Scholarships and financial aid

The annual Wayne State University Scholarship Application period runs from Oct. 1 through March 1. Applicants will be considered for the scholarships listed below, as well as the scholarships available throughout the university, by using just one application.

Apply for scholarships

Financial aid

Undergraduate funding

The history department offers scholarships and makes awards to students who excel in historical studies. Recipients are honored at a ceremony each spring. All financial awards announced in the spring will be granted as tuition scholarships for the following academic year.

General scholarships

Effie K. Ambler Memorial Endowed Scholarship: For a history major who has demonstrated consistent academic excellence, with a focus on gender or sexuality.
Baiardi Family Foundation Endowed Scholarship: For an outstanding history major who has completed at least five history courses.
Mark and Linee Diem Endowed Scholarship: For an outstanding history major who has completed at least 90 credits.
Dr. Gerald Dreslinski Award: For a history major who excels in the study of early American history.
Winfred A. Harbison Endowed Memorial Scholarship: For an outstanding history major who earned an A or A- in a 1000- or 2000-level history course.
Rolf and Jennie Johannesen Endowed Memorial Award: For an outstanding history major, with preference given to students who excel in ancient history.
Thomas Frank Mayer-Oakes Annual Memorial Scholarship: For an outstanding student majoring or minoring in history or Asian Studies, with a focus on Japan.
Marlene J. Mayo Endowed Award: For an outstanding history major who has completed coursework in the history of Japan; East Asian Studies; or the history of race, class or gender.
Joanne Nicolay Foundation Annual Scholarship: For an outstanding history major, with preference given to a student who excels in 19th-century U.S. history and/or the Civil War (awarded in odd years only).

Internship scholarships

Dr. Rae Lee Siporin GLBTA Endowed Scholarship

This award is established to recognize scholastic achievement, encourage continued progress and provide assistance to students in financing their education in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. To be eligible, applicants must be full or part-time undergraduate or graduate students working or interning within any of the following: Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies Program, Wayne State Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Allies (GLBTA) Student Union and resources area, other related student groups over time, any GLBTA related university offices and programs that develop over time or local GLBTA community organizations and programs. Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.0, demonstrate financial need and submit a brief statement about their plans for the internship or work they will do in the GLBTA department or program.

Lion Endowed Internship in History Communication

This award is designed to improve recipients' history communication skills and provide them with "real world" experience bringing history to public audiences. It supports a one-semester internship for a full- or part-time history major or graduate student in history. Contact the director of public history and internships for information on how to apply.

Ronald Raven Annual Award

The Ronald Raven Annual Award fund is established to recognize scholastic achievement, encourage continued progress and provide assistance to students in financing their education in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. To be eligible for the award, students must be enrolled in the Department of History, who is also enrolled in the School of Library and Information Science Archival Management program. Recipients must have completed voluntary service or internship experience at the Walter P. Reuther Library of Labor and Urban Affairs and be in good academic standing and demonstrate financial need. Preference will be given to students who have taken courses in records management with a focus on future records, regardless of media.

Roumell Family Annual Scholarship in Research, Internship, Service and Engagement (RISE)

Research awards

Contact the director of undergraduate studies for information on how to apply for the following research awards.

Charles F. Otis & Dr. Jeffrey L. Reider Scholarship in the History of Gender & Sexuality: The history department may elect to make an award to a history major who will conduct independent research in the history of gender and sexuality.
Sterne-Lion Research Scholarship: The history department may elect to augment Undergraduate Research and Creative Projects Awards. Any history major who receives such a grant from the university may apply. The exact amount of the award is decided by the director of undergraduate studies and the Undergraduate Committee.
F. Richard Place Memorial Award recognizes excellence in our undergraduate research methodology course (HIS 3000)
Place Capstone Award recognizes excellence in the history capstone course (HIS 5996).
Antoine Durocher and Elizabeth Chevalier Annual Scholarship recognizes students who performed exceptional service to the department and community (awarded in odd years).
Joseph Gelinas Drouillard and Elizabeth Lesperance History Award recognizes students who performed exceptional service to the department and community (awarded in even years).

Graduate funding

The fellowships, scholarships and awards listed below are awarded to history graduate students by the history department. The Wayne State Graduate School offers additional scholarships and awards for new and continuing graduate students and we encourage you to apply for all relevant opportunities. We expect all of our doctoral students to apply for external funding annually, as well as the internal awards listed here.

Rumble Fellowship (Ph.D. students)

This one-year fellowship offers a stipend, pays tuition and fees and provides benefits, typically for a newly-admitted doctoral student. For more information on how our department awards this fellowship, please see the graduate handbook.

Teaching and research assistantships (Ph.D. students)

These awards offer a stipend, pay tuition and fees and provide benefits, typically for continuing students. For more information on how our department awards these assistantships, please see the graduate handbook.

Graduate Professional Scholarship (M.A., MAPH and Ph.D. students)

These awards pay tuition and fees for one year at the in-state rate for newly admitted and continuing students. For more information on how our department awards these scholarships, please see the graduate handbook.

Other graduate scholarships and awards (M.A., MAPH and Ph.D. students)

The department offers several awards to support graduate student research. Due dates for submission of materials are during the winter semester and recipients are honored at a ceremony each spring. Please see the graduate handbook for application information.

Dr. Gerald R. Dreslinski Award: For research on early American history.
Charles F. Otis and Dr. Jeffrey L. Reider Scholarship: For research on the history of gender and sexuality.
Michael Patterson Memorial Endowed Research Award in African American history.
Joanne Nicolay Foundation Endowed Student Award: For research on 19th-century American history.
Kruman-Lion Endowed History Graduate Student Award: For historical research in any field.
Alfred H. Kelly Memorial Research Award: For historical research in any field (awarded in even years).

The history department also awards the following scholarships and awards by faculty nomination; students may not apply directly:

Joseph Gelinas Drouillard and Elizabeth Lesperance Annual History Award: For service to the department and community (awarded in odd years).
Antoine Durocher and Elizabeth Chevalier Annual Scholarship: For service to the department and community (awarded in even years).
Joe L. Norris Endowed Award: For an outstanding research paper based on primary sources in U.S. history.
Richard D. Miles Endowed Award: For an outstanding research paper based on primary sources in any field of history.
Michael C. Simo Annual Scholarship in History: For an outstanding research paper based on primary sources in U.S. history.