UChicago Stamps Scholars 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 2026.

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
The University of Chicago’s working assumption is that travel to countries or regions with a U.S. Department of State Level 3 or Level 4 Advisory is not permitted for undergraduate participants. We also use as indicators the advisory levels published by the Centers for Disease Control and our emergency provider, International SOS. Thus, if the country or region to which travel is contemplated is listed as Level 3 or 4 in the State Department’s travel advisories OR has a warning level 3 from the Centers for Disease Control OR has an International SOS risk rating of High or Extreme, travel is assumed to be prohibited. Students may petition for an exemption. 

For questions regarding the petition process, please contact Chiara Montanari at chiaram@uchicago.edu. 

For country-specific information, reference:

• U.S. Department of State Travel Advisories
• CDC website
• International SOS ratings where one can log in with UChicago’s membership number: 11BCAS084635.

Application Process

Eligibility

Current second-year College students who plan to graduate in June 2028 are eligible to apply for the Stamps Scholars Program.

Please see this sheet for more information about funding guidelines.

Required Materials

Interested students should submit the following materials through UChicago Handshake by the application deadline of 11:59pm on Friday, February 13, 2026:

• 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 use the cover sheet template provided upon clicking the green "Apply" button. *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.  Download the Cover Sheet here
• 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 (uploaded into the "Cover Letter" field; double spaced), 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, staff member, or other UChicago affiliate expert in a relevant field 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
  • Please consult this sheet for funding guidelines.
• A questionnaire with information requested by the Stamps Scholars Program foundation. Students can complete the questionnaire by following this link.
• A letter of recommendation from a UChicago faculty, staff member, or other UChicago-affiliated expert in a related 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. The letter of recommendation can be submitted up until the deadline on February 13th.
• A completed Stamps Scholars Mentor Form from a UChicago faculty, staff member, or other UChicago-affiliated expert in a related 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. Selected candidates for this component of the process will receive specific instructions and guidance via email.

Interview with Stamps Scholars Program Staff

The selection committee will nominate a select number of candidates for an interview with the Stamps Scholars Program staff. This will be the final step of the application process.

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 team.

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 2026
• Quarterly on-campus discussion seminars on leadership development during the academic year

Questions?

Please contact Mark Summerside at Summerside@uchicago.edu with questions about the Stamps Scholars Program.