Applying for the 2026-2027  WAAIME Scholarship

Overview
WAAIME scholarships provide financial assistance to students pursuing degrees in earth sciences and engineering disciplines, including but not limited to:

• Mining
• Geology
• Metallurgy
• Petroleum
• Mineral Sciences
• Materials Science
• Mineral Economics
• Chemical Engineering
• Other related fields

Eligible students must be enrolled in accredited colleges or universities located in the United States.

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 are considered based on financial need. PhD candidates are not eligible.

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:

• 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 email address
2. College or university name
3. Academic year for which the scholarship applies (e.g., sophomore, junior, senior, or master's candidate)
4. Expected graduation date
5. Current GPA
6. Degree sought (Bachelor's, Master's, etc.)
7. Declared major (e.g., mining engineering, geology, etc.)
8. Resume (uploaded)
9. Unofficial transcript (uploaded)
10. FERPA authorization form (provided in the application portal)
11. AIME member society name and membership number
12. 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

Important: Students must notify their references in advance. 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.

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

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
A brief essay outlining the applicant’s passion, career vision, and any additional information relevant to the scholarship review process.

Submission Guidelines

• Prepare all required documents and information before starting the online application.
• The application must be completed in one session—there is no option to save and return later.
• All applications must be received by January 25. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.
• One academic reference is required. Failure to receive this reference by February 10 will void the application.
• It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that their scholarship application is complete and that their designated reference submits the required supporting materials by the stated deadlines.

Scholarship Review Process
The WAAIME Scholarship Committee is responsible for reviewing all submitted applications to ensure completeness and quality of content.

• The Scholarship Committee Chair assigns members to review applications from specific geographic areas or universities.
• Assigned Committee members will contact applicants from their designated area or institution to schedule an online or in-person interview. These interviews help clarify application details and provide a better understanding of each applicant’s needs.
• Applicants should contact their reviewer if there are any pertinent changes of information previously submitted Therefore, applicants are encouraged to ask all relevant questions and address any concerns during their scheduled interview.
• While GPA and unofficial transcripts are required and may inform the Committee’s evaluation, academic performance is not the sole determining factor in awarding scholarships.
• After completing interviews and reviewing applications, based on financial need, academic achievement, personal presentation, and other relevant factors:
• Reviewers will base their recommendation on the formula
• Expenses minus income equals need
• You will receive the number of applicants and the budget for scholarships. Please be cognitive of this when suggesting amounts to be awarded.
• The Scholarship Chair and Vice-Chair(s) will review all recommendations and prepare a draft allocation of the available scholarship budget. The Chair and Vice Chair are encouraged to consult with the original reviewers for clarification or additional input as needed.
• The draft allocation is presented at the WAAIME Scholarship Committee Meeting, typically in late February at SME Annual Meeting (see timeline below). This is a closed session attended only by Scholarship Committee members and WAAIME Executive Committee members.
• Following the Scholarship Committee Meeting, the Scholarship Chair will present the final recommended scholarship distribution to the WAAIME Executive Committee during the WAAIME Business Meeting.
• The Executive Committee will either approve the total allocation, if within the budget, or request revisions. If revisions are needed, the Scholarship Committee must reconvene and make necessary adjustments, that day, and present to The Executive Committee.
• Scholarship chair will obtain a list of scholarships awarded by SME and inform reviewers who have students affected. The reviewer may adjust their amount of suggested award. This SME award will affect only the fall term. Example, if the student was awarded $2,000, you would apply $1,000 of income to next year’s income.

Notification of Scholarship Awards

• All applicants will be contacted by their reviewer, typically in mid-March, notifying them of the outcome. Awardees will be informed of the scholarship amount and advised that checks are typically mailed to their department head in August.
• The Scholarship Chair will prepare a list of scholarship recipients and award amounts for distribution to each university department head.
• Scholarship checks are distributed through the department head or their designee, typically by the last week of August.
• WAAIME requests recipients to submit photos of themselves receiving their scholarship checks, along with names of individuals pictured and a signed photo release authorization.
  • Group photos of all scholarship recipients from the same University are preferred.

Maximum Number of Scholarships
Eligible students may receive up to three WAAIME scholarships during their academic career. Only one scholarship may be awarded per year, and the years do not need to be consecutive. Students must reapply each year to be considered for future awards.

To continue onto the Scholarship Application, please click the button below acknowledging that you have read and understand the Scholarship Application Guidelines.