Awards, Scholarships, and Funding

Each year, through the generosity of our alumni and friends, the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities (RCAH) is able to grant several awards and scholarships open only to incoming and current RCAH students. A separate application, linked below, is required for the RCAH-specific scholarships listed on this page.

In addition to funding available through RCAH, all Michigan State University students are eligible for awards and scholarships offered by MSU.

More about MSU Scholarships and Aid

70 percent of incoming MSU first-year students receive some form of financial aid.
Check the Office of Admissions website for information about MSU scholarships, financial aid, and student employment opportunities that are available to all MSU students: admissions.msu.edu/cost-aid.
Your MSU application for admissions serves as your application for MSU scholarships offered by the Office of Admissions.
Submit your MSU admissions application by November 1 to receive highest consideration for aid offered by the MSU Office of Admissions.
For incoming and current RCAH students, read more about RCAH-specific scholarships, and...
Apply for an RCAH scholarship today!

Updated Application Deadline!

2024-2025 RCAH Awards and Scholarships

The following are scholarships available to students in RCAH for the 2024-2025 academic year. By completing the application below, you will be considered for any scholarship for which you are eligible.

Please note: The Ruth Dahlberg Smith Award and Karen Kavarik Award can be applied to Summer 2024, Fall 2024, or Spring 2025, depending on the education abroad/away program.

Apply now! To be considered for any of these RCAH-specific awards, submit the following electronic application any time starting Friday, February 2, 2024, until applications close on Sunday, February 18, 2024, at 11:59 pm EST:

Application Link: https://forms.gle/yXcPDitye13xppy6A

Scholarships for New Students

Richard A. and Joanne D. Brodie Endowed Scholarship for the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities
This award seeks to grant deserving student the opportunity to experience the arts and humanities, and through their future work, the lives of others will be enriched and inspired. Recipients must be an incoming freshmen or transfer student and shall be selected on the basis of outstanding academic achievement with preference for those with financial need.

Amount of award: One or more awards for a total of $1,700

Justin Morrill College Legacy Scholarship
Established by the alumni from the Justin Morrill College, this award is intended to encourage students who demonstrate the capacity to achieve their educational and professional goals, the motivation to achieve these goals, and the initiative to seek opportunities to further their progress.

Amount of award: Amount depends on the funds available

RCAH Alumni Honor Scholarship
Established by the alumni of the RCAH in 2017 to recognize the 10th anniversary of the college, this award seeks to support students pursuing a commitment to the arts and humanities, civic engagement, and social justice. Students must be incoming first year or transfer students, with a high school GPA of 3.5 or higher. Preference given to those who demonstrate financial need and/or who are first generation college students.

Amount of award: Amount depends on the funds available

RCAH Dean’s Opportunity Fund
Supported by the friends, parents, and alumni of the RCAH, this award seeks to support both current and entering students in the RCAH, who demonstrate a dedication and curiosity about the arts and humanities, with preference given to those students who demonstrate financial need.

Amount of award: Two awards at $1,000 each; Seven awards at $2,000 each; Four awards at $1,000 each and renewable for all four years. (NOTE: Students must maintain an MSU GPA of 3.0 or higher and a major in the Arts and Humanities.)

RCAH Endowed Fund for Student Support
Established by Dr. Ronald Miller, an alumnus of Justin Morrill College class of 1978, this academic scholarship is intended to provide support and encouragement to RCAH students in need. The award is open to all incoming or current RCAH majors. Preference shall be given to students with demonstrated financial need.

Amount of award: One or more awards for a total of $2,000

Scholarships for Returning Students

Lillian McMahon Endowed Scholarship for the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities
Established by Dr. George Melnik in honor of Lillian McMahon, the first woman in the United States to own a McDonald’s franchise, to honor her compassion and spirit for higher education. This scholarship is intended to provide a student an opportunity to gain the ability to solve problems through analysis and critical thinking—skills that Dr. Melnik used to further his own education and to be successful in life. This award was created to support students who are currently pursuing a major in the Arts and Humanities, who have a current GPA of 3.0 or higher, and who demonstrate financial need.

Amount of award: One or more awards for a total of $2,200

Justin Morrill College Legacy Scholarship
Established by the alumni from the Justin Morrill College, this award is intended to encourage students who demonstrate the capacity to achieve their educational and professional goals, the motivation to achieve these goals, and the initiative to seek opportunities to further their progress.

