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Scholarships

The Department of Physics, Geosciences and Astronomy offers several scholarships for our current and entering physics and geology majors and minors, and for our geography information science (GIS) certificate students. These are separate from EKU’s general university scholarships and are awarded on a competitive basis. Apply online.

Applications are accepted continually and will be reviewed as follows:

  • Academic Year (Fall-Spring) 2022-2023
    • April 1, 2022 for current/continuing students
    • August 4, 2022 for incoming and transfer students
  • Spring 2023 only:
    • November 4, 2022
  • Summer 2023 – (geoscience field camp scholarships only):
    • February 3, 2023

Contributions

We are grateful for the contributions of alumni, friends and allies that enable us to offer these scholarships. All contributions to our scholarship funds are treated as endowments rather than withdrawable balances—-which ensures your contributions will support students for years to come.

If you are able and want to contribute to any of these funds or establish one of your own, please contact Department Chair Dr. Alice Jones or the Office of Development and Alumni Engagement, and they will help with the process.


The Allen Company Scholarship

The Allen Company Scholarships, each in the amount of $1000, are awarded annually to two students in either the EKU Pre-Engineering Program or Dual-Degree Engineering Program. Students of any class standing at Eastern Kentucky University are eligible to receive one of these scholarships. Preference will be given to students from Clark or Madison Counties in Kentucky and secondarily to students from the larger Central Kentucky region. High school seniors applying must have a composite ACT of 22 or higher and a Math ACT of 25 or higher (or equivalent SAT scores). Students currently enrolled at EKU, or transferring from another college or university, must have achieved and continue to maintain a GPA of at least 3.0 overall, be declared as a pre-engineering or dual-degree engineering student at EKU, and follow the appropriate pre-engineering or dual-degree engineering curriculum at EKU. While the primary criterion used to select awardees from eligible students will be academic merit, student need may be used as a criterion for judging the qualifications of the student. The scholarship must be applied to tuition, fees, books or room and board at Eastern Kentucky University. On a competitive basis, students may receive the scholarship for more than one year.

Applications must be submitted to the Chair, Department of Physics, Geosciences and Astronomy no later than February 12 in order to be considered for a scholarship during the following academic year. All application materials will be kept strictly confidential and will remain the property of the department. Decisions of the committee are not subject to appeal.


The Karl Kuhn Endowed Scholarship in Physics Teaching

The Karl Kuhn Endowed Scholarship in Physics Teaching in the Department of Physics, Geosciences and Astronomy at EKU will be awarded annually to a student who has chosen physics teaching as a career. The scholarship will be awarded on an annual basis, and a student holding the scholarship from the previous year will be given preference in any future awards. All interested students must apply for the scholarship on an annual basis. A committee of the tenured and/or tenure-track members of the physics teaching faculty will determine the recipient no later than April 1 for the following academic year. The criteria for selection to receive the Karl Kuhn Endowed Scholarship in Physics Teaching are:

  1. The recipient must fill out an application for the scholarship by the deadline that will be provided during January of each year in the Department of Physics, Geosciences and Astronomy office. The award will be for the following academic year.
  2. The recipient must have a declared major in physics teaching or be in the process of adding a certification in physics teaching to an already existing science or mathematics teaching certification.
  3. The recipient must either be a practicing teacher or be admitted to the teacher education program in the academic year in which the scholarship is to be used.
  4. The recipient must be a full-time student at Eastern Kentucky University in good standing during the academic year for which the scholarship is granted.
  5. Preference will be given to upper-level students who have shown exceptional ability in the classroom or have demonstrated an aptitude toward teaching.

This scholarship must be applied toward educational expenses incurred as a student at Eastern Kentucky University. One half of the award will be made available to the recipient at the beginning of the fall semester with the remainder available at the beginning of the spring semester unless the recipient is scheduled for December graduation. In that case, the entire award will be made available at the beginning of the fall semester. All application materials will be kept strictly confidential and will remain the property of the department. Decisions of the selection committee are not subject to appeal.


The Lance Barnett Memorial Scholarship

The Lance Barnett Memorial Scholarship shall be awarded to the physics or engineering 3/2 major who has shown the most improvement in his or her academic career. The award winner should exemplify a model of the conscientious student as shown by academics and service to the college and community. The student must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher and must have completed 60 hours toward the degree when the scholarship begins. The scholarship must be applied to tuition, fees, books or room and board at Eastern Kentucky University.

Applications must be submitted to the Chair, Department of Physics, Geosciences and Astronomy no later than March 2 in order to be considered for a scholarship during the following academic year. All application materials will be kept strictly confidential and will remain the property of the department. Decisions of the committee are not subject to appeal.


The Milos Sebor Scholarship

The Milos Sebor Scholarship is offered to those students pursuing a degree in geosciences. Students interested in this scholarship must:

  • Be enrolled full-time at Eastern Kentucky University seeking a degree in geography.
  • Have a 3.0 high school GPA or a 3.0 university GPA and demonstrate potential for the completion of a college degree. (The student will be eligible to reapply for the award if a 2.75 GPA is maintained.)
  • Possess the characteristics demonstrated and valued by the Sebor family: leadership, citizenship, diligence and social responsibility.

The Physics Faculty and Alumni Scholarship

The Physics Faculty Scholarship in the amount of $250 or more shall be awarded to a sophomore, junior or senior physics or engineering 3/2 major who shows significant academic potential. The award winner should exemplify a model of the conscientious student as shown by academic achievement and service to the college and community. The student must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher and must have completed 60 hours toward the degree when the scholarship begins. The scholarship must be applied to tuition, fees, books or room and board at EKU.

Applications must be submitted to the Chair, Department of Physics, Geosciences and Astronomy no later than February 12 in order to be considered for a scholarship during the following academic year. All application materials will be kept strictly confidential and will remain the property of the department. Decisions of the committee are not subject to appeal.


The Ted M. George Scholarship

The Ted M. George Scholarship, with an award of not less than $500 to an individual student, is awarded by the Department of Physics, Geosciences and Astronomy in honor of Dr. Ted M. George, Chair of the Department of Physics, Geosciences and Astronomy at Eastern Kentucky University from 1964 to 1988. The aim of the program is to assist deserving students of physics and to encourage the levels of academic excellence advocated by Dr. George in his teaching and exemplified in his life. In unusual cases, a second award may be made to a second student for an equal or lesser amount than the first award.

This scholarship must be applied toward educational expenses incurred as a student at Eastern Kentucky University. Eligible students are junior or senior physics majors (teaching or non-teaching) who will be full-time students during the academic year for which the scholarship is granted. One half of the award will be made available to the recipient at the beginning of the fall semester with the remainder available at the beginning of the spring semester unless the recipient is scheduled for December graduation. In that case, the entire award will be made available at the beginning of the fall semester. Recipients are eligible to compete for continuation of the scholarship in following years, but preference may be given to students who have not previously received this scholarship. In selecting the recipients of the scholarship, the evaluation committee will consider past academic performance and the potential for continued academic success, as well as need. Awardees must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher and must have completed 60 semester hours toward their degree when the scholarship begins.

Applications must be submitted to the Chair, Department of Physics, Geosciences and Astronomy no later than February 24 in order to be considered for a scholarship during the following academic year. All application materials will be kept strictly confidential and will remain the property of the department. Decisions of the committee are not subject to appeal.