also available.

The average scholarship-to-tuition ratio for the most recent enrolling cohort is 70%. After receiving scholarship and stipend support, students pay on average less than $3,300 annually to earn their Master of Public Service degrees.

To learn more about the Clinton School’s scholarship opportunities, contact Rachel Villafane, Manager of Enrollment and Student Services, at (501) 683-5220 or rvillafane@clintonschool.uasys.edu.

Listed below are specific opportunities that are currently available to students, along with information on eligibility, deadlines, specific contacts for additional questions and follow-up, and any other pertinent information related to the opportunity. You can learn more about past Clinton School recipients here.

Read all eligibility prerequisites carefully, and contact the program or individual providing the scholarship with specific questions.

Prospective Student Scholarships

About the MPS Merit Scholarship: For the Fall 2024 enrollment cycle, the Clinton School is increasing the number of merit-based scholarship opportunities available to enrolling students.

Scholarship opportunities range up to full tuition, and can include enhanced cost-of-living stipends. International Public Service Project stipends are also available. 

Students are automatically considered for merit scholarships upon applying to the Clinton School – a separate application is not needed.

Submit your application for admission and all supporting documents by the Priority Deadline or Final Deadline. We strongly encourage students to apply early in order to have the best chance to receive a merit scholarship.

More Information: Contact Rachel Villafane, Manager of Enrollment and Student Services, at (501) 683-5220 or rvillafane@clintonschool.uasys.edu.

About the Fellowship: All Fellows complete internships in underserved American communities, allowing them to bring home, and expand upon, the skills they learned as Volunteers. These skills in adapting to new cultures, developing and managing projects, dealing with language barriers, and leveraging limited resources attract the attention of prospective schools. Since the inception of the Coverdell Fellows Program, nearly 4,000 returned Volunteers have participated in the program and made a difference across the country.

Application and Selection: No additional application for the fellowship is required. The Clinton School will award up to five tuition scholarships of $8,000 each to Coverdell applicants who are admitted to the Clinton School. A graduate assistantship may be available in the Fellow’s second year. The scholarship will be noted in an admitted student’s acceptance letter (sent by mail, by April 1) and will be credited to an enrolling student’s account by September of their fall enrollment semester. Additionally, each Coverdell Fellow will receive up to a $4,000 stipend for their summer International Public Service Project.

More Information: contact Rachel Villafane, Manager of Enrollment and Student Services, at (501) 683-5220 or rvillafane@clintonschool.uasys.edu.

About: AmeriCorps members are eligible for a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award after successful completion of a service term. The award can be used to pay for college or vocational school, to pay back qualified student loans, or in some cases can be transferred to children or grandchildren. The dollar amount of a full-time education award is tied to the maximum amount of the U.S. Department of Education’s Pell Grant. AmeriCorps members may earn up to the value of two, full-time education awards and have seven years from the date they receive the award to use it.

Application and Selection: While a number of AmeriCorps alumni may be admitted in a given admission cycle, each year the Clinton School offers up to five single-match scholarships of AmeriCorps Education Awards (AEA) to well-qualified admitted MPS applicants. In order to be considered for one of these limited single-match scholarships, an admitted AmeriCorps alum must have an eligible AmeriCorps Education Award that has not yet been used. Students who have already used their AmeriCorps Education Award are not eligible to be considered for one of the five matching scholarships. However, please note that any admitted AmeriCorps alumni, even those not eligible to be considered to the AEA match, will be considered for standard Clinton School scholarship eligibility for the MPS degree program, along with all other admitted Clinton School applicants. AmeriCorps alumni who receive one of the matching scholarships will be notified in their MPS admission decision letter.

More Information: Contact Rachel Villafane, Manager of Enrollment and Student Services, at (501) 683-5220 or rvillafane@clintonschool.uasys.edu.

About the Rotary Foundation Global Grant: Since the program started in 2015, nearly $400,000 in scholarships have been awarded to Clinton School students. The grant sponsor is Rotary District 6150, which includes parts of central and northeast Arkansas, and District Governor Nancy Leonhardt in cooperation with 12 Rotary Districts in the United States.

Application and Selection: Admitted students who are international citizens can be considered for the Rotary Foundation Global Grant. The Clinton School Admissions Office will choose two admitted applicants based on the overall strength of their application and service record in April, and will work with them on their respective process of separately applying for the Rotary Grant during the months of April through June. The two admitted international students will be notified that they are selected to apply to Rotary in April, and will receive a funding decision from Rotary by July.

