Set Your Sights on Excellence!

opua postcard

For information on financial aid internal to KSU, please visit the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid.

 

Welcome!

The Office of Prestigious Undergraduate Awards (OPUA) empowers Kennesaw State University undergraduate students and alumni in pursuit of external funding opportunities for experiential learning, research, and continuing education. Through goal setting, mentorship, and professional development, OPUA cultivates an environment where undergraduate students thrive in their pursuit of prestigious external scholarships, fellowships, and awards. OPUA at KSU serves all undergraduate students and all alumni of our undergraduate programs.

OPUA is proud to partner with with the Keeping Sights Upward Journey Honors College. As a distinctive feature of the Honors core, students are taught how to leverage their knowledge, skills, and experiences into compelling narratives about themselves and their goals as we prepare them to apply for prestigious external scholarships and fellowships. OPUA elevates KSU to national prominence as a public institution through our commitment to academic excellence and lifelong achievement.

Producing a competitive application can take several months of thoughtful and active participation. Contact our office well in advance of posted deadline so we can help you succeed!

Office of Prestigious Undergraduate Awards

Jamie Elliott

Associate Dean, OPUA

Email: jellio82@kennesaw.edu 

Michelle Miles

Director, OPUA

Email: mmiles18@kennesaw.edu 

Emily Zanieski

Program Manager, OPUA

Email: ezaniesk@kennesaw.edu

 

EMAIL OUR OFFICE MAKE AN APPOINTMENT FIND A SCHOLARSHIP

Scholarship 101: Q&As

A Q&A with Dr. Michelle Miles, Director of the Office of Prestigious Undergraduate Awards.

  • There are a variety of national and international scholarships and fellowships for which KSU students are eligible to apply. These prestigious awards include such notable mentions as the Rhodes, Marshall, Mitchell, Fulbright, and Goldwater awards. A comprehensive listing of scholarships can be found below. While many of these scholarships are for graduate study, there are also some awards available for undergraduates.

    comprehensive listing of scholarships
  • While these scholarships are indeed highly competitive, KSU students are certainly viable candidates. KSU Students have had success with several of the most prestigious external awards.
  • Most scholarships require a personal statement, a statement of grant purpose (or other scholarship-specific essay), a curriculum vitae, official transcripts, and letters of recommendation from at least three faculty members. Often, there will be an initial internal review of applicants prior to the national application submission. A select panel of KSU scholars and administrators will review the candidate’s materials, schedule an on campus interview, and decide whether or not to endorse the applicant. A letter from the institution will then formally nominate the student for the award.
  • While many scholarship applications will not be submitted until the fall or spring semesters of the student’s senior year, the most successful applicants begin working on their application long beforehand. Ideally, a student should identify the award(s) for which she plans to apply at least six months ahead of time and meet with Dr. Miles early in order to learn more about the specifics of the award as well as to create a timeline towards completion.

  • Students are encouraged to make an appointment with Dr. Miles (preferably, by email at mmiles18@kennesaw.edu) to discuss their interest in applying for scholarships/fellowships. If the student has a good sense of his or her field, area of interest, etc., that’s more than enough to begin! During your first meeting with Dr. Miles, students will discuss their talents, aspirations, etc. This information will be used to determine the best possible application fits. Dr. Miles also has some print materials that she is able to lend students that will allow for their extended perusal of available opportunities. In addition, Dr. Miles periodically offers university-wide workshops to anyone interested in learning more about scholarships and fellowships.