Scholarships

Discover a range of scholarships designed to support students pursuing excellence in kinesiology-related disciplines. Whether you're passionate about exercise science, sport management, or physical education, these scholarships provide opportunities to invest in your education and future career.

On this page, you can view information on various forms of funding:

Graduate funding

Looking for more graduate funding opportunities? Visit our webpage below to learn more.

School of Kinesiology scholarships

Scholarships for 2025-2026 are now open. Students have until Friday, February 21, 2025 to apply. Students can apply to all scholarships within a single application, found below.

If you have questions about our scholarships, please contact kinschol@umn.edu.

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Scholarships: Undergraduate

Frances Kidd Endowed Scholarship [5080]

About this fund

To provide scholarships to undergraduate students studying Kinesiology (formerly Physical Education students).

Distributed last cycle: $2,500

Background: Frances Kidd received an M.A. in curriculum and instruction from the University of Minnesota in 1947, two years after she began teaching in the Minneapolis Public Schools. Fran’s innovative leadership and contributions to physical education in Minneapolis, the state of Minnesota, and at the national level, are immeasurable. She was instrumental in the development of the K-6 physical education curriculum guide in 1958, praised as innovative work in curriculum development. Teachers and administrators clearly recognized Fran Kidd's leadership in curriculum development. It was, however, in the area of girls' sports that thousands of female students recognized the impact she had upon their lives. When Fran began working with the Minneapolis Public Schools, the program for girls' athletics consisted of four sports (badminton, golf, swimming and tennis) and limited financial support. Fran worked with Giffy O'Dell, director of boys' athletics, and school district officials to "do what was best for boys and girls." She diligently worked to obtain additional funding for girls' athletics and the program advanced to include transportation, practice time at pools and golf courses, uniforms, and the addition of track and field, volleyball, cross-country, and gymnastics. Many University of Minnesota athletes came out of the interscholastic athletic program that Fran Kidd developed. In her work in physical education with the Minneapolis Public Schools, Fran hired many physical education graduates from the College of Education and Human Development because she was impressed with the quality of their background.

Application criteria: Undergraduate student award. Applicants must be students studying in Kinesiology. This scholarship is awarded based on financial need, undergraduate GPA, and proven potential, especially in a leadership role. Interested and eligible applicants must submit a letter of application describing their financial need and a personal statement addressing demonstrated leadership qualities and/or potential leadership and vision.

Selection process: Selection process administered by the School.

Selection committee: Director of Undergraduate Studies and Undergraduate Program Advisors.

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Bradford and Georgene Kinsman Scholarship [25727]

About this fund

The purpose of the fund is to provide scholarships to undergraduate students in the School of Kinesiology.

Distributed last cycle: New award this cycle with an expected $2,000 award

Application criteria: Undergraduate student award. Applicants must be students studying in Kinesiology.

Selection process: Selection process administered by the School.

Selection committee: Director of Undergraduate Studies and Undergraduate Program Advisors.

Edith Mueller Memorial Fund [4266]

About this fund

The Edith Mueller Memorial Award seeks to reward participation and enthusiasm of undergraduate students pursuing a program in Sport Management, and to encourage students to further their involvement and deepen their commitment to this discipline. The award may be used to cover the costs of tuition, attendance at appropriate conferences, applicable research, and outreach activities. The award also provides funding for special lectures related to programs in sport management.

Distributed last cycle: $6,000

Background: Edith “Edie” Mueller matriculated to the University of Minnesota in fall, 1979 and was a park and recreation major during the early 1980s until her untimely death in May of 1982. Her parents, Mildred and Van Mueller, in collaboration with the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota, established a fitting memorial and tribute to the vitality and purposefulness of their daughter’s life.

Application criteria: Undergraduate student award. To be eligible, students must be majoring in sport management, have a minimum of a 2.70 overall GPA and a 3.40 GPA in major courses (a minimum of 9 semester credits in courses with an SMGT prefix), have at least one practical experience and have had some documented volunteer work in the helping professions.

Selection process: Selection of scholarship recipients or decisions related to the use of the funds for a special lecture shall be made by the Sport Management Program Coordinator.

Selection committee: Program Coordinator for Sport Management; Sport Management Advisor; Mike Mueller, or designee.

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Scholarships: Graduate

Dorothy McNeill Tucker Fellowship Fund [6388]

Funding for graduate students working with the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sports. For the payment, partially or fully, of tuition, or as a stipend. The fellowship may be renewed annually to a recipient as long as they are gainfully working toward a degree and continues to meet the application criteria.

Distributed last cycle: $2,500

Application criteria: Graduate student award. Recipient(s) of the award shall be a full-time graduate student(s) working toward a graduate degree in the College of Education and Human Development and working with faculty in the Tucker Center, be in good academic standing, and have exceptional potential in their field.

Selection process: Selection of student recipients will be carried out by the Director of Graduate Studies in the School of Kinesiology in consultation with the Director of the Tucker Center and the Department Chair.

