Honors Program Scholarships
for current UW Honors students
The Honors Program provides scholarship opportunities for students currently enrolled in the Program. These scholarships are supported through gifts from alumni, faculty, foundations and other stakeholders who understand the value of a rigorous interdisciplinary education grounded in reflection. Their investments support students taking up the challenge of Interdisciplinary and/or Departmental Honors.
Information for Current UW Honors Program Students
The application process for ongoing Honors Program scholarships opens in February and recipients are notified in May. Final awards and terms are dependent on fund availability and subject to change.
Please contact uwhonors@uw.edu if you have any questions about the scholarship application process.
*Please note: To be eligible to apply for a current Honors Program scholarship, students must be admitted into the Honors Program and currently taking classes at UW. Students must be in good standing as determined by the Honors Program requirements.
How to Apply
Submit one Honors Scholarship Application for each award you are applying for. Your selection of the scholarship in the dropdown will show you the scholarship-specific essay prompt. Make sure you are responding to the appropriate scholarship prompt in your application. You may apply for multiple scholarships but must submit a new application for each scholarship.
Scholarship applications for 2025 are due by Tuesday, April 8 at 12:00pm (noon).
Eligibility
For these scholarships, “class standing” is determined by your year at UW, not total credits, at the time the application is due:
- A rising sophomore is a first-year student/freshman.
- A rising junior is a second-year student/sophomore.
- A rising senior is a third-year student/junior.
- A returning senior is a fourth-year student/senior and beyond.
Additionally:
- Students must be a current, active student in a UW Seattle Honors Program track (Interdisciplinary, Departmental, and/or College Honors) by the Friday of the first week of Spring 2025.
- Note: if you are in Departmental Honors this means that your departmental adviser must have activated your Departmental Honors exception in your DARS to inform the Honors Program of your admission into that DH program by the Thursday of the first week of Spring 2025.
- To receive scholarship funds students must be enrolled during Autumn 2025 – Spring 2026 and in good standing within their respective Honors track(s) to be reviewed for any scholarship.
- Scholarships awarded in the form of tuition waivers cannot be used to cover the costs of study abroad program fees.
- Awardees who wish to use a scholarship towards a study abroad program in the Summer must contact uwhonors@uw.edu to arrange for early disbursal.
- Students who are already the recipient of a 4 year Honors Undergraduate Scholar Award are only eligible for the following of the awards:
- The Dillman
- The Gerberding
- The Wang
Award | Amount | WA Resident Only | Year Eligible | Program Eligible |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bordeaux Scholarship | $3,000 | No | Rising Junior | All Honors Tracks |
Everett Dillman Endowed Scholarship Fund | $3,000 | No | Rising Junior | All Honors Tracks |
Friedman-Hechter Endowed Scholarship | $1,200 | No | All | All Honors Tracks |
Gerberding Scholarship | $3,600 | No | Rising Senior | All Honors Tracks |
Greene Scholarship | $10,000 | Yes | Rising/Returning Senior | All Honors Tracks |
Ran Hennes Honors Scholar | $1,500 | No | Rising/Returning Senior | College Honors |
Randolph Preston Pillow Scholarship | $6,000 | No | Rising Sophomore | Interdisciplinary Honors |
Wang Scholarship | $6,000 | No | All | All Honors Tracks |
Award Descriptions
Bordeaux Scholarship
Bordeaux Scholarship
The Bordeaux Scholarship is awarded to rising juniors in Interdisciplinary, Departmental or College Honors on the basis of academic merit; students apply during their sophomore year. This fund was established by Barbara and Bruce Bordeaux to provide financial assistance to Honors students at the University of Washington.
- $3,000 award
- Eligibility
- A student in Interdisciplinary and/or Departmental Honors
- A rising junior by year, not credits
- There are no residency or citizenship requirements for this award
Everett Dillman Endowed Scholarship Fund
Everett Dillman Endowed Scholarship Fund
The Everett Dillman Endowed Scholarship is awarded to students in Interdisciplinary, Departmental or College Honors on the basis of academic merit. This fund was established by Everett R. Dillman, who wished to help those who, like himself in his younger days, had ability but lacked the funds to reach their goals with some modicum of comfort. To this end, he left a portion of his estate to the University of Washington for specific use by Honors students who will benefit from such support.
- $3,000 award
- Eligibility
- A student in Interdisciplinary, Departmental or College Honors
- A rising junior by year, not credits
- There are no residency or citizenship requirements for this award
Friedman-Hechter Endowed Scholarship
Friedman-Hechter Endowed Scholarship
The Friedman-Hechter Endowed Scholarship is awarded to a student in Interdisciplinary and/or Departmental Honors on the basis of outstanding academic performance and is intended for use during academically-related international travel. Special consideration may be given to students with financial need.
Debra Friedman received her Ph.D. from the Department of Sociology at the University of Washington and taught at the Universities of Washington, Iowa and Arizona. From 1994 to 2005, she served as Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education, Associate Provost for Academic Planning, and Director of Special Projects for Development and Alumni Relations at UW. After serving as vice president at Arizona State University’s downtown Phoenix campus, Friedman returned to UW as chancellor of the Tacoma campus from 2011 and served with dedication until her untimely death from cancer in 2014.
