The approved 2026 requirements
The 2026 award page publishes the complete eligibility conditions, essay prompt and review rubric. Applications are preparing until the secure submission service is verified.
What the earlier website published
- Enrollment in an accredited college or university in the United States.
- Undergraduate and graduate students from any field of study.
- A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
- A commitment to academic excellence and community service.
These conditions were displayed with the 2025 deadline. The 2026 round uses its own published requirements, including no minimum GPA. The earlier program guide and homepage differed in the level of detail they provided; obtain the complete applicable terms before deciding you qualify.
Questions worth asking
- Does my enrollment status satisfy the rule for this round?
- How does the current-enrollment condition apply if my study status is changing?
- What verification is needed, and at which stage?
- Are there location, institution or study-level conditions beyond the summary?
Keep eligibility and selection separate
Meeting an eligibility condition does not itself determine which application is selected. The essay theme concerns your reasons for choosing a field and your intended contribution. Do not infer a financial-need requirement or preference for a particular major from the word “grant.”
Protect personal information
Share academic verification only through an approved private process. You can ask how a condition works without posting a student number, transcript or full address publicly.