Osher Scholars and Fellows Program
For Students
Osher Scholarships are available at many institutions of higher education around the country.
The Foundation does not make grants to students directly. Colleges and universities administer the scholarship programs after receiving support from the Foundation. A list of institutions offering Osher Scholarships is available here. In all cases, students apply for the scholarship through the college or university, not through the Osher Foundation.
Note that the eligibility requirements for Osher Scholarships vary across institutions. These program descriptions provide a general sense of the selection criteria for Osher awards at specific schools. Interested persons should contact given institutions for exact details regarding the scholarship application process, including deadlines, and the size of scholarships available.
Background on Osher Reentry Scholarship Program
The Foundation defines reentry students as individuals who have experienced an interruption in their education of five or more years and who want to resume their education at the undergraduate level. This scholarship is intended to benefit students who have considerable years of employability ahead of them - typically aged 25 to 50.
Reentry students often have special needs including matriculation and career counseling, familiarization with new information technology used in higher education, and balancing the requirements of their families and employment. The Foundation has supported select institutions with established services addressing the needs and fostering the success of reentering students.
In the past, the Foundation provided institutional grants of up to $50,000 a year with a possible renewal for a second or third year. These grants are restricted to baccalaureate-degree-granting institutions. Upon demonstrated success, the Foundation established endowments to provide permanent support for the program.
Osher Reentry Scholarships are awarded to students who
- have experienced a cumulative gap in their education of five or more years;
- are at the undergraduate level and pursuing their first baccalaureate degree;
- anticipate workforce participation for a significant period of time subsequent to graduation;
- demonstrate financial need;
- show academic promise and a commitment to degree completion.
Qualified students may include part- and full-time students, with preference given to newly matriculating students. Scholarship awards must be applied to student tuition fees exclusively. These funds are not intended for graduate students, individuals seeking an additional degree, those enrolled in online courses exclusively, or international students who are visiting the United States with the intention of returning to their countries of origin after graduation.
