College of Arts & Sciences Scholarships

Community of Digital Excellence (CODE) Scholars will be immersed in the world of technology and analytics through ongoing meetings with the CODE faculty advisor and a community of peers throughout their time at Drake.

Program Specifics and Requirements 

• CODE Scholars will receive a $5,000 tuition scholarship, renewable each undergraduate year at Drake, provided the following CODE requirements are met.
  
• Recipients must major in one of the Drake Digital Proficiency Platform programs: Mathematics, Mathematics Education, Computer Science, Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, or Information Systems. Recipients who change their major out of one of these programs will no longer be eligible to renew the scholarship.
  
• Preference in selection will be given to students who demonstrate financial need, strong academic achievement, and a willingness to explore new experiences and collaborate in developing new technologies.
  
• Preference will also be given to students who have completed at least one math or computer science course per year throughout high school.
  
• Recipients must submit an application for admission to Drake University and a separate CODE scholarship application.
  
• Recipients must submit an essay describing how their unique experiences, passions, and aspirations will enable them to thrive within the CODE community and contribute to the broader digital landscape.
• CODE Scholars will meet individually with the CODE faculty advisor every two weeks during their first year at Drake.
• CODE Scholars will attend monthly meetings with the full CODE community, including the faculty mentor and fellow scholars.
• CODE Scholars are required to complete at least 40 hours of Digital Proficiency Community Service per year, such as serving as a teaching assistant, organizing community engagement sessions, or participating in a faculty research group.
• CODE Scholars will serve as mentors for incoming CODE Scholars and participate in ongoing peer and faculty mentorship opportunities.
• CODE Scholars will have access to professional development opportunities and Digital Proficiency Community Engagement experiences.

Drake Fine Arts Scholarships are available to select students who display exceptional talent in fine art, design, music, or theatre arts and who are pursuing a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts.

Program Specifics and Requirements 

• The Fine Arts Scholarship is renewable for up to four years.
• Scholarship award amount varies.
• Fine Arts Scholarships are merit-based and awarded based on demonstrated excellence in Art & Design, Music, or Theatre Arts.
  
• Recipients must be incoming first-year or new transfer students enrolling in a bachelor's degree program within Fine Arts. Students pursuing a minor within Fine Arts or who are non-major participants are ineligible.
• Recipients must complete an undergraduate application to Drake University before a Fine Arts Scholarship application will be considered.
• Art & Design applicants must submit a portfolio of between six and eight images for studio art or graphic design, or a writing sample of no more than three pages analyzing a work of art, literature, or a relevant topic for art history.
• Music and Theatre applicants must audition for department faculty—either in person on Audition Days, virtually via Acceptd, or by individual arrangement. Auditions must be completed by late February to be considered for scholarship funding.
• Students applying for Fine Arts Scholarships in more than one Fine Arts area may only be awarded one Fine Arts Scholarship.
• Applications and auditions are reviewed on a rolling basis, pending availability of funds. Students are encouraged to apply and audition early, as funds are limited.
• Recipients of this scholarship will be notified in March.
• Recipients of the Fine Arts Scholarship are not eligible for the Drake Grant or Drake Supplemental Grant, but the Fine Arts Scholarship may be stacked with additional scholarships and aid from Drake, up to full tuition.

The Iowa Space Grant Consortium's First-Year Merit Scholarship Program awards funding to outstanding incoming first-year students pursuing a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM).

Program Specifics and Requirements 

• Ten one-time scholarships of $3,000 each will be awarded.
• Recipients must be U.S. citizens enrolled full-time at Drake University as of August, 2026.
• Recipients must major in a STEM discipline. Preservice STEM education majors also qualify.
• Recipients must have graduated from high school prior to August 2026, with a graduation date no earlier than May 2027.
• Recipients must be in good academic standing with a minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale.
• Students transferring from a two-year community college into a full-time four-year bachelor's program as of August 2026 are also eligible to apply.
• Awards are competitive and based on academic qualifications, a mentor letter of recommendation, demonstrated leadership or community service, and financial need.
• Recipients must submit an undergraduate application to Drake University, along with a separate scholarship application.
• Recipients must provide an unofficial high school transcript upon graduation and agree to participate in a NASA longitudinal tracking process to help assess STEM retention efforts.
• Recipients must attend the ISGC Spring Research Symposium and complete at least one online professional development training during the fall semester of their first year. Distribution of funds is contingent upon completion of this training.
• Preliminary award announcements are expected in the summer, contingent upon NASA funding availability.

The Iowa Space Grant Consortium's Undergraduate STEM Research Scholarship supports outstanding undergraduate students who are actively engaged in NASA-relevant faculty-mentored research at select Iowa institutions, including Drake University.

Program Specifics and Requirements

• Eight scholarships of $5,000 each will be awarded, distributed as $2,500 per semester. Spring funding requires proof of enrollment, continued research involvement, and remaining in good standing with a minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale, verified by a transcript.
• Recipients must be U.S. citizens enrolled full-time at Drake as of August 2026.
• Recipients must be majoring in a STEM discipline. Preservice STEM education majors also qualify.
• Recipients must have a college graduation date no earlier than May 2027.
• Recipients must be currently working on a faculty-mentored research project with NASA STEM relevance.
• Awards are competitive and based on academic qualifications, the research project, NASA alignment, and a faculty letter of recommendation.
• Recipients must complete a scholarship application, including their most recent unofficial transcript.
• A faculty advisor must submit a recommendation letter describing the student's role within a STEM research project. A second letter addressing broader qualifications is optional.
• Recipients must present their research as a poster presentation at the ISGC Student Research Symposium in the Spring semester. Select students, based on mentor recommendation, may also be asked to give an oral presentation.
• Recipients must provide an unofficial transcript upon graduation and agree to participate in a NASA longitudinal tracking process to help assess STEM retention efforts.
• Preliminary award announcements are expected in July 2026, contingent upon NASA funding availability.

