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 are considered based on financial need. 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:

• 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.