Scholarship Opportunities

The College of Science scholarship application for awards given in Fall 2025-Spring 2026 are open. The deadline to apply is Friday, February 07, 2025 by 11:59pm CST. Recommenders will have until Friday, February 14, 2025 by 11:59pm CST to upload their letters. Questions: COS@unt.edu

APPLY FOR OUR SCHOLARSHIPS ONLINE

General Information

All scholarships applications require at least two letters of recommendation, transcripts and a personal essay.
Incomplete applications are not eligible.
Information about scholarships, grants, and loans can also be found at http://financialaid.unt.edu.

Graduate Scholarships and Fellowships

There are a limited number of scholarships and fellowships offered through the Department of Biological Sciences and the Toulouse Graduate School. A list of available awards is on the TSGS website at Fellowships, Scholarships, Grants & Awards.

These awards are usually available for applicants wishing to start in the Fall semesters. If you are interested in these, you should make note that application deadlines are very early, often in early February. It is strongly suggested that you begin your application process 2-3 months before this deadline to make sure that your application is in order in time to apply. Most scholarship and fellowships will require separate applications and separate letters of recommendation. If you are interested, please make sure to indicate this to your major professor once accepted in order to learn about the requirements and forms.

Beth Baird Tuition Scholarship

Beth Baird Tuition Scholarships are intended to attract and retain outstanding graduate students to enhance scholarly activity within the Department of Biological Sciences. Recipients of a Beth Baird Tuition Scholarship are Beth Baird Scholars. Beth Baird Scholars embody the mission of the Department of Biological Sciences, and that of the University of North Texas. Beth Baird Scholars are selected on the basis of: (1) research potential and achievement, (2) academic potential and achievement, and (3) potential and achievement in professional communication and service. Scholarship applications become available in the Spring semester, please contact the Advising Office for more information.

Roxanna Hughes Memorial Scholarship

The Department of Biological Sciences is establishing a scholarship in memory of longtime instructional lab suprervisor Roxanna Bejarano Hughes, who earned her M.S. at UNT and met her husband, Dr. Lee Hughes, here. The scholarship will support graduate students studying microbiology at UNT. Colleagues remember her as helpful, encouraging person. "She will live on in the wisdom and love she shared with us all."

Undergraduate FOCUS Program

The FOCUS (Fostering Outstanding Cohorts in Undergraduate Sciences) scholarship program for first-year biology, biochemistry, and chemistry students is supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation. The program accepts 24 students each year based on financial need, with top consideration going to students who belong to a population that is underrepresented at universities and first-generation students. Students receive between $1,000 and $7,000 per year depending on their level of need, for their first two years of study.

Students are encouraged to travel through their core science classes as a group, with seats being reserved for FOCUS scholarship students in sections of required courses. FOCUS students are also strongly encouraged to become involved with the REAL (Residents Engaged in Academic Living) community for biology majors to foster a support system among the involved students. Read an article about REAL communities.

FOCUS students are paired with faculty and graduate student mentors, which give them the opportunity to work in laboratories, an opportunity that is typically reserved for upper-level students. Students also take a seminar class on how to be successful in science careers during their sophomore year, which provides opportunities to learn about research methods and opportunities. The seminar also helps students learn how to fund their junior and senior years by teaching the students about departmental, state and national financial aid resources.

Learn more about the UNT-FOCUS Undergraduate Research Program.

A special thank you to our wonderful Donors of these awards...

Albert and Lee Halff Science Scholarship
David R. Redden Award
Dr. Eric P.S. Ho Scholarship
Dr. David Benjamin Blomstrom Jr. Scholarship
Fannie Haley Medical Technology Award
Floyd Schafer Memorial Scholarship
Gladys H. Crawford Biological Sciences Scholarship
Isom Eugene "Gene" Medford Scholarship
J. B. McBryde Scholarship
Outstanding Senior Award
Patricia Schmidlekofer Memorial Scholarship
Rollie and Sue Shafer Scholarship
Tad Lott Memorial Scholarship
Tracey Lynn Quay Memorial Scholarship