Mary Gates Leadership Scholarship

Source: https://expd.uw.edu/mge/apply/leadership/ Parent: https://expd.uw.edu/mge/

Autumn 2026

Note: Autumn 2026 Research and Leadership Scholarship Dates & Deadlines Coming Soon! We have moved to one application cycle per academic year.

Click here to see all our info session and workshop dates. We look forward to supporting you in your application journey!

Purpose

• Mary Gates Leadership Scholarships encourage undergraduate students to develop their leadership abilities through practical experience, personal reflection and in community with mentors and peers.
• We ask you to articulate your own understandings of leadership, what you want to learn, and how you think the activity you have chosen will support your leadership development and learning goals.
• Additionally, you must identify a mentor who can provide guidance and encouragement throughout your application process and award period.
• Applications are accepted once per year, every Autumn Quarter. The scholarships are $5,000 and disburse in installments of $2,500 each over two quarters. You can choose two of quarters between Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn of the following year. Graduating seniors with one quarter left of enrollment may request to receive a one-quarter award totaling $2,500.

Eligibility Requirements

1. Applicants must be matriculated UW undergraduate students registered full time during the award period and pursuing a bachelor’s degree at the UW Bothell, Seattle or Tacoma campus.
2. You are eligible to apply even if you are not enrolled full-time during your quarter of application (Autumn) as the full-time enrollment requirement only applies to the quarter(s) in which you receive the award.
3. Once awarded, recipients must be actively engaged in their leadership project and remain full-time undergraduate students (enrolled in 12 credits or more) during their award period.
4. During summer quarter, students only need to be enrolled for one credit to receive their award. This only applies to students who select Summer quarter as one of their quarters of award.
5. A student may receive a maximum of one Mary Gates scholarship at a time. Students may successfully apply for multiple scholarships of different types (i.e. applying for both Research and Leadership at the same time), but can receive funding for only one scholarship in any given quarter.
6. Eligibility for previous Mary Gates Scholarship recipients:
7. Previous Mary Gates Leadership Scholarship recipients are eligible to apply for a second award; however, reviewers will evaluate these applications using additional criteria.
8. Students who have received the same type of Mary Gates scholarship twice are not eligible to apply for a third award of that scholarship type.
9. Students are eligible for a total (maximum) of three Research and Leadership Scholarships (for example, if you have previously received two Leadership Scholarships, you would only be eligible to receive one Research Scholarship).

If you receive need-based financial aid, learn more about how receiving a Mary Gates scholarship may affect your financial aid.

How to Apply

To apply for a Mary Gates Leadership Scholarship, please begin by perusing all the materials on the website pertaining to the Leadership Scholarship, particularly the selection criteria.  You may also find the profiles of past Mary Gates scholarship recipients informative.

When you are ready to prepare your application, begin with the Application Guidelines to find out what you will need in order to apply.  

Identify a mentor who will write you a letter supporting your leadership application. Read more about Finding & Developing a Strong Mentor Relationship

Start your online application by using the Application Login on the bottom panel of the website.

Review Process

All complete and eligible applications are reviewed and discussed by a reading committee, and candidates are evaluated based on the selection criteria. Applicants who advance to the next phase will be invited for an interview. You can review the 

The entire review process takes approximately 8 weeks. You may check on the status of your application online. We will also send you email messages as your application status changes. All students and mentors of awarded students are sent notification of the final award decision.

Requirements

• For the duration of your award period, you must continue to be actively engaged with your leadership activity and your mentor, and remain a full-time undergraduate student (minimum of 12 credits during autumn, winter and spring quarters, and one credit for summer quarter);
• You will be asked to complete one brief survey for each quarter of award;
• You are required to present your work during Spring quarter at the annual Spring CELEbration in May. A call to register to present is announced in winter quarter. If you are unable to participate in the Spring CELEbration the year you receive the scholarship, you are expected to present the following year.

You are also encouraged to participate in activities and events planned by the program staff and the Community of Mary Gates Scholars.