UNLV Engineering Scholarships: A Comprehensive Guide to Requirements and Opportunities

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) College of Engineering offers a variety of scholarships to undergraduate, graduate, and professional students pursuing engineering degrees. These scholarships are made possible through the generous support of donors and are awarded based on criteria established by both the donors and UNLV. This article provides a detailed overview of the scholarship opportunities available, along with their specific requirements and application processes.

General Scholarship Information for the College of Engineering

The College of Engineering awards annual scholarships to students pursuing a degree within the college, thanks to donor funding. These scholarships consider factors such as:

GPA within a discipline
Financial need
Ethnicity
Major
Class rank
Gender

For additional scholarship opportunities, students are encouraged to visit the main UNLV Financial Aid and Scholarships page.

Institutional Scholarships at UNLV

UNLV offers several institutional scholarships to support students' academic pursuits. To be considered for these scholarships, students must be admitted by the priority deadline and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and an Institutional Aid Application by the priority deadline each year.

Academic Scholarship

This scholarship is offered to undergraduate students at the time of admission in recognition of their academic achievements. There is no additional application process beyond admission to UNLV and submission of the FAFSA and Institutional Aid Application by the priority deadline.

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Renewability: Up to 135 attempted credits, including transfer credits, with a cumulative GPA of 2.00. Students must be enrolled full-time (12 or more credits) each semester.

Scholarship Based on Academic Achievement and Financial Need

This scholarship is offered to undergraduate students at the time of admission based on both academic achievement and financial need. Similar to the academic scholarship, there is no additional application process beyond admission to UNLV and submission of the FAFSA and Institutional Aid Application by the priority deadline.

Renewability: Up to 135 attempted credits, including transfer credits, with a cumulative GPA of 2.00. Students must be enrolled full-time (12 or more credits) each semester.

UNLV Rebel Edge Program

The UNLV Rebel Edge program aims to make college more affordable by covering the difference between federal, state, and institutional aid and tuition and fees (up to 15 credits). The program also provides a $1,000 annual book stipend.

Initial Eligibility:
- Must be a Nevada resident
- Must be fully admitted to UNLV by the priority deadline
- Must submit a completed FAFSA and Institutional Aid Application by the priority deadline
- Must start in the fall semester
- Must have an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of less than $68,000
Renewability:
- Up to 135 attempted credits, including transfer credits, with a cumulative GPA of 2.00
- Must be enrolled full-time (12 or more credits) each semester
- Must complete a FAFSA or an Institutional Aid Application each year by the priority deadline
- Must have an AGI of less than $68,000

Students from Nevada whose household has an AGI of less than $68,000 will be eligible for the Rebel Edge program. Rebel Edge combines federal, state, and institutional aid to offer full-time students free tuition and fees for up to 15 credits, along with a $1,000 annual book stipend. Depending on a student’s federal, state, and institutional aid, they may also receive the Tuition+ Fees scholarship to cover remaining eligible tuition and fees.

Nevada College Kick Start Program

Administered by the Nevada State Treasurer’s Office, NVIGATE is a merit-based scholarship available to Nevada high school graduates that pays up to a lifetime total of $10,000 toward eligible credits. This scholarship must be used within 6 years of high school graduation and is allocated on a per-credit-hour basis for up to 15 credit hours each semester.

Amount: Between $960-$1,200 per semester; calculated for 12-15 credits. This scholarship can be applied for during the summer session as a reimbursement based on eligibility from the previous semester. Full-time enrollment is not a requirement during the summer.
Other Requirements: There is a two-strike policy. If eligibility is lost for the first time, the scholarship is suspended until requirements are met, a strike is received, and the student can use the next semester as a self-funded semester to regain eligibility. All other aid will continue to apply as long as eligibility is met for other aid types. Millennium will be automatically added to the following term once eligibility is re-met.

Number One Scholarship

This scholarship is for eligible incoming first-year students who are ranked number one on their high school transcript at the time of admission. This scholarship will no longer be offered to new, incoming students admitted to any term after fall 2025.

Read also: Opportunity Scholarships at UNLV

Renewability: Up to 135 attempted credits, including transfer credits, with a cumulative GPA of 2.00. Students must be enrolled full-time each semester (12 or more credits).

Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE)

WUE offers significant tuition savings, amounting to several thousand dollars per year compared to the standard nonresident rate.

Renewability: Up to 135 attempted credits, including transfer credits, with a cumulative GPA of 2.00.
Other Information: To qualify for the WUE scholarship, students must be admitted to UNLV. No special application is required.

