The American Meteorological Society is pleased to announce the AMS First-Year Undergraduate Scholarship program, open to all high school students and designed to encourage study in the atmospheric and related sciences. Serving as a unique example of various sectors of our field joining together to support young, talented minds, the scholarships are being sponsored by partners in industry, as well as through named scholarships either established by an AMS member or in memory of someone. The sponsors of these scholarships have all recognized the importance in encouraging young people to enter into the atmospheric and related sciences and thus have made generous contributions in support of the AMS First-Year Undergraduate Scholarship Program.

The Society encourages applications from women, minorities, and disabled students, traditionally underrepresented in the atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic sciences.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible to apply for this scholarship:

• Applicants must be U.S. citizens or hold permanent resident status.
• Applicants must be entering their freshman year of college in the fall of 2026 as a full-time student and plan to pursue a degree in the atmospheric or related oceanic or hydrologic sciences. Marine biology does not meet this requirement.
• Applicants must have a GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

Stipend

The scholarship stipend is $5000, awarding $2500 each year for the freshman and sophomore years. The second-year funding is dependent on successful completion of the first year.

Application Procedures

A completed application includes:

• a completed application form
• an unofficial high school transcript showing grades from the past three years
• high school profile, if available (optional)
• a letter of recommendation from a high school teacher, guidance counselor, or professional reference (one only)

Applicants are responsible for for completing their application before the submission deadline.  Incomplete applications will not be accepted! Applications will not submit if all stages are not complete.