The Jon N. Torgerson Scholarship Fund assists College of Arts and Sciences students with demonstrated financial need in participating in a Drake-sponsored international travel seminar or study abroad program.

Scholarship Specifics and Requirements

• The award amount varies based on demonstrated need as determined by the Financial Aid Office from FAFSA results.
• Recipients must be enrolled in the College of Arts & Sciences, with preference given to Humanities majors.
• Recipients must have a minimum 2.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale.
• Recipients must plan to enroll in a Drake-sponsored international study seminar. The award applies only to international study courses outside the 50 U.S. states and American Territories.
• Recipients must agree to attend the Arts & Sciences Honors Convocation, where the scholarship will be awarded.
• The Torgerson Award Application must be submitted to Assistant to the Dean Jennifer Cooper by October 25th of each year.

The Lon Larson Research Scholarship supports undergraduate student research in the sciences, with an emphasis on expanding access to meaningful research experiences both on and off campus.

• Awards of up to $5,000 are available to support undergraduate research in the sciences.
• The scholarship is intended to fund activities that align with one or more of the following goals: off-campus research opportunities in clinical neuro-medicine or neuroscience (such as with Boston University); participation in DUSCI; STEM training with partners such as ACCI, Mercy Hospital, or Blank Children's Hospital; or international research and curricular experiences in health care and medicine.
• Recipients must submit a project description addressing who will be engaged in the research and how the proposed work relates to the fund's goals.
• Recipients must explain how the research activity connects to the learning goals of their major program at Drake.
• Recipients must submit a recommendation from a faculty member supervising the research.
• Recipients must include a budget description and a list of any other funding sources being sought or received.
• All materials must be submitted to ask.as@drake.edu by February 1.

The Noyce Scholars program at Drake supports high-achieving students who are passionate about STEM education and committed to making a difference by teaching in high-need secondary schools across the United States. This scholarship is open to undergraduate students pursuing a STEM endorsement in Secondary Education or a double Secondary Education and STEM major.

Program Specifics and Requirements

• Undergraduate juniors and seniors may apply to receive $15,000 in scholarships for up to two years to help complete their STEM degree alongside the education courses and experiences required for teaching licensure.
• Graduate students with a bachelor's degree in a STEM field may apply to receive $27,000 in stipends to pursue a master's degree in education leading to teaching licensure.
• Recipients must be earning or must hold a baccalaureate degree in a STEM discipline, including engineering, accounting, or computer science. Bachelor's degrees in chemistry, physics, computer science, data analytics, or mathematics are preferred. Degrees in medicine, nursing, and allied health are not eligible.
• Recipients must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale on all undergraduate work from an accredited institution.
• Recipients must be U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent resident aliens, as specified by the National Science Foundation.
• Applicants must provide two references who can speak to their demonstrated abilities as a STEM learner and/or their emerging commitment to teaching.
• Final acceptance into the Noyce Scholars program is contingent upon full admittance to Drake's School of Education, review of official transcripts and letters of recommendation, and confirmation of a qualifying STEM degree.
• All scholarship and stipend recipients must commit to teaching for two years in high-need schools for every year of Noyce funding received. High-need schools span a wide range of districts from urban to rural, and recipients may pursue positions throughout the United States upon graduation and licensure.
• For more information about Noyce@Drake, officially titled Improving Secondary Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, and Computer Science Teacher Preparation through a sequence of Active Teaching Experiences, contact Drake's School of Education.

Since 1970, Drake University's Physics Prize Competition has recognized outstanding high school students interested in physics, astronomy, the physical sciences, engineering, and medical sciences, with top finishers earning significant scholarship awards to study at Drake.

Program Specifics and Requirements

• Three varied scholarship awards are offered: a four-year, full-tuition scholarship (first place); the Helmick-Cruisenberry partial-tuition scholarship (second place); and the William Humphrey partial-tuition scholarship, aimed at, but not limited to, students interested in computational physics (third place).
• The top 20 contestants will receive a certificate of achievement from Drake University. Winners will also receive a trophy.
• The competition is open to high school students with an interest in physics, astronomy, the physical sciences, engineering, or medical sciences.
• Applicants must complete an undergraduate application to Drake and a separate Physics Prize registration by early January. Applications require academic, co-curricular, and extracurricular information, transcripts, recommendation letters, and an essay on the topic, "Why I want to study physics."
• The strongest applicants will be selected and notified in early February, and invited to campus for the second round on February 27, 2026, which includes the Physics Prize Test, a program overview, discussions with faculty, a campus tour, and lunch.
• The Physics Prize Test covers first-semester high school physics topics, including kinematics, Newton's laws, circular motion, gravitation, harmonic motion, momentum, energy conservation, torque, rotational dynamics, angular momentum, mechanical waves, and sound.
• Use of any unapproved outside assistance, including AI tools, search engines, or help from others, will result in immediate disqualification.
• Winners will be announced the week following the on-campus competition.
• For questions about the exam, contact physics@drake.edu.

Undergraduate awards available for first 3 years or until the 1st year of the Law Program (L1). 

Undergraduate awards available for first 4 years or through the 2nd year of the Pharmacy Program (P2). 

Undergraduate awards available for the first 3 years or until the 1st year of the Occupational Therapy Program (O1). There is a one-time $5,000 scholarship available for O1 students.