Selection committee: Director of the Tucker Center; Director of Graduate Studies; and Department Director.

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Roger W. and Ann T. Drinkwalter Fellowship for Nutrition Research [21752]

About this fund

Fellowships in nutrition research to be awarded to graduate students pursuing research on aspects of nutrition as an important context for critical factors related to health and wellbeing, including but not limited to movement and physical activity, healthy aging, overweight and obesity, health inequalities, and vascular health.

Distributed last cycle: $9,000

Background: Roger W. Drinkwalter was born in Zumbro Falls, Minnesota, and raised on a farm. After beginning his undergraduate education at the Rochester Community College, he transferred to the University of Minnesota's College of Agriculture. He interrupted his education to join the USAF (then the Army Air Corp) during WWII, and was trained as a pilot. When his plane was shot down in 1945, he became a POW in Barth, Germany; later that year he was liberated.

Following the war, he returned to the University of Minnesota, graduating in 1946 with a B.S. in Dairy Production, and marrying Ann Thompson, his college sweetheart, the following year. Ann, who was born in 1923 in Cottage Grove, Minnesota, left her hometown to attend the University of Minnesota, where she majored in Dietetics, earning a B.S. from the College of Human Ecology (now the College of Education and Human Development, or CEHD) in 1945. After they married in 1947, the couple relocated to San Francisco, where Roger worked in the dairy industry in sales, subsequently moving to Fort Bragg, San Luis Obispo, and, finally, to San Diego, where they settled.

They raised two daughters, Julie and Jane, and Ann pursued her career as a hospital dietitian as well as multiple hobbies, including gardening, exercising, community building, and socializing with family and friends. Roger remained active with his fraternity, military, and other groups (including Rotary, MOAAA, Alpha Gamma Rho, Toastmasters, and the Scottish Rite Masonic Lodge), and after retiring from the dairy industry, Roger commenced a second successful career in the commercial and home mortgage industry. Following his (second) retirement, the couple traveled extensively, visiting many continents and exercising their curiosity about the world and taste for adventure. Roger's death in 2014 marked the end of a full, happy, active, and accomplished life, and a 66-year-long marriage with Ann that had brought them great joy.

Ann Drinkwalter has established this endowment as a continuing legacy to Roger's and her mutual, lifelong interest and professional dedication to food and nutrition related fields. This fellowship will support graduate students in CEHD who are pursuing research in nutrition as an important context for critical factors related to health and wellbeing.

Application criteria: To be eligible for consideration, the student shall be students who are:

Full-time
Graduate students
Enrolled in the College of Education and Human Development
Focus on nutrition research and are planning to pursue careers that focuses on nutrition in a variety of contexts, including movement and physical activity, healthy aging, overweight and obesity, health inequalities, and vascular health, and
Are able to demonstrate financial need and academic merit.

Selection process: Director of Graduate Studies and Graduate Education Committee (GEC)

Selection committee: Director of Graduate Studies and Graduate Education Committee (GEC)

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Edith Mueller Endowed Fund for Graduate Education in the Tucker Center [5216]

About this fund

The income from the fund will be used to support graduate education, including but not limited to graduate assistantships, research support, travel to conferences, and equipment.

Distributed last cycle: $5,000

Application criteria: Graduate student award.

Selection process: Fund expenditures will be decided by the Tucker Center Director in consultation with the Department Director.

Selection committee: Tucker Center Director in consultation with the Department Director.

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Tucker Center Graduate Fellowship for Gender Equity in Sport [8644]

About this fund

The Tucker Center Graduate Fellowship for Gender Equity in Sport provides funding for graduate fellowships in the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport.

Distributed last cycle: $5,600

Application criteria: Full-time graduate student enrolled in the School of Kinesiology affiliated with the Tucker Center and working toward a graduate degree; in good academic standing; with exceptional potential to further the mission and priorities of the Tucker Center; engaged in research related to their dissertation.

Selection process: Selection of recipients will be made in accordance with current selection procedures and will be conducted by the college and the Director of the Tucker Center who is responsible for the area of study based on the criteria selection.

Selection committee: Director of the Tucker Center, co-director of the Tucker Center, Tucker Center Administrative Assistant

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Eloise M. Jaeger Scholarship at the Tucker Center [4449]

About this fund

To provide scholarships in the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport. The Eloise M. Jaeger Scholarship was established to ensure that the best students in the nation are able to participate in significant education and research initiatives designed to improve the lives of girls and women, their families and their communities. This scholarship will provide an opportunity for young people to meet their educational and career goals, especially those students who might not otherwise have the financial means to further their aspirations.

