USGIF Scholarship Program 2025

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USGIF has awarded more than $1.9M in scholarships since launching the program in 2004.

2024 Awardees

The USGIF Scholarship applications for Fall 2026 / Spring 2027 will open in Winter 2025.

While the application period for the 2025 - 2026 school year has closed, interested students are encouraged to monitor the USGIF website, follow USGIF on social media, and subscribe to our newsletter for updates on future scholarship opportunities.

The USGIF scholarship program aims to support and encourage talented individuals who demonstrate a passion for geospatial intelligence, geospatial sciences, and related disciplines. Successful applicants receive financial assistance to pursue their education and achieve their academic goals. The program has historically attracted a diverse pool of applicants, ranging from graduating high school seniors to graduate students pursuing advanced degrees.

Virtual Information Sessions will reopen next year.

USGIF offers two optional virtual information sessions where applicants can learn more about the scholarship application process and have their questions answered by USGIF's education team in real time. Check back when scholarships are open to enroll!

Meet the 2024 Scholarship Awardees

USGIF in Partnership with Member Organizations Offers Sponsored Scholarships

USGIF awards general scholarships to graduating high school seniors, undergraduates, graduates, and doctoral students. In addition to USGIF’s regular scholarship fund, we offer sponsored scholarships in coordination with member organizations. USGIF works with the awarding organization to tailor the scope of the scholarship to meet the goals of the organization and the needs of the GEOINT community.

These sponsored scholarships may have additional criteria for applicants to meet in order to apply. For each sponsored scholarship, please review the information to see if you qualify. If you have any questions about sponsored scholarships or are unsure if you qualify, email education@usgif.org for more information.

Stu Shea USGIF Endowed Scholarship

$15,000 annual scholarship awarded to a Ph.D. student studying geospatial.

Reinventing Geospatial, Inc. (RGi) Scholarship for Geospatial and Engineering

$15,000 annual scholarship awarded to one undergraduate student with interest in both the engineering and geospatial disciplines.

Ken Miller Scholarship for Advanced Remote Sensing Applications

$10,000 annual scholarship awarded to one master’s student working in or planning to enter the Defense/Intelligence workforce.

Black Cape Scholarship for Students in Geospatial Intelligence

Black Cape Triumphs in U.S. Department of Defense Data $10,000 annual scholarship awarded to one undergraduate student studying geospatial intelligence or a related field.

Maxar Scholarship for Innovation in GEOINT

$10,000 annual scholarship awarded to one undergraduate or graduate student who brings an innovative perspective to the GEOINT field.

AWS Scholarship for Leadership in GEOINT

$10,000 annual scholarship awarded to one undergraduate, graduate, or Ph.D. student studying a GEOINT-related field who embodies AWS’s commitment to developing the next generation of leaders.

GDIT Horizons Scholarship

$10,000 annual scholarship awarded to one graduating high school senior who intends to study STEM with an emphasis on Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Cyber Security, or geospatial-related fields. First-generation college students and students attending community college are particularly encouraged to apply.

Leidos Scholarship for AI/ML Advancement

$10,000 annual scholarship awarded to one graduate or Ph.D. student who uses artificial intelligence, advanced analytics, or machine learning for geospatial research.

GeoFutures STL Scholarship

$10,000 annual scholarship awarded to one undergraduate or continuing education (certificate program, trade/vocational school, etc.) student interested in geospatial or related fields who is from the St. Louis area or studying at a St. Louis region institution.

Future Geospatial Innovator Award

$10,000 annual scholarship awarded to one undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral student applying emerging technologies for geospatial solutions.

Globe Building St. Louis Scholarship

$5,000 annual scholarship awarded to one undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral student studying geospatial or a related field at a St. Louis area college or university.

Westway Services Scholarship for Veterans

$5,000 annual scholarship awarded to one undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral student studying geospatial or a related field that is also a veteran of the United States armed forces.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: When do scholarship applications open and close?

Q: Who can apply for a USGIF scholarship?

