Benson Center Undergraduate Fellows Program Scholarship

The Bruce D. Benson Center for the Study of Western Civilization is now accepting applications for the Benson Undergraduate Fellowship (BUF) for the upcoming (2025-2026) academic year. The aim of the Fellowship is to foster an active and flourishing intellectual community of undergraduate students at the University of Colorado Boulder passionate about the great works of the Western tradition, exposure to a wide range of political and other perspectives, and critical reflection on the social, economic, and philosophical questions of our time. All CU students—including incoming freshmen and transfer students—are welcome to apply for the Fellowship regardless of major, personal background, or political perspective. Financial support for the Benson Undergraduate Fellowship is generously provided by the John J. Wehman Scholarship Fund and the Bill Freytag Conservative Thought Endowed Fund.

Benson Undergraduate Fellows will be expected to enroll in at least 1 CWCV or other approved course during the 2025-2026 academic year. They will also be expected to attend at least 10 approved Benson Center events over the course of the academic year, to participate in a monthly Fellows reading group, and to participate in the Flourishing Project—a unique opportunity for Fellows to identify and cultivate personal habits conducive to their flourishing.

Applicants should be gifted and intellectually curious CU students dedicated to the Benson Center’s dual mission of fostering intellectual diversity and the study of Western civilization at CU and eager to grow both intellectually and personally through their participation in the Fellowship. They should be able not only to complete all formal Fellowship requirements but also to maintain high standards of personal and academic integrity and to serve as the Benson Center’s student ambassadors.

Fellows will receive a $3,000 scholarship over the course of the 2025-2026 academic year, with $1,500 awarded in the fall semester and $1,500 awarded in the spring semester conditional on completion of fall Fellowship requirements. Fellows will also be given priority for a variety of opportunities offered by the Benson Center, including student grants and financial support for CU in DC internships.

Fellowships are renewable, but current Fellows must reapply for the Fellowship every year. Applications for one-semester ($1,500) Fellowships will be considered, though preference may be given to applicants able to participate in the Fellowship for the entire academic year. Applicants who will not be enrolled at CU for at least part of the 2025-2026 academic year will not be considered. Official acceptance may be conditional on verification of applicants’ GPAs, standardized test scores, and so on.

If you are interested in the Benson Undergraduate Fellowship, please apply by the posted deadline (March 15, 2025). If you have any questions about the Fellowship, please contact the Benson Center at bensoncenter@colorado.edu.

Award
3,000
Schools, Colleges, Departments
College of Arts & Sciences, Transfer
Deadline
03/15/2025
Supplemental Questions
  1. In 200 words or less, describe something you have learned from someone you disagree with on a specific controversial social, political, or other similar topic and explain how and why what you learned has influenced you.
  2. In 200 words or less, name a book written at least fifty years ago that has influenced the way you think or live and—without simply summarizing the book—explain how and why it has influenced you.
  3. In 200 words or less, describe your ideal hypothetical course on a topic related to the Western tradition and explain why you would be interested in that course.
  4. Please enter your SAT scores (including both your composite score and your individual section scores) and/or your ACT scores (including both your composite score and your individual section scores).
  5. Please enter your cumulative high school GPA and (if available) high school class rank and high school class size. If applicable, please also enter your cumulative college GPA (including your cumulative major GPA if available).
  6. Briefly describe how you found out about the Benson Undergraduate Fellowship.
  7. If applicable, briefly describe any previous experience you have with the Benson Center (e.g., attendance at Benson Center events or enrollment in CWCV courses).
  8. If applicable, briefly describe any coursework, extracurricular activities, honors, or other experiences of yours which may be especially relevant to your potential as a Benson Undergraduate Fellow.
  9. If applicable, briefly describe any anticipated potential obstacles to your completing the requirements of the Benson Undergraduate Fellowship (e.g., plans to study abroad). (Note that you are still encouraged to apply to the Fellowship even if you anticipate such obstacles, though preference may be given to applicants most likely to be able to complete all Fellowship requirements.) In particular, please indicate whether you are interested in participating in the Fellowship for ONLY one semester of the 2025-2026 academic year.
  10. Please include a brief letter of recommendation (of 200 words or less) in your application. The letter should be written by a current or former instructor of yours. For applicants who have completed two or more semesters of college, greater weight will be placed on letters of recommendation written by college instructors.
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