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 Report (SAR), 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 SAR with EFC (from FAFSA)
   • International students, please send your CSS profile

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. Minimum scholarship award is $3,000. GPA of at least 3.2 required. Deadline for receipt of all application materials is:

Cornell undergraduates: 11:59pm on February 14, 2020

UNH undergraduates: 11:59pm on March 1, 2020

Other undergraduates: 11:59pm on March 1, 2020

To apply for a merit-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) in which you want to enroll
2. All college transcripts (include as PDFs or have sent from your Registrar's office – official copies required)
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 SAR with EFC (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.

SML offers automatic awards to students (undergraduate and high school) who enroll in multple SML courses in the same summer. All students pay standard Tuition and Fees for their first course, then for additional courses:

Students who enroll in Field Ornithology, Integrated Ecosystem Research Management, Marine Parasitology and Disease, or Sustainable Fisheries will automatically be considered for an award of up to $1,000. A limited number of awards will be given on a rolling basis in 2020.

Field Ornithology Scholarship

Thanks to generous funding from a Cornell donor, we also have need-based funds available for students taking Field Ornithology, in addition to the automatic award. Please reference the need-based scholarships section of this page for information on how to apply.

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! Click here for scholarship details and application instructions.

Deadline to apply: March 1, 2020

Bringing back a Shoals alumni favorite! Students who refer a friend or classmate to enroll at SML in 2020 will receive a $500 award towards their own 2020 course fees. If you have previously taken a course at SML and want to take another, this award is designed specifically for you. Help us spread the word about SML! Students are our best ambassadors! 

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, ecc79@cornell.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

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.

LEARN MORE