Undergraduate Award Information
Undergraduate Award Information
Best Undergraduate Essay Prize
A prize is awarded each spring for the best essay written in conjunction with any Literature course. Any currently enrolled Literature major, regardless of class standing, may submit one paper written in any language to be considered for this prize. Creative writing students are eligible to submit material that takes the form of an essay (but not, for instance, poems or short stories).
Best Senior Essay Prize
A prize is awarded each spring to a graduating senior Literature major for the best essay that was prepared in conjunction with one of the Department's exit requirements (a senior seminar or a senior thesis). Creative writing students are eligible to submit material that takes the form of an essay (but not, for instance, poems or short stories). Nominations will come from faculty; students may not submit their own work for this prize. However, graduating seniors should get in touch with faculty members if they would like to be nominated for this prize
Best Creative Writing (Fiction) Senior Project Prize
A prize is awarded each spring to a graduating senior Literature major in the Creative Writing Fiction concentration for the best fiction manuscript prepared in conjunction with one of the Department's exit requirements (a senior seminar or a senior thesis). Nominations will come from faculty; students may not submit their own work for this prize. However, graduating seniors should get in touch with faculty members if they would like to be nominated for this prize
Best Creative Writing (Poetry) Senior Project Prize
A prize is awarded each spring to a graduating senior Literature major in the Creative Writing Poetry concentration for the best poetry manuscript prepared in conjunction with one of the Department's exit requirements (a senior seminar or a senior thesis). Nominations will come from faculty; students may not submit their own work for this prize. However, graduating seniors should get in touch with faculty members if they would like to be nominated for this prize
Humanities Undergraduate Research Fellowship (HURF)
Each fall, students submit proposals for projects involving research within or including any of the humanities disciplines. Up to ten $500 awards are given annually, plus an additional $500 to the student with the top proposal. For more information, please visit https://thi.ucsc.edu/research-fellows/#funding. For an application, email the Humanities Dean's office.
Deans', Chancellor's and Steck Awards
To encourage and stimulate outstanding scholarship and creativity among undergraduate students, the Deans of the five academic divisions at UCSC annually award fifty undergraduates (ten from each division) the Dean's Undergraduate Award with a cash prize of $100 for outstanding achievement in their division. The projects must be based on work developed in courses or programs in the normal pattern of academic activity at UCSC. Of the Deans' awardees, the top three from each division are awarded the Chancellor's Undergraduate Award with an additional cash prize of $100. Of the Chancellor's awardees, the most outstanding research project from a graduating senior receives the Steck Award with an additional cash prize of $1,000. Completed projects and applications are due to the faculty sponsor’s department in early April. Guidelines and application forms are available starting in mid-January from the offices of the Chancellor, Divisions, Departments, and Colleges. Check the Humanities Division website for more information.
Kenneth Andrew Gram Memorial Endowment Scholarship
Strauss Foundation Award
Fourteen $10,000 scholarships are awarded each year to junior class-level California university juniors interested in public service. See the Strauss Foundation website for more information.
For an extensive list of scholarship and award options, visit the UCSC Financial Aid website.
