JSHS Scholarships

Scholarship Sponsored by Junior Science and Humanities Symposium

Introduction
JSHS honors exceptional STEM research by high school students at both Regional and National Symposia. Undergraduate tuition scholarships and cash prizes for student finalists are jointly underwritten by the U.S. Office of the Secretary of Defense and the U.S. Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. These awards are intended for students who are U.S. citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR). Teacher mentors are also acknowledged for their outstanding support of student research.

Additional regional prizes
Many host organizations running Regional Competitions offer extra awards such as university-specific scholarships, institution-sponsored cash prizes, and other region-dependent honors. Availability, award types, and values vary by region.

Scholarship overview and payment conditions
The Department of Defense sponsors provide undergraduate tuition scholarships for students who qualify through JSHS Regional and National research paper competitions. All scholarship disbursements are contingent on the recipient’s enrollment in college and fulfillment of JSHS scholarship conditions; awards are paid only after matriculation and are remitted directly to the student’s institution.

Eligibility and permitted uses
- Eligible recipients must be U.S. citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents and enrolled full-time at an accredited college or university.
- Scholarship dollars may be applied to tuition and tuition-related costs, including (but not limited to) summer term tuition, textbooks, course supplies, laboratory fees, and similar items.
- Scholarship funds may not be used to purchase personal computers or software.

Service academy students
Students who matriculate at U.S. service academies receive full tuition through the federal government; therefore, JSHS tuition scholarships will not be applied toward academy tuition. If there are other legitimate educational expenses for which JSHS support is appropriate, academy attendees should submit a written request outlining those expenses to the JSHS National Office at the National Science Teaching Association.

Regional Finalist Awards
Each region distributes a total of $4,500 in undergraduate tuition scholarships among its top regional finalists:
- 1st Place: $2,000
- 2nd Place: $1,500
- 3rd Place: $1,000

National Competition invitation and format
The sponsors invite the top five finalists from every Regional Symposium to attend the National JSHS Symposium with travel and related expenses covered. At National JSHS:
- Regional 1st and 2nd place winners compete in the oral research paper competition for national tuition scholarships.
- Regional 3rd, 4th, and 5th place winners compete in the poster competition for national cash awards.

National Finalist Awards
Tuition scholarships
A combined total of $192,000 in undergraduate tuition scholarships is awarded to the top three finishers in the National oral research paper competition within each of the eight subject categories:
- 1st Place (per category): $12,000
- 2nd Place (per category): $8,000
- 3rd Place (per category): $4,000

Poster competition cash awards
Cash prizes are presented to the top three finishers in the National poster competition in each of the eight subject categories:
- 1st Place (per category): $550
- 2nd Place (per category): $450
- 3rd Place (per category): $350

For questions about scholarship conditions, permissible uses, or to request consideration for service-academy-related expenses, contact the JSHS National Office at the National Science Teaching Association.