External Scholarships

External scholarships are available each year from organizations not affiliated with UNLV. These organizations determine the criteria and deadlines for their scholarship, so students should read through all information carefully. The best time to apply for external scholarships is at the end of the calendar year before each fall semester.

Graduate Fellowships and Scholarships

UNLV offers a variety of merit-based scholarships and fellowships through the Grad Rebel Gateway. Each fellowship/scholarship has a specific application timeline, and all awards are subject to funding with award amounts subject to change annually. Doctoral fellowship recipients are expected to focus primarily on their research. As a fellowship recipient, if a student plans to engage in employment either on or off campus, they must first receive approval from their department chairperson, followed by the Graduate College dean.

Barrick Graduate Fellowships

These fellowships were established by an endowment from philanthropist Marjorie Barrick and are given to outstanding doctoral students who have demonstrated excellence in scholarship during their graduate study at UNLV. Application open: Oct. Application deadline: Dec.

President’s UNLV Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships

These fellowships are funded by gifts to the UNLV Foundation by the Frank Koch Living Trust for the research support of doctoral students. The fellowship award covers tuition, fees, full health insurance benefits, and provides a stipend each semester. Letters of nomination should describe the nominee’s academic accomplishments, dissertation topic, and the nature of the work the nominee would undertake during the fellowship year. Application open: Oct. Application deadline: Dec.

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Robert E. Lang Memorial Fellowship

This fellowship is funded by generous gifts to the UNLV Foundation to support Ph.D. students completing dissertations in metropolitan public policy broadly defined. The fellowship award covers tuition, fees, and full health insurance benefits, and provides a monthly stipend for each semester of the fellowship, with the possibility of additional support for summer term on an as-needed basis. Eligible applicants are UNLV doctoral students who have advanced to candidacy and who have an approved Ph.D. Finalists will be required to participate in an interview with the Robert E. Lang Memorial Fellowship Selection Committee. During the academic year, recipients of the Robert E. Lang Memorial Fellowship will deliver a public lecture on their doctoral research at a gathering hosted by The Lincy Institute and Brookings Mountain West at UNLV. Applicants must be nominated with a letter of support from their dissertation advisor. Application open: Oct. Application deadline: Dec.

Summer Doctoral Research Fellowship

This fellowship will be awarded to outstanding doctoral students who have demonstrated excellence in their fields of study and who will reduce their time to degree through summer support. This fellowship will cover summer 2026 tuition and fees and provide a stipend. Application open: Oct. Application deadline: Dec.

UNLV Foundation Board of Trustees Fellowship

This prestigious award is granted over four semesters (fall 2026, spring 2027, fall 2027, and spring 2028) to doctoral students in the final two years of their program. The fellowship award covers tuition, fees, full health insurance benefits, and provides a stipend each semester. Fellowship recipients will receive a waiver of out-of-state tuition during the fellowship year, if applicable. Letters of recommendation should describe the applicant’s academic accomplishments, dissertation topic, and the nature of the work the applicant would undertake during the fellowship years. Application open: Oct. Application deadline: Dec.

Ronald E. McNair Doctoral Fellowship Program

The purpose of the Ronald E. McNair Doctoral Fellowship Program at UNLV is to enroll and support selected students who participated in McNair undergraduate research programs across the nation. The goal of the McNair Scholars Program is to prepare undergraduate students, particularly from historically underrepresented and/or economically underserved communities, for doctoral studies and careers in academia. The UNLV Graduate College McNair Doctoral Fellowship package includes an annual stipend of $22,000, tuition coverage up to 9 credits per semester, student health insurance, in-state tuition and a summer stipend ($7,333) for two years. Must be admitted to a full-time doctoral program at UNLV. Applications can be submitted at the time of application to a graduate program. Examples of potential letter writers may include: a professor or academic advisor who has taught the student or supervised their research; a principal investigator (PI) or faculty member who has overseen the applicant's research projects; or a faculty member/advisor from the applicant's previous graduate program. The UNLV McNair Doctoral Fellowship seeks to support individuals who are committed to pursuing doctoral studies and a career in research or academia. Research Interests: Discuss your current research interests and how they align with the goals of your intended doctoral program. Commitment to Underrepresented Communities: The McNair Fellowship is dedicated to increasing the representation of underrepresented groups in academia. How do your experiences, background, and future goals align with this mission? Long-Term Goals: Explain your long-term professional and academic goals. How will the McNair Doctoral Fellowship support you in achieving these objectives? Overcoming Challenges: Reflect on any personal or academic challenges you have overcome, especially those related to your background as a first-generation student, a member of an underrepresented community, or from an economically or educationally underserved environment. Application open: Oct. Application deadline: Dec.

Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Scholarships

Administered by the Graduate College, these scholarships are awarded in open competition to first-year graduate students who participated in a McNair Scholars program at UNLV or at another institution as an undergraduate. Application open: Oct. Application priority deadline: Feb.

Donald Carn Scholarship

This scholarship was established to honor the contributions made by Professor Donald Carns, an accomplished scholar who helped establish the Department of Sociology at UNLV. This scholarship is awarded to outstanding graduate students admitted into a graduate degree-seeking program at UNLV. Application open: Oct. Application deadline: Dec.

Donna Weistrop and David B. Shaffer Scholarship

This award is designated for graduate students pursuing master’s degrees in Physics, Astronomy, Chemistry, or Geoscience. Application open: Oct. Application deadline: Dec.

Dr. Gregg Schraw Scholarship

The Dr. Gregg Schraw Scholarship was established to honor the contributions made by Dr. Gregg Schraw was a full professor in UNLV’s Department of Educational Psychology from 2000 until his passing in 2016. In addition to being a stunningly prolific author of journal articles, books, and book chapters and frequent editorial-board member for the top-tier, peer-reviewed journals in the field of educational psychology, Dr. Schraw was an uncommonly supportive and remarkably effective mentor to doctoral candidates at UNLV and other institutions. As both a researcher and a master teacher of other researchers, Dr. Schraw was an asset of inestimable worth to his academic field, to UNLV, and to every student he taught or mentored. Dr. Schraw’s impact on his field and the many scholars--both established and budding--with whom he interacted is described powerfully in McCrudden, M.T. (2016). Remembering Gregg Schraw. Be a doctoral student at UNLV. Must be alumni from one or more of the federally funded, campus-based projects housed within UNLV's Center for Academic Enrichment and Outreach (CAEO). TIRO Ronald E. Application open: Oct. Application deadline: Dec.

Dr. Lonnie & Sherrie Wright Scholarship

This scholarship was created to support UNLV alumni who played on a UNLV athletic team while pursuing their undergraduate degree and are now pursuing a master's degree at UNLV. Application open: Oct. Application deadline: Dec.

Carolee Dodge Francis, DreamCatcher Scholarship

This scholarship is awarded to graduate students who have proven involvement in the American Indian or Native American community. Application open: Oct.

UNLV Graduate & Professional Student Association Scholarships

The UNLV Graduate & Professional Student Association established these scholarships in honor of Dr. James F. Application open: Oct. Application deadline: Dec.

Janine Lee Memorial Scholarship

The Janine Lee Memorial Scholarship is awarded in memory of UNLV alumna Janine Lee JD'16. The Janine Lee Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to an outstanding UNLV masters or doctoral student. Application open: Oct. Application deadline: Dec.

Jonah Schoenmann Endowed Graduate Scholarship

The Jonah Schoenmann Endowed Graduate Scholarship was established by Dr. Kathryn Hausbeck Korgan to provide indefinite and renewable support for rising stars in Sociology. Application open: Oct. Application deadline: Dec.

Graduate Scholarships: Lee Business School Scholarship Fund

This scholarship fund was established by an anonymous donor to award multiple graduate students from the Lee Business School with scholarship funding.

Moretti Family Scholarship

The purpose of the Moretti Family Scholarship is to help the next generation of practitioners who will support those with learning differences. Application open: Oct. Application deadline: Dec.

School of Public Policy and Leadership Travel Award

This award provides funding for students presenting at conferences or doing professional development. Application open: Oct. Application deadline: Dec.

Tina Kunzer-Murphy Scholarship

This scholarship was created in honor of Tina’s service to UNLV. Application open: Oct. Application deadline: Dec.

Graduate Student Access Childcare Scholarship Program

The Graduate Student Access Childcare Scholarship program is a retroactive, reimbursement-based scholarship available in an effort to offer competitive, need-based scholarship funding to admitted/enrolled graduate students with young dependents.

Importance of Philanthropic Support

Awards like the ones above would not be possible without the philanthropic support of donors who believe in the value of graduate education to change lives and address complex challenges to make the world a better place. John Olawepo, a Ph.D. student at UNLV, shared, "I came to UNLV and since then I have discovered a second home. The diversity on campus is welcoming, and the faculty and staff are genuinely interested in my success as a student. I have benefitted from several scholarships, graduate assistantships, and fellowships that have made my Ph.D. journey less stressful. I would love to pay it forward. I look forward to a day in the near future when I would be able to contribute to the Graduate College fund that supports scholarships for students."

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