A note about funding: Benson Center funding is open to any student at CU Boulder. However, special consideration is given to members of our Undergraduate Fellows program, and those who have a demonstrated interest in the study of Western Civ through participation at Center events and/or coursework. Graduate students should be able to make a case as to how their research or program of study is related to Western Civ. 

Each year, the Benson Center funds a number of student scholarships and grants. Students serving as Benson Center Fellows are given priority for funding. Students are encouraged to apply to become a fellow and to become active participants in the Center's intellectual life on campus. Fellows receive a stipend in addition to any grant or scholarship awards they may apply for. 

Benson Center scholarships are awarded through the CU Boulder Scholarship Application service. Students can search for "Benson Center" to see all funding opportunities from the Center. Students must be enrolled in courses on the CU Boulder campus in order to receive funding through the Scholarship Office.

The Center recognizes and geniunely thanks the foundations and trusts that make these grants and scholarships possible. Because the Center is entirely gift funded, we rely on students to provide short reflection essays the year after funding has been awarded as a way to show donors how their contributions have helped students. This can help attract future donations and gifts to further support students on the CU Boulder campus. 

View all Benson Center scholarship opportunities here

The Harper PhD Fellowship is awarded to CU Boulder PhD students who commit to year-long participation in the Center’s programming, annual theme, and the larger goal of fostering intellectual diversity and dialogue on the campus and in the broader community. Fellowships are awarded for one academic year and spring awards are based on the following criteria: continued active enrollment as a graduate student and making regular progress toward degree completion; participation in the Benson Center Fellowship Program; and a submission of a brief reflection essay at the end of the year. The fellowship is worth $4,000 per academic year (split between fall and spring) and is made possible through a generous donation by June Harper. Application deadline: March 15, 2024.  More information

Internship and Language Study Grants are awarded to undergraduate or graduate students at CU Boulder. The Internship Grant is intended to help subsidize a summer internship, paid or unpaid, that relates to the Center’s mission, including law, government, public policy, and education. For example, internships can be based in our nation’s capital, government offices, think tanks, political organizations, or nonprofit organizations. The Language Grant is intended to support students studying languages associated with Western Civilization. When possible, students are expected to enroll in a CU Boulder summer class, although other arrangements are possible when the required classes are not available. Students who wish to apply for a grant should communicate with the person providing a recommendation prior to submitting the application about their educational goals and the type of grant (Internship or Language) they will be pursuing. The grants are awarded in the summer term for $1,000 each. Recipients of the grant should submit a brief reflection essay at the end of the summer about how the funds impacted their studies. Funding is possible through a generous donation by the Snider Foundation. Application deadline: March 15, 2024.  More information

Depending on availability of funds, the Benson Center partners with the CU in D.C. program to support semester-long internships in our nation's capital, putting classroom learning into real world action. Please contact the CU in D.C. program directly for more information. Students who are Benson Center Fellows should mention the affiliation to the CU in D.C. program coordinators to be considered for funding. Funding is made possible by a generous donation from the Snider Foundation.

2023-24 awardees
Student Grantee Home Department Funding Awarded Award Amount
Yahir Loya IAFS-BA Wehman Scholarship $1,500
Andrew S. INFO-BS Student Grant Proposal $1,800
Ashley Dancer ENVS-PhD RA Position 45% appointment
Ellie McDonald PHIL-BA Language Study Grant $1,000
Kaeli Waggener AAAH-BA Language Study Grant $1,000
Katie McCabe PHIL-MA Language Study Grant $1,000
Zelda Kieser PHIL-MA Language Study Grant $1,000
Idowu Odeyemi PHIL-PhD Harper Fellowship $4,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Student Grantee Funding Awarded Award Amount
Noah Durrance CU in DC $2,000
Alexander Fox CU in DC $2,000
Sarah O'Neill CU in DC $2,000
Tate Randel CU in DC $2,000
Kameron Kravetz CU in DC $2,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

