Stamps Scholars Program

About the Program

UChicago partners with the Stamps Scholars Program, made possible with the support of benefactors E. Roe Stamps and his late wife Penny, to recognize exceptional students who exemplify leadership, perseverance, scholarship, service, and innovation. The University of Chicago Stamps Scholars Program accepts applications from second-year students for enrichment grants that allow them to take on ambitious experiential learning projects during their third and fourth years.

Award Amount and Eligible Opportunities

UChicago Stamps Scholars receive grants of $20,000 that can be used over the course of their final two years at the University. Selected students can use the funding during both the summer and the academic year beginning in Summer 2023.

Recipients may use these enrichment funds for a wide variety of experiential learning opportunities, including internships, research projects, entrepreneurial endeavors, volunteering, attending professional conferences, and other experiences at the discretion of the University and the Foundation.

The award cannot be used for an internship with an organization that was formed for the purpose of supporting a candidate for political office. Because the University is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization under the tax code, it is prohibited from participating in political campaign activities.

Eligible Destinations for International Opportunities

Please note that current University guidelines restrict international travel. If a student is awarded a Stamps stipend for an on-site internship outside the U.S., they must successfully petition the University for an exemption to this policy in order to receive their funding. All petitions will be reviewed by the Study Abroad Risk and Security Assessment Committee (SARSAC).

SARSAC will only give exemptions to students who had existing travel plans to return to their home countries/countries where they have long-term residence permits, and have now secured an internship there. Students will need to indicate as well that they will not need to apply for a work permit in such situations. Exemptions will not be given for new trips. As part of the petition, students will be required to submit a budget worksheet indicating that any grant stipend they receive will not be used to travel to the site of an internship outside the U.S.

If an exemption is given, students may not use University funds to purchase international airfare or other international travel arrangements.

For questions regarding the petition process, please contact Erwin Paderanga at erwinp@uchicago.edu. 

For country-specific information, the U.S. Department of State Travel Advisories can be found at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/, the CDC website can be found at https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices and the International SOS ratings can be found at http://internationalsos.com where one can log in with UChicago’s membership number: 11BCAS084635.

Application Process

The application for the 2023 Stamps Scholar Program will reopen during the 2023 Winter Quarter.

Eligibility

Current second-year College students who plan to graduate in June 2025 are eligible to apply for the Stamps Scholars Program.

Required Materials

Interested students should submit the following materials through UChicago Handshake:

  • A standardized cover sheet with information about the applicant, their project, and their faculty or staff mentor, available for download through the Handshake posting. *Please submit your cover sheet and your resume as one document: paste your resume into the cover sheet document on a separate page and upload it as one "Resume" document on Handshake. 
  • A resume, no longer than one page. For assistance with preparing a resume, please visit Career Advancement’s Resume & Interview toolkit or schedule an appointment with a career adviser.
  • An unofficial transcript, accessible through myUChicago.
  • A statement of purpose, no longer than two pages (either single or double spaced is acceptable), explaining:
    • the applicant’s academic or professional goals, especially for their final two years at UChicago
    • the project(s) or experience(s) the student plans to use the enrichment funds for if selected as a Stamps Scholar
    • the UChicago faculty or staff member whom the student has identified to serve as a mentor and provide support and guidance during the project(s)
    • how the student’s prior experiences have prepared them to succeed in the proposed project(s)
    • how the project(s) would support their stated goals
  • A questionnaire with information requested by the Stamps Scholars Program Foundation. The questionnaire link is available in the Handshake posting.
  • A letter of recommendation from a UChicago faculty, staff member, or UChicago-affiliated expert in a relevant field who can attest to the applicant's character, the viability of their proposed project(s), and their academic, extracurricular, or professional performance. Recommenders can submit their letters using this form. Letters are due by the application deadline.
  • A completed Stamps Scholars Mentor Form from a UChicago faculty, staff member, or UChicago-affiliated expert in a relevant field who has agreed to serve as the student’s mentor for their proposed project from the student's statement of purpose. This can be the same faculty or staff member who is writing the recommendation on behalf of the student but does not need to be. Mentors can submit their agreement form using this online form.

Campus Interview Component

Following application review, select candidates will be invited to move forward in the selection process to participate in a virtual interview component, completing several interview questions through the Big Interview platform. Candidates selected for this component of the process will receive specific instructions and guidance via email.

Interview with the Stamps Scholars Program

The application review committee will nominate a select number of candidates for an interview with the Stamps Scholars Program staff, which will make final decisions.

Application Material Reviews

Students should direct all requests for application reviews to Career Advancement. For a review of your application materials, please schedule an appointment with a Career Advancement adviser through UChicago Handshake. For appointment type, select "General Career Advising" and then "Application Review." 

Information Sharing Notice

By applying to the program, you give the University of Chicago permission to share all information you provide in your application with the Stamps Scholars Program.

Stamps Scholar Benefits and Responsibilities

Recipients are expected to participate in Stamps Scholars programming both at UChicago and with the national Stamps Scholars network, including:

  • New Stamps Scholars Orientation and Welcome Reception in Spring 2023
  • Quarterly programs and discussion seminars during the academic year
  • The biennial Stamps Scholars National Convention in Spring 2023

Questions?

Please contact Sophie Wingland at swingland@uchicago.edu with questions about the Stamps Scholars Program.