Applying for the WAAIME Scholarship

Eligibility Criteria
To qualify for a WAAIME scholarship, applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Declared Major: Must have officially declared a major in an eligible earth science or engineering discipline.
• Academic Standing: Scholarships are available to students in their sophomore, junior, or senior year, as well as to master’s degree candidates. Applications may be submitted as early as the second semester of the freshman year.
• Enrollment Status: Students must be enrolled full-time for the upcoming academic year, defined as a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester or as determined by their university’s full-time enrollment policy.
• Degree Level: Priority is given to undergraduate students. Master’s students will be considered based on funding availability. PhD candidates are not eligible.
• Location: Eligible students must be enrolled in accredited colleges or universities located in the United States.

Membership Requirement
Applicants attending a college or university in the United States must be a student or professional member in good standing of one of the four AIME member societies.  You must document your membership number on your application.

• Association for Iron and Steel Technology (AIST)
• Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration (SME)
• Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE)
• The Minerals, Metals, and Materials Society (TMS)

Note: WAAIME is a special-status division of SME. Membership in WAAIME does not fulfill the eligibility requirement.

Application Process / Application Period

• Opens: January 1
• Closes: January 25

All applications must be submitted online via the WAAIME website.

Required Information
Applicants must provide the following:

1. Full name and academic email address
2. A secondary personal email address for contact after graduation
3. College or university name
4. Academic year for which the scholarship applies (e.g., sophomore, junior, senior, or master's candidate) for the upcoming fall 2027 semester
5. Expected graduation date
6. Current GPA
7. Degree sought (Bachelor's, Master's, etc.)
8. Declared major (e.g., mining engineering, geology, etc.)
9. Resume (uploaded)
10. Unofficial transcript (uploaded)
11. FERPA authorization form (provided in the application portal)
12. AIME member society name and membership number
13. Reference Information: 
    • One required reference from the student’s academic advisor or department head in their field of study
    • Second reference, work or internship related to your field of study
    • Reference details: name, email, phone number
14. Department Chair needs name, email address and accurate physical address. If awarded a scholarship, the check will be mailed to the department chair using the address you provide.  Be sure you have the correct street address and zip code.

Reference Requirements
References will be asked to provide:

• Student’s name, major, academic year, and relationship to the reference
• Reference’s name, title, institution, email, and phone number
• Include in your recommendation:
  • Academic performance
  • Classroom participation
  • Work ethic
  • Extracurricular involvement
  • Community service
• A brief statement on the student’s qualifications and why they are deserving of a WAAIME scholarship
• The first reference is mandatory while the second reference is optional

Financial Information
Applicants must submit projected financial details for the current year and the upcoming academic year:

• Income: Scholarships, grants, loans, family support, summer earnings, etc.
• Expenses: Tuition, fees, housing, medical expenses, medical insurance or related expenses

Personal Statement
Applicants must submit a 2-3 paragraph essay outlining the career pursuit in the extractive fields, their career vision, any obstacles they have experienced and why they are applying for the WAAIME scholarship. Artificial Intelligence (AI) generated responses will not be considered. 

Submission Guidelines

• It is recommended to have all required documents and information readily available- i.e. references name and email, professional organization membership number, transcripts, resume, FAFSA form and a personal essay written prior to starting the application.  Once started, it is best to complete the application in one sitting, however, there is an option to save a partially completed application for up to 48 hours and then submit.
• One academic reference is required.  Failure to receive this reference by February 10 will void the application.  The second reference related to work or internship is preferred but not required. If a reference has not received the request by February 1 The student will be notified by their reviewer that their reference has not responded. The student will ask their referee to check their spam or trash files. They may inform their reviewer if a new referee with name an email address. Reviewers may correct or submit a new reference on the students' application if needed.
• Applications must be submitted by January 25.  Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.
• It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that their scholarship application is complete and accurate, Once an application is submitted, corrections are not permitted. It is imperative to review and check the application for accuracy prior to submitting.