WKU students and recent graduates earned recognition in the nation’s most prestigious scholarship competitions during the 2024–2025 academic year. One hundred fifty Hiltoppers submitted 199 applications for nationally competitive scholarships, earning recognition 69 times and more than $570,000 in funding for study abroad, research, language study, and graduate school. 

Of all applications, 73 percent were submitted by Pell Grant recipients, and 45 percent were submitted by first-generation college students. 

These students' representation is significant beyond the financial awards; national scholarship competitions incorporate high-impact practices that enhance a student’s overall educational experience. Developing application materials is a writing-intensive process, with students receiving regular and detailed feedback from professionals in the Office of Scholar Development. While this process can span weeks during a single application cycle, many students return for additional opportunities, refining their skills over months or years to pursue research, study abroad, and other academic goals. 

(More: List of 2024-2025 National Scholarship Winners) 

The 2024–2025 academic year marked the sixteenth year since the creation of the Office of Scholar Development. In the past five years alone, 317 applications submitted by WKU students and alumni working with the office earned national recognition, totaling more than $2.66 million in scholarship funding. 

"Each year, our team celebrates students who commit to the process of applying for nationally competitive awards. It takes a lot of courage to put your story, your hopes, and dreams on the page and take a chance on an uncertain outcome," said Melinda Grimsley, Assistant Director of the Office of Scholar Development. 

"Regardless of that outcome, they all gain perspective. Application essays ask you to say who you are, what you care about, why you care about it, and how you want to project that into the future. When students see all of that on the page, they engage in in a process of discernment that’s hard to come by elsewhere. It is transformative work." 

Among this year’s accomplishments are the following highlights: 

WKU students again earned more Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships than any other institution in Kentucky. In the October cycle, 19 students were selected, followed by 24 more in the March cycle, for a total of $150,000 in scholarships. The Gilman Scholarship expands access to international education by supporting students with limited financial means to study abroad. 

Additionally, seven WKU students earned funding for study abroad through the Phi Kappa Phi and Freeman-ASIA scholarships. Phi Kappa Phi, the nation's oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines, recognizes and promotes academic excellence while engaging scholars in service, with membership offered by invitation only to the top 10% of seniors and graduate students and the top 7.5% of juniors. Freeman-ASIA provides funding to students with demonstrated financial need who plan to study in East or Southeast Asia.  

Hilltoppers had an especially good year in scholarships supporting careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). 

For the first time in fifteen years, a WKU student was named a recipient of the Udall Scholarship, a $7,000 award for college sophomores and juniors committed to environmental careers, tribal public policy, or Native health care.  

Additionally, two students were awarded the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, the nation’s premier undergraduate STEM research award. Goldwater awards up to $7,500 per year for sophomores and juniors pursuing research careers in the sciences, bringing WKU’s total for Goldwater Scholars to 30. 

National Science Foundation programs also saw several WKU students and recent graduates among their awards. Two Hilltoppers were selected for National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates.  

Recent graduate Jack Mayo (‘22 Biology and Environmental, Sustainability, and Geographic Studies) earned a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship to fund a Master’s degree in Ecology at Colorado State University. The Fellowship supports up to three years of graduate study with an annual stipend of $37,000 and a $16,000 cost of education allowance.  

Two other recent graduates, Abigail Krent (‘24 Agriculture and Spanish) and Gillian Brown (‘22 Biology and Chemistry) earned Honorable Mentions in the NSFGRFP competition. Abigail is pursuing a Ph.D. in Horticultural Science at Michigan State University and Gillian is pursuing a Ph.D. in Microbiology at Texas A&M University. 

Hilltoppers also continued a tradition of success in national scholarships for critical language study. Six students were awarded Boren Scholarships—each worth $25,000—to fund intensive language study during the 2025–2026 academic year. This marks WKU’s second consecutive year being named a top-performing Boren institution. One student received the U.S. Department of State’s Critical Language Scholarship for intensive Chinese language study abroad.  

WKU students and recent alumni again earned recognition through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, which supports a postgraduate academic year of research, study, or English teaching in one of about 140 countries. Two students were offered Fulbright grants, while three others were named semi-finalists. Nguyen Ngoc Minh Nguyen was awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Taiwan. Shwe Win, who was offered an English Teaching Assistantship to Thailand, declined the award for a Rollins Epidemiology Fellowship at Emory University.