Overview

Kennesaw State University is pleased to count several distinguished scholarship recipients among its current student and alumni populations. Dr. Michelle Miles, KSU’s Director of National and International Scholarships and Fellowships, is housed in the Honors College and is pleased to assist current and former KSU students in their respective application processes for prestigious undergraduate and postgraduate awards.

Each term, Dr. Miles offers information sessions on subjects ranging from how to discover, select, and apply for scholarships, craft successful personal statements, structure a curriculum vitae, and tips on composing an academic portfolio. The sessions are open to the university public, and Honors students, in particular, are encouraged to attend. Visit our frequently asked questions section for answers in these workshops.

As successful scholarship winners will attest, the process of composing a competitive application takes several months of thoughtful and active preparation. While the timetable of each scholarship as well as the particulars of each application will vary, students should identify the awards for which they plan to apply well in advance and schedule individual appointments with Dr. Miles (via email @ mmiles18@kennesaw.edu) to discuss the particulars of their application process and to construct a personalized timeline to completion. As certain awards will require university nomination and/or endorsement and potentially include a campus interview, national deadlines are often preceded by internal ones. Please contact Dr. Miles for specifics.

Find A SCHOLARSHIP MAKE AN APPOINTMENT Award Deadlines
ksu michelle miles

Scholarship 101: Q&As

A Q&A with Dr. Michelle Miles, Director of National and International Scholarships and Fellowships.

  • 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 – and in particular, KSU Honors students – are certainly viable candidates. Often, scholarship foundations are looking to diversify their student bodies, and as such, when an outstanding candidate applies from a university that has had few (or no) successful applicants (such as KSU), that student captures the attention of the scholarship committee(s). Since 2013, KSU has produced five Fulbright scholars and Gilman and Goldwater scholarship winners.
  • 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.