More Information: Contact Rachel Villafane, Manager of Enrollment and Student Services, at (501) 683-5220 or rvillafane@clintonschool.uasys.edu.

About: The Dr. Don and Thecia Taylor Scholarship honors the services rendered by the Taylors to the Arkansas-East Bolivia Partners of the Americas. The purpose is to assist a deserving Bolivian student in their pursuit of a graduate degree at University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service. The stipend is a one-time award of $500, or such amount as determined by the Board of Directors of the Arkansas-East Bolivia Partners of the Americas.

Dr. Don Taylor was a dentist. He visited Bolivia to teach new techniques and approaches to dentistry. He also hosted visiting Bolivian dentists who came to Arkansas to study their profession. Thecia Taylor twice served as President of the chapter.

More Information: Contact Alex Thomas, Assistant Dean of Enrollment and Student Services, at (501) 683-5228 or at aethomas@clintonschool.uasys.edu.

About: The James L. “Skip” Rutherford III Endowment was established at the University of Arkansas Foundation to honor Rutherford and provide support to student leaders across the UA System. Undergraduate and graduate students from any UA System campus are eligible to apply for grants, which will be awarded by a committee appointed by UA System vice president for academic affairs, Dr. Michael Moore, in accordance with the terms of the endowment. 

Grants of up to $1,000 will be awarded to students for expenses such as technology, conference registration, interview expenses, travel, test preparation, books, equipment or other supplies where a student can demonstrate need through the application process. This will be the inaugural year for awards from the endowment, which will be given out each spring. 

Application and Selection: The application process requires students to submit information about themselves and their proposed use of grant funding, along with contact information and a letter of recommendation from a faculty, staff or administrative advisor at their home campus. The deadline for submission is April 11, 2022.

Click here to submit an application form. After completing the form, students are required to submit 1) a letter describing their grant proposal, 2) a resume, and 3) a letter of recommendation from a home campus faculty, staff or administrative advisor. These documents should be emailed as PDF files to bbeaumont@uasys.edu.

Eligibility: These grants are open to undergraduate and graduate students enrolled within the University of Arkansas System.

More Information: Additional questions should be emailed to Ben Beaumont at bbeaumont@uasys.edu.

Fall/Winter Application Opportunities

Note: This program is currently paused for the 2022-23 academic year.

About Vital Voices: Through leadership development and innovative training programs around the world, Vital Voices works to expand roles of women in generating economic opportunities, increasing political participation, and protecting human rights. Its Global Leadership Network of women in 182 countries represents the vital voices of our time. Its mission is to identify, invest in, and bring visibility to extraordinary women around the world by unleashing their leadership potential to transform lives and accelerate peace and prosperity.

Eligibility and Fellowship Information: Second-year MPS students in good standing are eligible to apply for this opportunity to learn about monitoring and evaluation and gain experience in applied research as well as current, pressing global women’s issues and international women’s advocacy. Detailed project information is provided with the call for applications. Vital Voices supports and encourages professional development, engagement, and learning opportunities for the scholars that are driven by their unique background, skills, knowledge, and interests. The scholar is responsible for travel, housing, and other expenses. Vital Voices will provide work space and equipment. Its professional staff will offer an orientation to Vital Voices programs, project supervision, and mentoring. In the past, scholars have led workshops, organized events, and hosted brown bag sessions for Vital Voices staff.

Application and Selection: Applications are due in early January and selections are announced in early February. To apply, email a current resume and cover letter to Tiffany Jacob at tljacob@clintonschool.uasys.edu. Two scholarships are awarded each year. Selected students must be able to complete the fellowship in Washington, D.C., during their second-year fall semester.

Spring Application Opportunities

About Dr. Ruth Allen: Dr. Ruth Allen retired in 2002 after serving in various academic leadership roles, including the UAMS Office of Educational Development and as an educational evaluator in the Department of Geriatrics. Allen earned her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Michigan in 1959 and master’s degree in biochemistry from Michigan State University in 1961. She then served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Malaysia, teaching chemistry and physics for three years.

Application and Selection: This scholarship is included on the Second-Year StudentScholarship Application. To apply, check the “Dr. Ruth Allen Scholarship” option on the application form. The Second-Year Student Scholarship Application is due annually on June 1 and recipients are announced by June 30. 

