The CU Boulder Scholarship Application is available year-round offering a wide range of scholarship and funding opportunities to our students. This includes donations from private individuals, corporations, foundations, and the University of Colorado. While the donors specify the award criteria, the selection of recipients is made by the approprate college or department. Visit the CU Boulder Scholarship page for detailed instructions, tips, and applications.

The Department of Women and Gender Studies awards the following undergraduate student scholarships of $1,000 to $3,000 each to WGST majors. Awards are applied in the following academic year. Not only can a scholarship provide valuable funding toward your tuition bill, it is also an impressive credential to add to your résumé! 

WGST Undergraduate Scholarship Application

Continuing students can access the scholarship application through BuffPortal under the Financial Aid tab. You will be prompted to complete the general application once you log in. This application is used for multiple scholarships and requires information about extracurricular activities, community service, work and an essay. For information on accessing the CU Boulder Scholarship Application, consult the Guide to the Scholarship Application for Continuing Students.

In order to apply for these scholarships, students should submit the CU Boulder Scholarship application and complete the supplemental question. Students who apply by the deadline will be considered for the following available scholarships and will be notified late in the Spring Semester. Applications are accepted each year through March 15, for scholarships to be awarded for the following academic year. 

New for the 2025-2026 Scholarship Application: Please apply to the WGST Undergraduate Scholarship Application to be considered for both the Jean Dubofsky and Lucille Berkelely Buchanan Scholarships.

The Jean Dubofsky Scholarship provides scholarship support to undergraduate students in the Department of Women and Gender Studies. The scholarship is awarded to a Women and Gender Studies major with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, who is enrolled full-time and has completed a minimum of six credit hours in the department at CU Boulder. The applicant must demonstrate a commitment to social justice and to raising awareness of the intersection of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, class and nationality, among others, in an essay of approximately 500 words. Award decisions are based on academic merit, financial need, and a demonstrated commitment to social justice. The scholarship was established by Dr. Joanne Arnold in honor of Jean Dubofsky, the first female justice of the Colorado Supreme Court and later an attorney who led the case at the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Colorado’s Amendment 2, which was a landmark ruling for LGBTQ rights. Please apply to the WGST Undergraduate Scholarship Application to be considered for both the Jean Dubofsky and Lucille Berkelely Buchanan Scholarships.

Award: $1,500-$2,500 ($750-$1250 per fall/spring semester)

Supplemental Questions: Describe your education and career goals, as well as your demonstrated commitment to social justice from an intersectional perspective. (approximately 500 words)

The Lucile Berkeley Buchanan Scholarship provides scholarship support to undergraduate students in the Department of Women and Gender Studies. The scholarship is awarded to a Women and Gender Studies major with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and who is making regular progress toward degree completion. The applicant must demonstrate a commitment to social justice in an essay of approximately 250 words. Preference will be given to a first generation college student (please indicate in your application or essay).  The scholarship was established in honor of Lucile Berkeley Buchanan, the first African American female graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder, who earned a degree in 1918. Please apply to the WGST Undergraduate Scholarship Application to be considered for both the Jean Dubofsky and Lucille Berkelely Buchanan Scholarships.

Award: $1,500-$2,500 ($750-$1250 per fall/spring semester)

Supplemental Questions: Describe your education and career goals, as well as your demonstrated commitment to social justice from an intersectional perspective. (approximately 500 words)

The Andermarch Cicogna Scholarship provides scholarship support to undergraduate students majoring in women and gender studies or Italian (in alternate years), in acknowledgement of the two women for whom the award is named, in the spirit of compassion, understanding, social justice, and academic pursuit. The scholarship will next be awarded to a student with a major in WGST for the 2025-26 academic year

Students majoring in women and gender studies, who complete the general scholarship application, will automatically be considered for this award (in alternate years). You must complete the general application (instructions below) by the deadline.

Award: $1,000-$2000 ($500-$1000 per fall/spring semester)

Supplemental Questions: no supplemental questions are required for this scholarship.  Complete the general application. In the questions and “short essay” of the general application, please describe anything which may address the inspiration for this award (compassion, understanding, social justice, academic pursuit)

The S. Antoinette Bigelow Scholarship is awarded to students in the College of Arts and Sciences who meet the following criteria: (1) undergraduate enrolled full-time in the College of Arts and Sciences, and (2) majoring in Women and Gender Studies. This scholarship has been providing awards to students since it was established in 1929. It is named for CU's first Dean of Women (1910-1928).

Award: $1,000-$3000 ($500-$1500 per fall/spring semester)

Students majoring in women and gender studies, who complete the general scholarship application, will automatically be considered for this award. You must complete the general application (instructions below) by the deadline.

Also check out the LGBTQ Studies website for more information on the Karen Raforth Scholarship and other scholarships for students involved in work supporting the LGBTQIA community!

Eligibility for WGST scholarships:

  • You must be a CU-Boulder undergraduate majoring in Women and Gender Studies with at least one semester left before graduation
  • You must be making satisfactory academic progress toward your degree
  • Any additional eligibility requirements are listed for each scholarship

How to apply:

  • Complete the university’s general scholarship application in Buff Portal (See instructions here or below)
  • After completing the general application, view and apply for the WGST Undergraduate Scholarship Application (Click “recommended” opportunities). If they don’t appear in your list, you may search for them by name. 
  • Complete any supplemental questions for each scholarship.
  • Complete the FAFSA. This is a recommended step, as many CU scholarships take into consideration financial need.
  • How to apply for scholarships:

    1. Visit Buff Portal

    2. Click the 'Scholarships' card, found within the Finances card group within the main menu

    3. Click the ‘Apply for & Manage Scholarships'. A new tab will open the CU Boulder Scholarship Application

    4. Complete the general application questions, and click ‘Update your application’

    5. Complete the short essay portion of the general application (500 words or fewer), then click ‘Finish and Submit’

    a. You can leave this blank and return to it later, but it must be complete by the application deadline for your application to be accepted.

    6. Click ‘Start Applying’, and a list of scholarships will appear

    a.  if you do not see the above scholarships listed, you can search for them in the search field.

    7. Click ‘Apply’ next to the scholarship name to complete the application and supplemental question.

    8. You can click on ‘My Applications’ in the menu bar to view the status of your applications.

     

    Scholarship recipients are honored at our annual spring WGST commencement event, and in our departmental newsletter.

    We look forward to receiving your applications! For information on other scholarships at CU Boulder, please visit the Office of Financial Aid’s scholarship page