Distributed last cycle: $5,000

Background: Eloise M. Jaeger has set up this scholarship to support students through the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport. It is a fitting tribute to the work that Dr. Jaeger did while she was working at the College of Education and Human Development, and the departments of Physical Education and Kinesiology. She has been a strong advocate for girls' and women's participation in sports, and was instrumental in the growth and recognition of physical education and women's sports for female students at the University and for the expansion of this program. When it comes to women's involvement in sport and physical activity, Professor Emeritus Eloise Jaeger was a pioneer. One powerful example of her pioneering spirit was her commitment to education, research, and community service. To honor that commitment, the Tucker Center established a scholarship in her name. The "Eloise M. Jaeger Scholarship" is one of the most far-reaching aspects of her legacy at the University. Eloise Jaeger began her involvement at the University of Minnesota as an undergraduate taking classes in physical education in preparation for a career in teaching. She received her M.Ed. In 1944 from the University of Minnesota and her Ph.D. in 1952 from the University of Iowa. Professor Jaeger taught women's physical education at Minnesota for many years and, in 1962, became the director of the Department of Physical Education for Women. In 1971 Jaeger was named the director of the School of Physical Education and became the first woman at an American college or university to have jurisdiction over both men's and women's physical education programs. She was a steadfast force behind the establishment of women's intercollegiate athletics and the increase in girls' and women's participation in all aspects of sport and physical activity. Dr. Jaeger passed away in 2007 but her legacy lives on through her commitment to girls and women in sport.

Application criteria: Undergraduate and graduate student award. Applicants must have an overall GPA of 3.00 or higher and a major GPA of 3.40 or higher (minimum of 9 semester credits in courses offered through the School of Kinesiology). Eligible students must be working on education in areas related to girls and women in sport and physical activity, and provide written documentation of how and why this scholarship will advance their education. Students must submit an application form and a curriculum vitae or resume. Undergraduate: The award is designated for the applicant who is either currently working on or proposing to work on an educational or research project, or community outreach and public service in an area related to girls and women in sport and physical activity. The proposal paper should be a detailed description of the proposed project including the significance of proposed project outcomes, how the project contributes to the applicant's academic and professional goals, and a timeline for accomplishing the project (6-9 months). In addition, the award recipient must submit a 3-5 page summary report of accomplishment. Graduate: The award is designated for the applicant who is either currently working on or proposing to work on an educational or research project in an area related to girls and women in sport and physical activity. Examples include a dissertation, thesis, or M.Ed. Project. Applicants must submit an abstract (maximum length 500 words) related to the project under consideration.

Selection process: Selection of the individual(s) will be done through the Tucker Center Director.

Selection committee: Tucker Center Director, Tucker Center co-director, Tucker Center Administrative Assistant

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Scholarships: All students

Linda M. Wells Future Coach Scholarship [24455]

About this fund

Provides financial support to students at the University of Minnesota studying towards the completion of any degree or certificate program focused on the study of physical activity and human movement or exercise science, and sport management, and who demonstrate an interest in becoming a future coach within the high school sport, collegiate sport or professional sport industry.

Distributed last cycle: No award last cycle

Application criteria: Students are eligible to be considered for this award if they are:

attending the University of Minnesota Twin Cities;
in the College of Education and Human Development;
studying towards the completion of any degree or certificate program focused on the study of physical activity and human movement or exercise science, and sport management, and who demonstrate an interest in becoming a future coach within the high school sport, collegiate sport or professional sport industry.
When possible, preference will be given to students who will enhance the diversity of the student body as described by the University. In evaluating student body diversity, after the eligible pool of candidates are selected, an additional consideration (plus factor) will be given for female students if they are underrepresented at the University or in the applicable major or program at the time of the award.

This award may be renewable to the recipient, provided the recipient demonstrates satisfactory progress toward a degree and continues to meet the criteria of the award.

Selection process: Pending

Selection committee: Pending

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J Anna Norris Scholarship Fund [0496]

About this fund

A loan, gift or scholarship for promising students with financial need engaged in professional preparation in the School of Kinesiology.

Distributed last cycle: ~$4,000

Background: Award named for J. Anna Norris, a female pioneer in teaching women's physical education at the University of Minnesota.

Application criteria: Applicants must be students accepted into, or enrolled in, a School of Kinesiology program which would likely lead to a career in college teaching or adult education in physical education and/or sport. Candidates will be evaluated based on academic aptitude, vocational promise, character, leadership, and financial need. The applicant should submit a personal statement/letter identifying the nature of financial need, with an attached copy of a current unofficial academic transcript.

Selection process: Eligibility for scholarships as herein provided shall be open to students in any class year, but preference shall be given to freshman entering the University of Minnesota directly from an accredited high school in the state of Minnesota.

Selection committee: Selection of recipients to be made by a special scholarship committee which will include at least the Director of the School of Kinesiology who shall serve as chair; two members of the teaching staff, to be appointed by the chair; and the Director of Bureau of Student Loans and Scholarships, who shall serve as executive secretary.

Additional funding opportunities

University-wide scholarships

Graduate school fellowships

School of Kinesiology graduate student funding

College of Education and Human Development scholarships and awards

Read about our recent award winners

Meet Courtney Boucher, the three-time recipient of the Pam Borton Endowment for the Promotion of Girls and Women in Sport Leadership.