If you have questions, contact Rachel Villafane, Manager of Enrollment and Student Services, at (501) 683-5220 or rvillafane@clintonschool.uasys.edu.

Eligibility:  1) Second-year MPS student, 2) Student identifies as female, 3) Student has a 4.0 GPA at the end of their first academic year, 4) Student has demonstrated financial need.

About Jenna Rhodes: The scholarship honors the legacy of Jenna Rhodes, a 2014 graduate of the Clinton School who passed away in July 2019. Jenna was a beloved member of MPS Class 8. A concurrent MPS/MPH graduate, Jenna’s public service passions included food security/access and nutrition. From metropolitan Kansas City, Jenna loved her UACS experience and made Little Rock her home after graduation. In the years after graduating, she became very involved in a number of public health/public service issues throughout Central Arkansas, including serving as a project supervisor for UACS student field projects. In honor of Jenna’s deep love for UACS, this scholarship for concurrent MPS/MPH students was set up by her family & friends.

Application and Selection: This scholarship is included on the Second-Year Student Scholarship Application. To apply, check the “Lee Williams” option on the application form. The Second-Year Student Scholarship Application is due annually on June 1 and recipients are announced by June 30. 

The application process for this scholarship is currently under revision. If you have questions, contact Rachel Villafane, Manager of Enrollment and Student Services, at (501) 683-5220 or rvillafane@clintonschool.uasys.edu.

Eligibility: 1) Second-year MPS student, 2) Student is enrolled in the concurrent MPS-MPH program, 3) Student is in good academic standing at the end of their first academic year, 4) Student has demonstrated financial need.

About Lee Williams: Lee Williams, longtime aide to Sen. Fulbright and former member of the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, worked for Fulbright from 1955-1974, first as a legislative assistant and then as an administrative assistant and chief of staff. Williams attended the University of Arkansas School of Law (LL.B. ’53) after distinguished service in World War II. He was appointed to the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board by President Bill Clinton on Nov. 12, 1993. Williams served 10 years on the board and was a vigilant and dedicated guardian of the program’s principles, providing insightful wisdom in promoting mutual understanding through educational exchange. In 2006, the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service announced the establishment of the Lee Williams Fellowship in Public Service. The fellowship, administered jointly by the Clinton School and Fulbright College, is awarded annually to a University of Arkansas, Fayetteville graduate pursuing a master’s degree at the Clinton School.

Application and Selection: This scholarship is included on the Second-Year Student Scholarship Application. To apply, check the “Lee Williams Fellowship in Public Service” option on the application form. The Second-Year Student Scholarship Application is due annually on June 1 and recipients are announced by June 30. 

The application process for this scholarship is currently under revision. If you have questions, contact Rachel Villafane, Manager of Enrollment and Student Services, at (501) 683-5220 or rvillafane@clintonschool.uasys.edu.

Eligibility: 1) Second-year MPS student, 2) Student is a graduate of the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, 3) Student is in good academic standing at the end of their first academic year, 4) Student has demonstrated financial need.

About the Little Rock Nine Foundation: Nine African American students – Carlotta Walls Lanier, Melba Pattillo Beals, Elizabeth Eckford, Ernest Green, Gloria Ray Karlmark, Terrence Roberts, Minnijean Brown Trickey, Thelma Mothershed Wair and the late Jefferson Thomas – became known as the Little Rock Nine when they integrated Little Rock Central High School in 1957. The resistance of Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus and protests by large groups of segregationists forced the intervention of President Dwight Eisenhower, who the sent the military’s finest, the 102 Airborne Division, to protect the students. The Little Rock Nine Foundation was established in 1997.

Application and Selection: This scholarship is included on the Second-Year Student Scholarship Application. To apply, check the “Little Rock Nine Foundation” option on the application form. The Second-Year Student Scholarship Application is due annually on June 1 and recipients are announced by June 30. 

The application process for this scholarship is currently under revision. If you have questions, please contact Tiffany Jacob at tljacob@clintonschool.uasys.edu.

Eligibility: 1) Second-year MPS student, 2) Student identifies as Black or African American, 3) Student is in good academic standing at the end of their first academic year, 4) Student has demonstrated financial need.

