Overview

The Udall Foundation honors the legacies of Morris Udall and Stewart Udall and awards scholarships to college sophomores and juniors for leadership, public service, and commitment to issues related to Native American nations or to the environment.  

Native Americans and Alaska Natives studying tribal policy or native health care and undergraduates interested in conservation and environmental issues are encouraged to apply.  Udall Scholars are given the tools necessary to become the next generation of leaders across a wide spectrum of environmental fields or Native American issues. 

 Scholars receive up to $7,000 for academic expenses, are invited to attend a five-day orientation in Tucson, AZ, and become part of the Udall Alumni Network.

Eligibility

• U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident
• Full-time sophomore or junior (at least 3 semesters completed and 1 full year remaining of undergrad study)
• Have demonstrated a commitment to a career related to one of three fields:
  • The environment – open to all students
  • Tribal public policy – open to Native American and Alaskan Native students
  • Native health care – open to Native American and Alaskan Native students

Application Procedure

Step 1: Access the Udall application system

Email the office (urfm@psu.edu) with your intent to apply and the following details:

• Legal name in full
• Permanent residence
• Notification address (only needed if different from permanent residence)
• Telephone
• Udall Field of Study (Environment, Health Care, or Tribal Public Policy)
• Nationality (U.S. Citizen, U.S. National, or Permanent Resident)
• Grade level: Sophomore or Junior

Step 2: University Nomination: Submit a copy of the completed application to URFM (urfm@psu.edu)  to be considered for campus nomination by the office application deadline. 

Applicants must submit the following:

• A pdf copy of the application downloaded from the Udall portal
• An unofficial transcript from Lionpath
• 3 recommendations that should be submitted to urfm@psu.edu from the recommenders
• Resources for the application along with a sample can be found on the Udall website.
• The University can nominate up to four applicants for the environment option and an additional four for the two Native options.
• Those selected for nomination will have a chance to revise their materials, if necessary, prior to final submission.

Step 3: Finalized materials are submitted to the Udall Foundation via the online portal.

Nominees will finalize materials in the online portal, and then URFM will complete the submission process and include a university endorsement. 

Deadlines

Penn State Nomination Deadline: February 6, 2026 

National Application Deadline - TO BE ANNOUNCED