A: From graduating high school seniors to those pursuing a Ph.D., USGIF has scholarship opportunities for students in many stages of their education. While USGIF is a geospatial intelligence foundation, we invite students from a range of academic interests to apply. Past winners come from myriad disciplines.

U.S. Citizenship is not required for the general scholarship fund, nor is it required for many of our sponsored scholarships. Awards that require U.S. citizenship will be listed as such. Awardees must attend a school in the United States, unless a USGIF international partner institution. International students attending a U.S. school are eligible.

Q: Are there enrollment, GPA, or institutional requirements to apply?

A: USGIF will consider students with a GPA above 2.5. We do not require a minimum number of enrollment hours to qualify, nor do we have restrictions on majors and minors. Students from a variety of educational institutions including community colleges, technical colleges, traditional four-year universities, and other post-secondary institutions are eligible.

Students must be enrolled in a program for the fall semester to receive an award. USGIF awards cannot be deferred and USGIF does not give awards directly to students.

Q: What steps or items are required to apply for a USGIF scholarship?

A: Students interested in a USGIF scholarship should complete the general application. The general application covers each "category" of education with funds available - graduating high school senior, undergraduate, graduate, and Ph.D. Applicants should complete only one of the general applications. For students who may identify with more than one of these categories, please reach out to us for guidance.

Applicants should be prepared to submit letters of recommendation, their most recent school transcripts, and to answer several short answer (250-word) questions. Undergraduate, graduate, and Ph.D. candidates must also submit an essay. Certain categories of applicants may be asked to submit a resume or CV. We recommend beginning your application early to allow enough time to submit all the required pieces. Applicants can start, save, and return to their application at any time.

As a best practice, USGIF recommends completing applications on a laptop or desktop computer, not a mobile device.

Q: I would like to apply for a sponsored scholarship, are there additional requirements?

A: Students interested in one of USGIF’s many sponsored scholarships are not required to complete a separate application. Applicants will complete the general application and opt-into various sponsored award. However, if you would like to be considered, you may be asked to provide demographic information, answer specific prompts for those sponsored awards, or address the scholarship’s focus in the essay you write. Please read the application carefully and familiarize yourself with the requirements of sponsored scholarships. Sponsored awards are not combinable with the general award fund. So, if you receive a general award you will not receive a sponsored award as well, and vice versa.

Q: Can I begin my application and come back to it?

Q: How will winners be selected?

A: USGIF employs a volunteer panel of experts to serve as our selection committee. Each member will review applications and score them on a peer-to-peer basis. For example, undergraduate students will only be scored relative to other undergraduate students, etc.

A ranking system is in place to ensure an equitable approach to evaluation. Each application will have a distribution of points available. Please read the “evaluation guidelines” section of the application carefully.

Q: When will I know if I’ve been selected?

Q: What costs can a USGIF scholarship cover?

A: USGIF will first work with your school to apply the scholarship award to your tuition costs. Scholarship awards are divided between the fall and spring semesters. If there are funds left over after tuition has been covered each semester, students will be directly refunded any remaining award money. If a student receives a refund, they may use the award to cover housing, books, technology needs, or other expenses related to being a student.

Q: Are there requirements for students post-award?

A: Awardees are asked to supply a headshot, short bio, and testimonial about their acceptance. These items are published on USGIF's website and individual profiles of awardees are posted on LinkedIn throughout the year. We are proud of our awardees and love sharing their accomplishments with the community.

Some awards may require students to provide periodic academic updates. Students will always be notified of any additional requirements in advance.

Q: Have a question that is not listed above?

A: Send an email to scholarships@usgif.org. If the answer is addressed in one of the above fields, our team will direct you back to this page, so please read carefully. USGIF also hosts two informational sessions for applicants during the open application timeframe. Use this link to sign up!

Please note, USGIF's staff cannot provide individualize guidance on the application or its components. We recommend consulting a trusted academic advisor, professor, or other figure on specifics of the application not addressed above or in the information sessions.