About: The James L. “Skip” Rutherford III Endowment was established at the University of Arkansas Foundation to honor Rutherford and provide support to student leaders across the UA System. Undergraduate and graduate students from any UA System campus are eligible to apply for grants, which will be awarded by a committee appointed by UA System vice president for academic affairs, Dr. Michael Moore, in accordance with the terms of the endowment. 

Grants of up to $1,000 will be awarded to students for expenses such as technology, conference registration, interview expenses, travel, test preparation, books, equipment or other supplies where a student can demonstrate need through the application process. This will be the inaugural year for awards from the endowment, which will be given out each spring. 

Application and Selection: The application process requires students to submit information about themselves and their proposed use of grant funding, along with contact information and a letter of recommendation from a faculty, staff or administrative advisor at their home campus. The deadline for submission is April 11, 2022.

Click here to submit an application form. After completing the form, students are required to submit 1) a letter describing their grant proposal, 2) a resume, and 3) a letter of recommendation from a home campus faculty, staff or administrative advisor. These documents should be emailed as PDF files to bbeaumont@uasys.edu.

Eligibility: These grants are open to undergraduate and graduate students enrolled within the University of Arkansas System.

More Information: Additional questions should be emailed to Ben Beaumont at bbeaumont@uasys.edu.

Summer Application Opportunities

About Amanda Harris: Amanda Harris graduated from the Clinton School of Public Service in 2009. Before coming to the Clinton School, Amanda studied at the University of Central Arkansas, earning a degree in Communication. Amanda’s passion was human rights and dignity for all people, and she knew the value and power of grassroots organizing, the inclusion of arts into activism, and civil disobedience. This passion was manifested in her work that included being an organizer for and participant in one of the first Soul Force Equality Rides that visited colleges throughout the Southeast to encourage policies affirming the identities of all students and staff. To complete her international public service at the Clinton School, Amanda worked with a coalition of groups in Brno, Czech Republic to hold the first “Queer Parade” in that city. She also served on the board of Center for Artistic Revolution (CAR4AR), an organization that focused on activism through creative endeavors to connect people with the purpose of securing equal rights and fair treatment for all Arkansans. Amanda was known for her engaging personality, her “Arkansassiness,” and her affirmation that her “queer self and Southern self” were big parts of who she was. Amanda died in San Francisco, Calif., on September 23, 2016.

Eligibility: Full-time student at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service. Both MPS and Clinton School Online students are eligible. Must have a UACS cumulative GPA of 3.3 or better. The student must be committed to working with a community partner organization on a culminating experience (Capstone) project pertaining to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, particularly efforts related to sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, women’s issues, or grassroots organizing.

Application and Selection: Application is due each year on August 15. A selection committee of Clinton School staff, alums, and family of Amanda Harris reviews applications and the recipient is notified by September 30.

About Graduate Assistantships: Graduate assistantships may be available in several UACS departments and/or offices including: Admissions/Enrollment, Office of Community Engagement, Center on Community Philanthropy, Clinton School Online, Public Programs, Office of the Dean, River Market, and assisting individual professors. Opportunities vary year to year.

Application and Selection: Students will be emailed during the fall, typically September, and spring semester, typically July, indicating which Graduate Assistantships are available. Within the notification email, supervisors will be listed for each assistantship. Supervisors have discretion over the application and selection process for their available assistantship. There is no formal deadline but typically Graduate Assistantships will be announced within one month of the initial notification. General questions can be directed to Susan Hoffpauir at sahoffpauir@clintonschool.uasys.edu.

Eligibility: Second-year MPS students

Multiple Application Deadlines

About the Hope Fund: The Hope Fund is available for students working on their Practicum, IPSP and Capstone projects. It is designed to support small donations of goods for high-need organizations and/or populations associated with Clinton School field partners. These funds are not meant to fund your fieldwork directly, but are meant to support identified needs of your partner organization.

Application and Selection: There are three application deadlines each year: April 1, August 1, and December 1. Applications are reviewed by a three-person UACS committee and approved by the Dean. Typically, determination is made within one to two weeks of the submission date. Questions can be directed to Tiffany Jacob at tljacob@clintonschool.uasys.edu.

