Astronaut Scholarship

The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation was established in 1984 by the astronauts of NASA’s Mercury 7 mission to support the education of future leaders in the fields of science and technology. Current sophomores and juniors with extraordinary motivation, creativity, and performance in STEM fields are applicable. Winners attend an Astronaut Scholarship Foundation’s Innovators Weekend in the fall and join a life-long network of Scholarship alumni, astronauts, and Foundation supporters.

Eligibility Criteria/ Scholarship Guidelines

Candidates for the Astronaut Scholarship must:

Be U.S. citizens at the time of application.

Be outstanding students who exhibit motivation, demonstrated potential, and exceptional creativity in a field of the natural or applied sciences, mathematics, or engineering (see the official website for a full list of eligible fields of study).

Have considerable research experience in their specific field.

Intend to pursue research or advance their field upon completion of their final degrees. Students studying a practice in professional medicine are not applicable for the scholarship; however, those intending to perform biomedical research are eligible.

Have completed two years of full-time study at the nominating institution by the end of the academic year during which they are applying.

Be juniors or seniors at the beginning of the next academic year.

Plan to be enrolled as full-time students during both semesters of ASF-funding at the nominating institution.