History

History Undergraduate Scholarships

Contact To Apply

Dr. Timothy Roberts, Department Chair
Phone: (309) 298-1053
Email: TM-Roberts@wiu.edu

Additional Information
  • Award amount will be determined by the annual interest earnings on the endowment unless otherwise noted for each scholarship.
  • Recipient(s) may be chosen by the Department of History Scholarship Selection Committee or other as specified for each scholarship.

Visit the History Graduate Program page for scholarship opportunities.


Larry Balsamo Scholarship

$1,500 per year for five (5) years. Criteria: Incoming freshman; enrolled full-time; minimum composite of 25; plan to major in history teacher certification; demonstrated leadership or civic duty through activities or community service. Renewable up to four (4) years - must maintain minimum 3.0 GPA, remain in history teacher education, and show progress toward graduation.


Richard D. and Janet L. Boynton History Honors Thesis Award

Terms: A one-semester $500 award for an Honors History major to be awarded during the semester in which he/she completes the honors thesis; During the semester in which any Honors History major is enrolled in HIST490 (Honors Thesis in History), the student may apply to the History Department Chair for up to $250 in History Honors Thesis Research grant funds to defray expenses related to the student's Honors thesis research.

Criteria: Junior or Senior History Major; member of Centennial Honors College completing upper-division Honors in History or completing University Honors in History; enrolled in History 490H (Honors Thesis) during semester award is given; minimum 3.6 cumulative GPA at time of application. Not renewable.

Selection Process: The $500 History Honors Thesis Award will be awarded near the end of each semester to the student whose thesis is selected as the most outstanding that semester. The selection committee is to be composed of at least three members of the History faculty who have supervised Honors theses. Students will submit to the History Department Chair a brief (one-page) proposal, explaining the nature of their research, its significance, and an explanation of the research expenses involved in the Honors thesis research. The number of History Honors Thesis Research Grants that will be approved by the History Department Chair each semester will depend on the availability of funds.

Deadline: Working draft of complete honors thesis due to selection committee by December 5 (for Fall graduation) or May 5 (for Spring graduation)


William and Doris Burton Writing Award in History

Established by Dr. William and Doris Burton. Dr. Burton came to WIU as a History Faculty member in 1957 and was Chair of the Department from 1970-1976. He was the WIU Faculty Lecturer in 1974. He and Mrs. Burton established this writing award to encourage outstanding research in any field of history by a history student, undergraduate or graduate. Criteria: Any class level is eligible. There are no GPA requirements. The student can be any major. The student need be enrolled in a history course. No citizenship requirements. Terms: Awarded semi-annually based on the availability of funds with a recommendation of at least a $500.00 award in the Fall semester and a $500.00 award in the Spring semester. The Fall semester will be reserved for graduate students and the Spring semester prize is for undergraduates. Students are not eligible to receive this award in consecutive semesters. Winners are responsible for any and all taxes associated with the prize.


Judy Ellen Denton Thompson Writing Award

The prize was established by Professor Bill Thompson of the WIU Libraries and is named in honor of his mother. Papers from the Fall or Spring semester qualify. In awarding the prize, the History Department's scholarship committee considers papers written by undergraduate students and nominated by History faculty for the quality of research, excellence in writing, and sophistication of argument. Please consider submitting your students' best work for this honor. The prize carries a $250 award.


Susan F. and Clifford H. Haka History Student Opportunity Award

Award is $2,000. Not renewable. Criteria: History major enrolled full time undergraduate student during the semester the award is given; completed at least 30 semester hours, at least 15 of which must have been completed at WIU by the semester the Haka award is given; been endorsed by a member of the History faculty as having strong academic potential; minimum 3.0 GPA for courses completed at WIU; qualify as having financial need to support direct educational necessities, such as the purchase of textbooks or payment of tuition and other fees, as determined by the WIU Scholarship Director.


Victor and Mary Hicken History Scholarship

Approximately $2,500 per year for up to two (2) years. Criteria: Declared History major; completed a minimum 60 semester hours (junior standing) at time of initial award; three letters of recommendation submitted to the Department of History Chair; writing sample (no more than 10 pages in length) originally submitted for credit in a History course; minimum 3.5 GPA and maintain a 3.5 GPA during the award period. Applicants cannot be recipients of the Leonard, Sadler or Balsamo Scholarships in the Department of History. Renewable up to one (1) year - must remain a history major and maintain at least a 3.5 GPA


Gordon W. Kirk Honors History Scholarship

Four annual scholarships at $1,500 each ($750 fall/$750 spring), making the entire scholarship for each student $6000. Criteria: History major; first preference to an entering freshman who qualifiers for the Centennial Honors Program; second preference to a transfer student who qualifies for the Centennial Honors Program; third preference to a current student with an overall GPA of at least 3.4. Renewal is automatic as long as the criteria are met. Deadline for applications: first Monday of April for fall awards, first Monday of November for spring awards.


History Teacher Education Scholarship

All students who meet this criteria will receive the award. Should the award become competitive, additional criteria will be added in order to select recipient. Criteria: History education major; entering or in the semester of their student teaching. Not renewal.


Linda E. Janus Scholarship in History

This is a progressive scholarship award beginning with $2,000 in the first year; $3,000 in the second year; $4,000 in the third year and $5,000 in the fourth year if the student meets the requirements each year. Funding will be disbursed half in the fall and half in the spring. Criteria: History major enrolled full-time; minimum GPA of 3.0; demonstrated financial need. Deadline: April 1 for the following fall semester. Renewable - must maintain minimum 3.0 GPA, remain a history major and financial need.


Emily V. Leonard History Memorial Scholarship

$1,333 per year for four (4) years. Criteria: Incoming freshman, enrolled full-time; minimum ACT composite of 23; declared History Major; demonstrated potential in the field of History. Renewable up to three (3) years - must remain a history major, maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA, and have taken at least two history courses during the previous academic year.


Charles G. Sadler History Memorial Scholarship

$1,250 per year for four (4) years. Criteria: Incoming freshman, enrolled full-time; minimum ACT composite score of 27 or an ACT composite of 22 and a high school class rank in the top 10 percent; declared History Major; demonstrated outstanding student based on activities and community service. Renewable up to three (3) years - must remain a history major, maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA, and have taken at least two history courses during the previous academic year.