The Department of Physics and Astronomy awards a number of different scholarships each year. All of these scholarships are intended for physics and astronomy majors with an excellent academic record, with a preference for those who have financial need.
We award the following named scholarships, with the given criteria:
- C. Bryant Copley Scholarship - for seniors in the department who are working on their Senior Thesis, with a preference for those with financial need.
- Harvey Fletcher Scholarship Fund - no additional criteria.
- John Hale Gardner Scholarship - minimum 3.50 GPA with a preference for those with a financial need.
- John A. Gast Memorial Scholarship - for senior Physics-Astronomy majors.
- Dick Hales Physics Teaching Scholarship - awarded the semester a student is doing their student teaching, minimum 3.0 GPA, preference for those with financial need.
- Wayne B. Hales Memorial Scholarship - consider GPA, character, leadership, community service, with a preference for those with financial need.
- Vaughn Alan Mason Scholarship - no additional criteria.
- O. Lew and Yvonne Wood Physics Scholarship - consider a combination of GPA and need.
- John and June Ellsworth Scholarship - preference for students having participated in and demonstrated an aptitude for research in their Freshman or Sophomore years.
- Michael Gardner Scholarship - minimum 3.20 GPA for a student with excellent potential.
- A number of scholarships come from gift funds donated to the department by previous students, their families, and friends of the department.
The College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences also awards a number of scholarships. When you apply for a department scholarship, you will automatically be considered for a college scholarship as well.
Eligibility
All of these scholarships provide full or half tuition. If you receive a scholarship for full tuition from any other source, you are not eligible for any of the department or college scholarships. If you receive a scholarship for half tuition from any other source, you are only eligible for a half tuition scholarship from the department. We are not concerned about scholarships you have received in past semesters. We are only concerned about scholarships you will receive during the coming fall and winter semesters. For example, we sometimes award scholarships to students whose eight-semester university scholarship is used up, but who need to stay on for an extra semester or two to finish.
We give first priority to students who have finished the introductory physics sequence (121-222) and who have at least started taking 300 and 400 level physics courses.
BYU requires that students who receive scholarships be full-time students and take at least 12 credit hours during fall and winter semesters. We can make exceptions under certain circumstances, such as doing student teaching.
Applying for Scholarships
We begin accepting applications using the link below on January 1 for the following academic year. Applications are due March 15. You should receive a reply by email within a few days confirming that your application was received. You will hear near the end of May whether or not you have been awarded a scholarship.