Pop quiz: You're heading to grad school for a green degree. Should you (a) take on a soul-crushing heap of debt to cover tuition or (b) apply for one of these fellowships and borrow slightly less? Answer: (b), baby--if only so that, postgraduation, you can afford to take a nonprofit jobs.
Field: Energy
Students attending universities funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research are eligible for Graduate Research Environmental Fellowships, which pay tuition and related fees as well as a $19,200 annual stipend. Deadline: early February. More info:www.atmos.anl.gov/gcep
Field: Law
The American Bar Association's Fellowship in Environmental Law awards eight- to ten-week summer internships and $5,000 stipends to law students from traditionally underrepresented groups (based on ethnicity, income level, ability, age, and other characteristics). Fellows intern at government agencies and public-interest groups focusing on environmental, resource, or energy law in seven states. Deadline: late January through late April, depending on the state. More info:abanet.org/environ/committees/lawstudents/fellowship_home.shtml
Field: Sciences
The EPA's Science To Achieve Results program awards up to $37,000 per year for up to three years for master's and doctoral students pursuing environmental degrees. Deadline: mid-July. More info:es.epa.gov/ncer/fellow
Field: Water
The American Water Works Association's Larson Aquatic Research Support program sponsors a $5,000 scholarship for a master's student and a $7,000 scholarship for a Ph.D. candidate preparing for a career in aquatic, analytical, or environmental chemistry; corrosion control; or treatment and distribution of industrial and domestic water supplies. Deadline: mid-January. More info:awwa.org/conferences (click on "AWWA scholarships")
Field: You choose!
The Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation's Fellowship Program offers $15,000 for one year of graduate studies at New England or California universities. Fellows can prepare for environmental work in a variety of fields, including architecture, journalism, economics, and chemistry. Deadline: early February. More info:switzernetwork.org
Looking for more resources?
Check out the Sierra Student Coalition's list at ssc.org/resources/opps.php.
Illustration by iStock/thirteen-fifty; used with permission.
