Professional organizations provide scholarships for psychology graduate students.
Graduate psychology students can find scholarship programs offered by private foundations and professional organizations. Scholarships typically have a specific intent for the use of funds, such as research expenses for a doctoral dissertation or master's thesis, travel expenses associated with attending conventions and conferences or general educational expenses. Resources with scholarship information include the American Psychological Association and American Psychological Foundation and privately operated websites such as Scholarships, College Tool Kit and Fast Web.
Ungerleider/Zimbardo Travel Scholarships
The American Psychological Association (APA) awards the annual Ungerleider/Zimbardo Travel Scholarship. The association offers seven scholarships for graduate students presenting research at the yearly APA convention. Each scholarship pays up to $300. The program only accepts applicants who are enrolled full-time in a psychology graduate program in Canada or the United States. All applicants must hold associate member or student affiliate status with the APA or must submit a membership application with their travel award application.
APF/COGDOP Graduate Research Scholarships
The Council of Graduate Departments of Psychology (COGDOP) and the American Psychological Foundation (APF) sponsor 13 annual research scholarships for graduate students. Awards range from $1,000 to $5,000, which graduate students can use to offset costs related to research for their doctoral dissertation or master's thesis. The program bases awards on the subject matter and importance of a student's research and the proposed use of scholarship funds. Letters of recommendation, previous publications and an applicant's background can also play a role in the selection process. Psychology students enrolled in doctoral programs or interim master's degree programs can apply. Students enrolled in terminal master's degree programs can apply only if they intend to pursue a Ph.D. program. Psychology graduate programs at educational institutions holding membership with the COGDOP can nominate students for the scholarship. The program places a limit on nominations submitted by psychology programs based on enrollment levels.
Benton-Meier Neuropsychology Scholarship
The APF sponsors the Benton-Meier Neuropsychology Scholarship, which provides funding for research conducted by neuropsychology students enrolled in graduate programs. The program awards scholarships up to $2,500 to students who have completed their doctoral candidacy. When using human participants in research studies, APF requires applicants to receive approval from the institutional review board of their school before receiving funds.
National Board for Certified Counselors
The National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) awards five rural scholarships annually. The program supports students enrolled in graduate programs at Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Program (CACREP) accredited schools. Rural scholarship eligibility is open to students who enroll in a minimum of six credits during their current school semester and have completed a minimum of 18 hours of credits. Applicants must reside in a rural area or in a community with a shortage of mental health professionals. Recipients must commit to serve as a counselor in a rural area for at least two years following graduation. Scholarship recipients can receive up to $3,000.
Tags: American Psychological, graduate students, graduate programs, American Psychological Association, American Psychological Foundation