William Randolph Hearst Foundation Scholarships

Eligibility Requirements

The Hearst scholarship is made possible by a generous endowment from the William Randolph Hearst Foundation. Hearst Scholarships are one of our “flagship” programs; as such, they are awarded to students with outstanding academic records and significant involvement in public service and nonprofit activities. Hearst scholars generally have an incoming GPA of at least 3.5 and many Hearst scholars have significant experience in founding, managing or working in nonprofit and other public service organizations.

Hearst scholarships are considered two-year awards; however students are required to earn at least a 3.5 GPA in their first year in the MPA program to guarantee second-year support. The awards range from $4,000 to $10,000 per year in tuition assistance, depending on available funds. Each year the department faculty awards two new Hearst Scholarships to students in the fall incoming class. This means that there are at least four “Hearst Scholars” in the program at any one time.

Hearst scholarship decisions are based on data contained in the department’s admission application. The faculty scholarship committee considers academic merit (GPA, research experience/publications, academic fellowships awarded, etc.) as well as relevant nonprofit and/or public service work experience. The letters of recommendation and the personal essay contained in the admissions application are also used to make scholarship decisions. The Center for Public Service and Department of Political Science and Public Affairs also recognize that diversity in our student body and scholarship recipients is a fundamental principle of our MPA program.

Application Procedures

In order to be considered for the Hearst Scholarship please submit your MPA admissions application by March 1st of the academic year prior to the year you wish to start classes. Students wishing to start school in August or September should have their application materials in by March 1st of the same calendar year.

All applications to the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program received by April 15th are automatically considered for this scholarship