Eligibility: In order to access these funds, you must submit a short proposal via the Hope Fund Proposal Form which requires the following information:

• Name of the student requesting the funds
• Name of the community partner organization and contact information
• Details about what will be purchased and how it will be used
• A short description about the need for this purchase
• A budget – include quantities, specific items costs, and shipping expenses if they are needed

Founded to commemorate the life and work of Lauren Remedios, the Lauren T. Remedios Foundation is committed to investing in the service, passion, and development of students enrolled in the Clinton School’s MPS program. Scholarships are available to fund MPS students during IPSP, Capstone, and in cases of hardship.

About Lauren Remedios: Lauren was the embodiment of public service. Her charismatic charm and her love for others catalyzed the uniquely deep bonds of her Clinton School class’s community. Lauren served the Clinton School in countless ways as a student and alumna, even serving a term on the UACS Alumni Board before she tragically passed away. In the spirit of giving back to the organizations and people who Lauren loved, her husband, Craig Seager, launched the Lauren T. Remedios Foundation, starting with a focus of providing supplemental funding for current MPS students. There are currently three scholarships available:

International Public Service Project Scholarship

About: This scholarship offers supplemental funding of up to $3,000 towards the International Public Service Project
Timeline: Application opens April 15, application due May 15, recipients announced June 15
Eligibility: Clinton School students planning to complete IPSP during the summer semester following the application closing date
Selection: Lauren T. Remedios Foundation selection committee will review applications and make a selection
ApplicationApply directly through the Foundation website

Capstone Project Scholarship

About: This scholarship awards funding up to $2,000 towards the Capstone Project
Timeline: Application opens July 15, application due August 15, recipients announced September 15
Eligibility: Clinton School student planning to complete a Capstone project during the current academic year
Selection: Lauren T. Remedios Foundation selection committee will review applications and make a selection
ApplicationApply directly through the Foundation website

Second-Year Student Scholarship

About: This scholarship is only available to second-year students who are in need of financial assistance for an unforeseen or unexpected hardship. This scholarship provides funding up to $5,000.
Timeline: Application opens July 15, application due August 15, recipients announced September 15
Eligibility: Second-year Clinton School student
Selection: Lauren T. Remedios Foundation selection committee will review applications and make a selection
ApplicationApply directly through the Foundation website

About Dr. Christina Standerfer: Christina Standerfer (Ph.D., University of Colorado) is Professor Emeritus of Communication and former Faculty Director of the Office of Community Engagement at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service.

Standerfer served as a 2012-13 Fulbright Lecturing Scholar at University Marin Barleti in Tirana, Albania. During her time in Albania, she worked with U.N. Women and the U.S. Embassy delivering workshops and reports on public speaking, policy debate, conflict transformation, and effective advocacy. She has over 20 years of experience developing and presenting workshops, research, and reports on volunteer recruitment, community capacity building, networking, and effective communication skills.

Application and Selection: There are two application deadlines each year: September 15 and February 15. After a student applies, the student’s faculty adviser is asked to comment on the consistency of the application with the student’s professional development. The Dean of the Clinton School makes the final funding decision, generally within two weeks of the preceding application deadline.

Eligibility: The event for which the student applies for funding must take place after the application deadline by which the student is applying, while the student is enrolled in good standing at the Clinton School, and before the student graduates from the Clinton School. Students may apply to the fund multiple times while enrolled at the Clinton School. For more information, contact Dr. Robert Richards at rcrichards@clintonschool.uasys.edu

About the Fellowship: All Fellows complete internships in underserved American communities, allowing them to bring home, and expand upon, the skills they learned as Volunteers. These skills in adapting to new cultures, developing and managing projects, dealing with language barriers, and leveraging limited resources attract the attention of prospective schools. Since the inception of the Coverdell Fellows Program, nearly 4,000 returned Volunteers have participated in the program and made a difference across the country.

Application and Selection: No additional application for the fellowship is required. The Clinton School will award up to five tuition scholarships of $8,000 each to Coverdell applicants who are admitted to the Clinton School. A graduate assistantship may be available in the Fellow’s second year. The scholarship will be noted in an admitted student’s acceptance letter (sent by mail, by April 1) and will be credited to an enrolling student’s account by September of their fall enrollment semester. Additionally, each Coverdell Fellow will receive up to a $4,000 stipend for their summer International Public Service Project.

More Information: Contact Rachel Villafane, Manager of Enrollment and Student Services, at (501) 683-5220 or rvillafane@clintonschool.uasys.edu.