Financial Support & Scholarships

Need-based scholarships are available to undergraduate students only, and applying is easy! If you have already completed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), then you already have a Student Aid Index (SAI), and know your Expected Family Contribution (EFC).

To apply for a need-based scholarship, send an email to shoals.lab@unh.edu or fax to (603) 862-3151 with the following information:

1. The SML course(s) you want to enroll in
2. Cornell and UNH students should include their student ID number
3. PDF of your most recent SAI with EFC (from FAFSA)
   • For international students and others who do not have access to this documentation, contact shoals.lab@unh.edu to discuss alternative application materials.

Once you have your need-based award, go to our Admissions Page and follow the steps to enroll and register.

Important note: If you apply for both a need-based and merit-based scholarship, your need-based assistance will be recalculated based on the amount of merit received.

Merit-based scholarships are available to undergraduate students only. GPA of at least 3.2 required. Merit awards range from $1000 to full tuition plus room and board costs, depending on number of applicants and available funding.

Application review will begin on February 20, 2025, and materials received by that date will be given priority. Applications received this date will be considered based on available funds.

To apply for a merit-based scholarship, send an email to shoals.lab@unh.edu with the following information:

1. The SML course(s) in which you want to enroll
2. All college transcripts (include as PDFs or have sent from your Registrar's office – unofficial copies are adequate)
3. Cornell and UNH students should include their student ID 
4. One-page essay stating what it would mean for you to take a course at SML
5. (If applicable) PDF of your most recent SAI (from FAFSA)
   • International students, please send your CSS profile

 If you receive a merit-based award, go to our Admissions Page and follow the steps to enroll and register.

Important note: If you apply for both a need-based and merit-based scholarship, your need-based scholarship may not be processed until the merit decisions have been made.

Established in 2020 by Jay and Suzanne McFarland, the Shoals Diversity Scholarship seeks to increase the diversity of undergraduate students studying at SML. To this end, SML invites under-represented students to apply for financial support for SML academic courses. Diversity includes and is not limited to: race, age, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, and veteran status.

SML is committed to supporting a diverse community and a strong sense of belonging for all. Belonging at SML is about fostering respect and appreciation for difference, having a shared purpose and being a part of a community, while simultaneously being valued and appreciated for the uniqueness that each person brings.  

The Shoals Diversity Scholarship ranges from $1000 to full tuition plus room and board costs, depending on number of applicants and available funding. Diversity Scholarship applicants should also consider applying for SML’s Need-based and Merit-based Scholarships to support their enrollment at the lab. Applicant evaluation is based on financial need and a short essay. NOTE: the same essay can be used for both Merit and Diversity Scholarship applications, if appropriate.

Application review will begin on February 20, 2025, and materials received by that date will be given priority. Applications received after this date will be considered based on available funds.

To apply for the Shoals Diversity Scholarship, send an email to shoals.lab@unh.edu with the following information:

1. The SML course(s) in which you want to enroll
2. Cornell and UNH students should include their student ID 
3. One-page essay stating why you want to take a course at SML, what it would mean for you personally to receive this scholarship, and how your presence at SML would contribute to or support a diverse student body.
4. PDF of your most recent SAI (from FAFSA)
   • International students, please send your CSS profile

If you receive an award, go to our Admissions Page and follow the steps to enroll and register.

Students who enroll in Biological Illustration, Field Bioacoustics and Soundscape Ecology, R by the Sea, Applied Science Communication or Evolution and Marine Diversity will automatically be considered for an award of up to $1,000. A limited number of awards will be given on a rolling basis. Students with financial need will be prioritized.

Shark Biology and Conservation Scholarship

The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy and its Gills Club are offering one full-ride scholarship for Shark Biology and Conservation at SML this summer!

SCHOLARSHIP DETAILS AND APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Institution-specific scholarships

SML works with a variety of other institutions to provide scholarships for students interested in SML courses or research opportunities. Students from these schools should contact their SML Academic Coordinator (Dr. Liz Craig, elizabeth.craig@unh.edu) for details about the institution-specific scholarships for which they might be eligible. The following institutions are some of our current partners:

Other relevant organizations

Beyond scholarships provided by SML, our partner institutions, and our generous supporters, a wide variety of organizations (locally, nationally, and globally) offer external scholarships that are relevant to SML students. This is not an exhaustive list, but a selection of several scholarships that could apply to SML students:

• Libbie H. Hyman Memorial Scholarship (Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology)
• The Garden Club of America Awards for Summer Environmental Studies
• Marine Technology Society scholarships
• Marine Aquarium Societies of North America scholarships

The Shoals Scholars program is a new scholarship available for incoming freshman at UNH. The program provides a full scholarship for up to two courses each summer after your Freshman and Sophomore years of college (up to four courses total). This scholarship award is separate from the federal and institutional aid that a student may receive.  For incoming students interested in applying, please contact SML at shoals.lab@unh.edu.

Offset the cost of taking an SML course by getting a student staff job before or after your course (you cannot work during your course). SML student staff is open to all students who enroll in an SML undergraduate summer course, regardless of Federal work-study status. You must be taking an undergraduate course at SML to be eligible for a student staff job.

Student Staff Positions