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Scholarships for Philosophy Majors

The Philosophy Department is very fortunate and grateful to have a number of gracious benefactors who have provided opportunities for support to our students. There are three opportunities that Philosophy majors can apply to:

 
Thomas Scholl Philosophy Scholarship
The Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. Scholarship in Philosophy
Eric L. Clitheroe Memorial Scholarship
Deadline: Friday, 31 January 2025, 5:00pm (EST) Friday, 31 January 2025, 5:00pm (EST)

 

 Friday, 31 January 2025, 5:00pm (EST)
Amount: $500/semester (up to 4 semesters) $500/semester (up to 4 semesters) Up to $500 per scholarship
Criteria: The Thomas Scholl Philosophy Scholarship will be awarded to at least one distinguished Freshman who has declared their major in Philosophy. All students majoring in Philosophy and are in their first year of studies are encouraged to apply.  The Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. Scholarship in Philosophy will be awarded to at least one distinguished
Sophomore who has declared their major in Philosophy. All students majoring in Philosophy and are in their second year of studies are encouraged to apply.		 Undergraduate philosophy majors at Purdue University's West Lafayette campus.
How to Apply: In addition to the general Purdue undergraduate application materials, applicants for the Thomas Scholl Philosophy Scholarship must have already taken at least one philosophy course per semester (students can write an explanation of up to 250 words if they don't meet this requirement but still want to be considered), and submit an essay of 500 words or less responding to the prompt below. Applicants should e-mail their responses to the Department of Philosophy's Academic Program Manager no later than 5pm on Friday, 31 January, 2025.

Prompt for the Thomas Scholl Philosophy Scholarship application essay:

What specific skills have you gained in your philosophy courses that you can apply to your future goals? What opportunities do you anticipate the study of philosophy contributing towards during, and after your time as an undergraduate student.

Respond to this prompt in no more than 500 words.

 In addition to the general Purdue undergraduate application materials, applicants for the Mitch Daniels Philosophy Scholarship must have already taken at least one philosophy course per semester (students can write an explanation of up to 250 words if they don't meet this requirement but still want to be considered), and submit an essay of 500 words or less responding to the prompt below. Applicants should e-mail their responses to the Department of Philosophy's Academic Program Manager no later than 5:00pm (EST), Friday, 31 January 2025.

Prompt for the Thomas Scholl Philosophy Scholarship application essay:

What specific skills have you gained in your philosophy courses that you can apply to your future goals? What opportunities do you anticipate the study of philosophy contributing towards during, and after your time as an undergraduate student.

Respond to this prompt in no more than 500 words.

 E-mail the following materials as a single pdf to the Department of Philosophy's Academic Program Manager by 5:00pm (EST) on Friday, 31 January 2025
  1. A copy of a paper on any topic in philosophy, 5-15 pages in length. Normally, this will be a paper written for a philosophy class at Purdue representing your best philosophical work. In exceptional circumstances (e.g., transfer students) papers written in another context will be acceptable.
  2. A copy of the student’s transcript from Purdue University.
  3. A one-page cover letter presenting your application to the Clitheroe selection committee. The letter should include the name of at least one Purdue philosophy professor who is familiar with your work. Additional information relevant to the receipt of the scholarship (e.g., extracurricular activities) may also be included in the cover letter.

 

Other scholarship opportunities include the Outstanding Senior in Philosophy Award which includes the Matchette Prize and the William L. Rowe Scholarship. Eligible students are nominated by faculty members in the department to be considered for these awards.

Thomas Scholl and Mitch Daniels Jr. Scholars are also eligible for The Thomas Scholl Internship for Philosophy Students, which supports these students with additional financial support during summer internship and research positions.

More details on these scholarships and awards can be found here.