The purpose of the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation is to provide a source of highly qualified scientists, mathematicians, and engineers. The Trustees intend to award up to 300 Goldwater Scholarships. Each scholarship covers eligible expenses for tuition, fees, books, and room and board, up to a maximum of $7,500 annually. Students must be nominated by their colleges or universities for the Goldwater Scholarship.

Students should send an email the Scholarships Coordinator at  scholarships@ltsc.ucsb.edu,  indicating their interest in the Goldwater Scholarship. The Scholarship Coordinator in the College of Letters and Science works with closely with UCSB undergraduates, regardless of their colleges, who apply for the Goldwater or other major scholarships, and it is important that students consult with the coordinator well before the application deadline.

Conditions of Eligibility:

• Be a full-time matriculated sophomore or junior pursuing a degree at an accredited institution of higher education during the academic year of application. "Sophomore" is defined as a student who plans two more years of full-time undergraduate study beginning September of the application year. Sophomore nominees can expect to receive a maximum of two years of support. Students in two -year colleges who plan to transfer to a baccalaureate program at another institution may be nominated. "Junior" is defined as a student who plans one more year of full-time undergraduate study beginning September of the application year. Junior nominees can expect to receive a maximum of one year of support.
• Have a college grade-point average of at least "B" (or the equivalent) and be in the upper fourth of his or her class. Please note that only students with exemplary academic records (GPA > 3.8) and substantive evidence of aptitude for their desired graduate programs will be competitive.
• Be a United States citizen, a resident alien, or, in the case of nominees from American Samoa or the Commonwealth of the Mariana Islands, a United States national. Nominations from resident aliens must include a letter of the nominee's intent to obtain U.S. citizenship and a photocopy of the Alien Registration Card.

Application Procedures:

Campus Application Deadline: December 14, 2023

Online application and application guidelines are available at the Goldwater Scholarship Website.

Please adhere to the directions outlined in the “Candidacy Information and Instructions”, submitting the following for campus review:

• Completion of the online pre-application, signifying your interest in the Goldwater scholarship.
• Once the pre-application is approved, completion of the full online application through the same website.
• Uploading of the three letters of recommendation: you must write to scholarships@ltsc.ucsb.edu to notify us when your letter writers are confirmed so that we can send submission instructions to each of your recommenders. The letter requests should be triggered well before the application deadline in order to ensure your recommenders have time to prepare and send their letters.
• As part of the online application, a carefully thought out, well-written research essay. The essay guidelines specified on the Goldwater Applicant Information and Instructions page should be followed to the letter, especially with respect to formatting.
• If the nominee is not a citizen and has permanent resident status: a copy of the nominee's Permanent Resident Card and a letter of intent to become a U.S. citizen must be uploaded to the online application.
• Official transcripts from all college work other than credits appearing on your UCSB transcript. Please request any non-UCSB transcripts well before the campus deadline. Please request non-UCSB digital transcripts be sent to: scholarships@ltsc.ucsb.edu. For non-UCSB institutions that provide only hard-copy transcripts, please coordinate with our office before requesting delivery.