Amount of award: Amount depends on the funds available

RCAH Dean’s Opportunity Fund
Supported by the friends, parents, and alumni of the RCAH, this award seeks to support both current and entering students in the RCAH, who demonstrate a dedication and curiosity about the arts and humanities, with preference given to those students who demonstrate financial need.

Amount of award: Two awards at $1,000 each; Seven awards at $2,000 each; Four awards at $1,000 each and renewable for all four years. (NOTE: Students must maintain an MSU GPA of 3.0 or higher and a major in the Arts and Humanities.)

RCAH Endowed Fund for Student Support
Established by Dr. Ronald Miller, an alumnus of Justin Morrill College class of 1978, this academic scholarship is intended to provide support and encouragement to RCAH students in need. The award is open to all incoming or current RCAH majors. Preference shall be given to students with demonstrated financial need.

Amount of award: One or more awards for a total of $2,000

Ruth Dahlberg Smith Study Abroad Endowed Scholarship
Established by the family and friends of Ruth Dahlberg Smith, who was dedicated to international study, this award seeks to ensure that every RCAH student has the opportunity for an academic international experience appropriate to their interests before graduation. Students must be accepted to a study abroad program for the upcoming year and have a GPA or 3.0 or higher. Preference given to those with financial need.

NOTE: The Ruth Dahlberg Smith Award and Karen Kavarik Award can be applied to Summer 2023, Fall 2023, or Spring 2024, depending on the education abroad/away program.

Amount of award: One or more awards for a total of $2,400

Karen Kovarik Study Away Scholarship
Established by the family and friends of Karen Kovarick, this award seeks to ensure that every RCAH student has the opportunity to engage in community development in Costa Rica, as part of the RCAH Sustainability in Costa Rica program. Students must be accepted to a study abroad program for the upcoming year. Preference given to those with financial need.

NOTE: The Ruth Dahlberg Smith Award and Karen Kavarik Award can be applied to Summer 2023, Fall 2023, or Spring 2024, depending on the education abroad/away program.

Amount of award: Multiple awards for a total of $6,000

Additional Funding Opportunities in RCAH and Beyond

The following funding opportunities are available to all RCAH students. Some applications are open to non-RCAH students, as well.

MSUFCU RCAH Dean’s Choice Award for Innovations in Civic Engagement
This prestigious award recognizes a student or group of students who foster innovation using the arts and humanities in community settings. A $2,500 prize will be awarded to a student or students who engage with communities using initiative, collaboration, and innovative arts and humanities practices in alignment with the RCAH civic engagement model and RCAH’s mission to create a better world. For more information, go to https://rcah.msu.edu/current-students/funding/deans-choice-award.html.

The Balocating Prize for Undergraduate Poetry
The Balocating Prize for Undergraduate Poetry was established in 2011 in the name of Annie Balocating (1979-2018), an MSU/Residential Option in Arts and Letters (ROIAL) alumna who was an avid poet and social justice activist. The Balocating Prize is administered by the RCAH Center for Poetry, which awards a $500 prize for a single poem that best addresses that year's theme. The Balocating Prize is open to all current Michigan State University undergraduate students. The call for entries is open from late January to the end of February. The final judge is a visiting poet who will announce their selection at a Center for Poetry reading, usually held in April.

The Balocating Prize has a separate application process than other RCAH and MSU funding. Learn more about the Balocating Prize, including full guidelines and application process.

MSU Federal Credit Union Internship Opportunity Award
Through the generosity of the Michigan State University Federal Credit Union (MSUFCU) and individual donors, the MSU Career Services Network is able to grant stipend awards of up to $1,000 each for semester for undergraduate students participating in unpaid internships located in the United States. The MSUFCU Internship Opportunity Award program was established to encourage students who have demonstrated the capacity to accomplish educational and professional goals, the motivation to achieve these goals, and the initiative to seek experiential learning opportunities to further progress toward their career. For more information, go to https://careernetwork.msu.edu/jobs-internships/Internship-opportunity-award.html.

Emergency Funding

A variety of MSU and RCAH funds are available to assist students in meeting unexpected financial needs on an as-needed basis. For more information, go to https://rcah.msu.edu/current-students/funding/emergency-funding.html.