Michael Hechter received his Ph.D. from Columbia University and has taught at the Universities of Washington, Arizona and Oxford. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, author of numerous books and articles, and presently is a Foundation Professor of Global Studies at Arizona State University.
This endowment is funded by individual donors in honor of Drs. Friedman and Hechter and their many years of service to the University of Washington.
- $1,200 award
- Eligibility
- A student in Interdisciplinary, Departmental, or College Honors
- For use during academically-related international travel
- Special consideration given to students with financial need
- There are no residency or citizenship requirements for this award
Gerberding Scholarship
Gerberding Scholarship
The William Gerberding Scholarship is awarded to a rising senior in Interdisciplinary, Departmental or College Honors judged to have rendered exemplary service or brought special distinction to the Honors community. This fund was established to honor University of Washington President Emeritus Dr. William P. Gerberding and to provide financial assistance to deserving Honors students. Candidates for this scholarship should be an active part of the UW Honors Program community, contributing to its academic, intellectual, and social life, in addition to achieving high academic goals.
This scholarship is funded with gifts from current and former deans of the University in honor of William P. and Ruth Gerberding’s many contributions to the University of Washington during his sixteen years and two months as president.
William Gerberding retired from UW after serving as president from 1979 until 1995, when he retired. He earned his doctorate in political science at the University of Chicago and taught at UCLA for 11 years before beginning his career in administration. Gerberding’s tenure as president saw an increase in public and private support — including the University’s first major fund drive — and the building of UW Tacoma and UW Bothell. He was a leader in higher education nationally, serving as chair of the Association of American Universities.
During his presidency and after his retirement, he and his wife Ruth were active as volunteers in the community, particularly with the Seattle Chamber Music Society, Seattle Symphony and Seattle Opera. Mr. Gerberding passed away in December of 2014.
- $3,600 award
- Eligibility
- A student in Interdisciplinary, Departmental or College Honors
- A rising senior by year, not credits
- There are no residency or citizenship requirements for this award
Greene Scholarship
Greene Scholarship
Lawrence M. Greene established a bequest to the University of Washington to recognize the impact that his education had on his life, with a particular nod to former dean of Arts & Sciences, Edward Lauer (under whom the Honors Program was once housed.) Apparently during his undergraduate years in the 1940s, the Dean of A&S called Larry (known as “Laughing Larry” in reference to his zest for life) into his office one quarter after Larry’s grade point was 0.0, telling him to straighten out his life and studies or he’d be expelled. The next quarter Larry’s grade point was 3.6, and his bequest is in appreciation for the dean’s advice and the education Larry received.
- Award amount: $10,000
- Eligibility
- A student in Interdisciplinary, Departmental, or College Honors
- A rising or returning senior by year, not credits
- Washington residents only. Funds can be used for resident tuition only
Ran Hennes Honors Scholar
Ran Hennes Honors Scholar
The Ran Hennes Honors Scholarship provides partial tuition support for a College Honors student with an excellent academic record combined with active participation and service to the larger University community. Honors students engaged in the UW beyond purely academic accomplishments and who are making a visible contribution to the UW student community are excellent candidates for this award.
Dr. Hennes served as Associate Director for the University of Washington Honors Program (1963-2001). He was a beloved mentor and role model for students, staff, and faculty alike. He was passionate about serving students and was deeply involved with both the Honors Program and UW Athletics. He was a respected military history scholar and taught courses through the UW’s Department of History and within the Honors Program. The Ran Hennes Honors Scholarship remembers his legacy in Honors and across the UW.
- $1,500 award
- Eligibility
- A student active in College Honors (both Interdisciplinary AND Departmental Honors, graduating “with College Honors“)
- A rising or returning senior by year, not credits
- There are no residency or citizenship requirements for this award
Randolph Preston Pillow Scholarship
Randolph Preston Pillow Scholarship
The Honors Program is grateful to the Randolph Preston Pillow Scholarship for providing scholarships to support students continuing in the Honors Program (sophomore/2nd year and above) and for students entering the program through 2nd year admission. The Randolph Preston Pillow Scholarship provides scholarships to a continuing student distributed equally over autumn, winter, and spring. Another scholarship is available for a student accepted to the Interdisciplinary Honors Program through the 2nd year admissions process, distributed equally during autumn, winter, and spring. Scholarship numbers and amounts may vary from year to year. Awardees demonstrate exceptional leadership talents, an understanding of the broader community around them, and uncommon academic abilities.
- $6,000 award
- Eligibility
- A student in Interdisciplinary Honors
- A rising sophomore by year, not credits
- There are no residency or citizenship requirements for this award
Wang Scholarship
Wang Scholarship
This endowment was established by former Provost and Executive Vice President Phyllis Wise to honor her parents, Shih Chun and Mamie Kwoh Wang. They both immigrated to the United States and completed graduate education in this country. They valued the opportunities afforded them because of the education and opportunities they received as immigrants in the United States. They expected their children, Phyllis M. Wang Wise and Nancy E. Wang Wilcox, to pursue education with dedication and passion, and to value the unique opportunities that education enables.
- $6,000 award
- Eligibility
- A student in Interdisciplinary, Departmental or College Honors
- A student from any year
- There are no residency or citizenship requirements for this award