For scholars
This page gathers the resources and logistics most useful during your time as a Mary Gates Scholar — the forms you may need mid-award, how the scholarship interacts with financial aid, and places across the UW that support research, leadership, and career growth.
Forms you may need
Talk with the Endowment before you submit anything.
If something about your award needs to change during your award period, please consult the Mary Gates Endowment staff at mgates@uw.edu before submitting a form. Once you and the staff have agreed on next steps, two forms cover the most common changes: the Scholar Change of Award Quarter form and the Scholar Award Requirement Petition.
How your award works with financial aid
A Mary Gates award can change your aid package; a counselor can tell you how.
If you are receiving financial aid when you are named a Mary Gates Scholar, it is possible you will not receive the full amount of the scholarship. Awards are subject to review and approval by the Office of Student Financial Aid, and students receiving need-based aid cannot receive funds from any source beyond their calculated need. In most cases a Mary Gates award fills unmet need or reduces other aid — usually any unearned work study or undisbursed loans first. Undergraduate Academic Affairs and the Office of Student Financial Aid work with you to give you the maximum benefit allowable under state and federal policy, and the surest way to understand the effect on your own package is to talk with a counselor at the Office of Student Financial Aid.
Resources for research scholars
Departments, programs, libraries, and funding across the UW for undergraduate researchers.
The Office of Undergraduate Research is the place to start — it helps you plan a research experience, identify faculty mentors and projects, define your goals, and present or publish your findings. The Summer Institute in the Arts & Humanities offers full-time academic credit through immersion in scholarly work with faculty and peers, funded by a Mary Gates Scholarship. The Odegaard Undergraduate Library provides research help, study rooms, free DVD and video loans, and workshops on web publishing, documentation and data management, avoiding plagiarism, and sharpening your research skills. A handout on undergraduate research in the social sciences, arts, and humanities answers common questions about what that work looks like and how to get involved.
For funding, the Office of Undergraduate Research maintains information on research funding through UW programs and beyond. Current and former Mary Gates Research Scholars presenting at a national or international conference can apply for an Undergraduate Research Conference Travel Award, which can also support leadership scholars presenting their projects. And the Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships & Awards helps undergraduates match their goals with national opportunities such as the Fulbright, Goldwater, Marshall, Rhodes, and Truman.
Resources for leadership scholars
Networking, support, and funding for leadership projects.
Two companion pages gather resources specific to leadership work — one on networking and support, and one on funding and tools for leadership projects and activities. Both sit within this same section and can be linked here once they are in place.
Career development
Help with the next step — careers and graduate school.
UW Career Services helps you build a resume or CV, find jobs and internships, negotiate an offer, learn dining and business etiquette, think through which major fits you, and practice your interview skills. If graduate school is in view, Graduate Student Equity & Excellence shares information on funding and on- and off-campus resources, with a commitment to the success of all graduate students.
Questions are always welcome at mgates@uw.edu.