Student Grantee Funding Awarded Award Amount
Amber Lashbaugh CU in DC $1,200
Sara Hagos CU in DC $1,200
Genasee Worman CU in DC

$1,200

 

 

 

 

 

Student Grantee Funding Awarded Award Amount
Jenna Gersie Harper PhD Fellow $4,000
Theodore McLemore Harper PhD Fellow $4,000

Ines Benavides

Wehman Scholar $1,500
Dylan Yachsen Wehman Scholar $1,500
Belinda Nicholas CU in DC $2,000
Megan Dietz CU in DC $2,000
London Lyle CU in DC $1,000
Alexander Shively Language Study Grant $1,000
Amanda Loeffelholz Language Study Grant $1,000
Amirhossein Ajalloeian Language Study Grant $1,000
Dawn Jacob Language Study Grant $1,000
Dylan Yachyshen Internship Grant $1,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Student Grantee Funding Awarded

Award Amount

Chase Davis CU in DC $1,000
Skyler Nunn CU in DC $1,000

Andrew Kim

CU in DC $1,000
Alana Horwitz CU in DC $1,000
Karissa Urbanek CU in DC $1,333
Cindy Pena CU in DC $1,333
Morgan Chisolm CU in DC $1,333
Emily Nicholson Language Study Grant $1,000
Thomas Francis Language Study Grant $1,000
Dylan Yachyshen Internship Grant $1,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Student Grantee Funding Awarded

Award Amount

Katiana Hutchinson CU in DC $4,000
Lindsey Nichols CU in DC $2,000
Bailey McCue CU in DC $2,000
Cristian Larroulet Phillipi

CDT Grading Grant

$3,000
Sierra Standish Language Study Grant $1,000
Lauren Kennedy Internship Grant $1,000
Sam Hahn Grant $1,000
Samuel Kindick Scholarship $1,000
Dawn Jacob Language Study Grant $1,000
Alexander Langer Scholarship $1,000
Micaela Cruce Grant $1,000
Philip Choi Scholarship $1,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Student Grantee Funding Awarded
Justine Sanders CU in DC
Christopher Garner CU in DC
Emily Schweitzberger CU in DC
Sarah Papich CU in DC
Cynthia Howard Language Study Grant
Kerri Clement Language Study Grant
Hannah Schneebeck Language Study Grant
Kate Dooley Language Study Grant
Travis May Language Study Grant
Laura Murray Language Study Grant
Jonathyn Zapf Language Study Grant
Rebeca Capriles Language Study Grant
Cameron Rowlett Language Study Grant
Soren Fuchs Language Study Grant

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Student Grantee Funding Awarded
Gagan Sapkota Language Study Grant
Jessee Kilgore Language Study Grant
Laura Murray Language Study Grant
Tyler Denton Language Study Grant
Jillian Bjerke Language Study Grant
Brandi Boseovski Language Study Grant
Alex Langer Language Study Grant
Amanda Nerbovig Language Study Grant
Greg Mileski Language Study Grant
Tiffany Beebe Language Study Grant
Laraine Quirk Language Study Grant
Samuel Hahn Language Study Grant
Mark Boesplfug Language Study Grant
Jacob Flaws Language Study Grant

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To apply:

The Benson Center partners with the CU Boulder Scholarship Application service to accept applications through a common platform, available at https://colorado.academicworks.com/.  Through this platform you will automatically be matched with scholarships for which you are eligible based on completion of a common application and information from your student profile. 

After logging into the platform with your Identikey and password, search for "Benson Center" to find the grant opportunities. 

Log in to CU Boulder Scholarship Application

Please check the CU Boulder Scholarship Application service website for the latest deadlines.


A note about funding: Benson Center funding is open to any student at CU Boulder. However, special consideration is given to students in the Foundations of Western Civilization certificate program, members of our Undergraduate Fellows program, and those who have a demonstrated interest in the study of Western Civ through participation at Center events and/or coursework. Graduate students should be able to make a case as to how their research or program of study is related to Western Civ.