Scholarship Information
Colleges offering Chess Scholarships
Florida:
Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College of Florida Atlantic University ($500.00 yearly Scholarship)
Hawaii:
Hawaii Pacific University & Chaminade University – Our State Scholastic Championships in 2002 offered as a special prize $1000 scholarships from Hawaii Pacific University & Chaminade University for each of the top two 12th grade finishers! I am not sure what the final offering will be this year. We are hoping to have a larger one from the University of Hawaii. Our State Scholastic Director, Guy P. Ontai gpontai@hawaii.rr.com is still putting together the details for that event to be held in April 2003, in Honolulu. Randy Prothero, President, Hawaii Chess Federation.
Illinois:
Shimer College awards a maximum of $2,000 per person per year. Contact Dr. David Shiner, chess coach, at david@shimer.edu or 847-249-7891.
Kentucky:
Morehead State University, in Morehead, In 2003 we have a winner of the Leadership Award of $4,000 ($1,000 per year, renewable for four years), in coordination with Quad D of the Kentucky Chess Association. This award will give a substantial scholarship to the top-finishing senior in our Quad D Regional Tournament (which is the qualifying tournament for the Kentucky State Team Championships). Carol Becker, Director of Financial Aid, and Rhonda Swim, Technical Director at Morehead State University are directly responsible for facilitating this scholarship. The senior who receives the scholarship does not have to play chess while in college. In fact, MSU may not have a chess team organized for competition.
Louisiana:
McNeese State University, in Lake Charles, The winner of the K-12 section of the 2003 Louisiana Scholastic Chess Championship will win a scholarship to McNeese State University valued at $11,200 provided the following requirements are met: (1) The winner is currently in the 11th or 12th grade, (2) The winner has an ACT score of 25 or more, (3) The winner graduates from High School with a GPA of 3.0. or greater, and (4) The winner meets all of McNeese State University’s normal requirements for admittance.
Maryland:
The University of Maryland at Baltimore, offers three types of four-year chess scholarships
Mississippi:
Ole Miss in Oxford Two $500 scholarships for the top girl and top boy winners of the Dexter Visits the 2nd Tiger Scholastic Chess Tournament.
Mississippi State University in Starkville- Two $500.00 scholarships for the top boy and girl chess players at the MS State Chess Championships for 2002 and 2003.
Jackson State University in Jackson Two $500.00 scholarships for the top boy and girl chess players at the MS State Chess Championships for 2002 and 2003.yes they get to choose their college!
New Mexico:
The University of New Mexico, in Albuquerque, A $1500 yearly scholarship award for the K-12 Scholastic Championship. For more information contact Mr. Kevin Elliott atzzelliott@aol.com.
North Carolina:
An annual College scholarship dispersment of at least $300 in perpetuity! A local charitable foundation, the Henderson County Community Foundation offered a scholarship program where if you invested a minimum of $5000, they would guarantee an annual scholarship dispersment of at least $300 in perpetuity. We have given out six, $300 scholarships so far and this year a donor came forward with an additional $200 to bump it up to $500. As a part of our scholastic program though it has been a cornerstone of our promotional efforts. Last November (2002) we had 215 students play in a USCF rated chess tournament here in Hendersonville and last March, we hosted the NC State scholastic championship with over 400 participants from all over NC. For more information contact Chuck Palmer, HCSCA, http://www.brinet.com/~palmer/hcsca, palmer@brinet.com
Ohio:
Cleveland State University offers scholarships to scholars chess players: Scholarship to the Winner of the Vukcevich Super Cup:(1) The winner of the 2004/05 Vukcevich Super Cup will receive a renewable Honors Program scholarship to CSU. CSU intends to continue this special award each year. Winner must be a sophomore, junior or senior to qualify.(2) Additional merit awards will be made to academically qualified students who excel in chess. CSU seeks outstanding chess-player scholars for undergraduate merit scholarships in conjunction with admission to the University Honors Program. High school seniors with a 1220 or higher composite SAT score, or a 27 or higher composite ACT score, or in the top 10% of their high school class are encouraged to apply.
For more information go to: http://www.vivacityinc.com/chess/CSU-Scholarship.htm or http://www.csuohio.edu/honors/students_index.htm
Rhode Island:
Rhode Island College, in Providence. Rhode Island College was the first school in the country to award scholarships to talented chess players. Attracting bright problem solving chess players to their campus inspired other Universities into developing chess scholarship programs by perennial collegiate chess powerhouses like UMBC and UTD. Now, in 2002, they have a pool of approx. $7000 with which to help subsidize their players’ college education.
Tennessee:
Tennessee Technological University – 4 year scholarship, $3,000 per year ($12,000 total) will be awarded to the 2003 Tennessee high school champion. For more information, contact Dr. Paul Semmes, psemmes@tntech.edu or (931) 372-3139
Texas:
University of Texas–Dallas Academic Excellence Scholarship — waiver of all tuition and mandatory fees plus $1000 per year toward housing for each of 4 years. Scholarship will be upgraded if student has an excellent academic record. Approximate value $18,000+. http://www.utdallas.edu/orgs/chess
Texas A&M University–Kingsville, Housing Scholarship — this is a four-year scholarship and is valued at $7,500.
University of Texas–Brownsville President’s Chess Scholarship — UTB will offer two four-year scholarships to top students in South Texas. These scholarships will include tuition, books, and fees with a value of over $10,000 each.
Southwest Texas State University, San Marcos Optimist International Scholarship – $1,000 scholarship.
Del Mar College President’s Chess Scholarship — a two-year scholarship to include tuition, books, and fees with a value of over $4,000 for a student within the local five-county area.
Incarnate Word Academy, Corpus Christi President’s Award – one semester scholarship for a boy or girl entering 6th through 8th grade for the 2002-2003 school year. Value $2,500.
St. Mary’s University, San Antonio Has recognized a revived, national enthusiasm for chess with the establishment of two, $5,000-per-year scholarships for students who play the game competitively. One scholarship will be awarded to the winner of a regional chess tournament still to be determined. The other scholarship recipient will be a member of the Original Wimberley Scholastic Chess Club, a program sponsored by the Wimberley nonprofit Skipperweb, started by Robert Skipper, a St. Mary’s University philosophy professor and scholarship founder. The first two scholarships will be awarded next spring to a current high school junior or senior.
Texas Tech University (Dr. Hal Karlsson)
University of Texas in Brownsville (Russell Harwood)
http://www.uschess.org/scholastic/scholarship.php 
I just wanted to say Susan that America is lucky to have such a dynamic person as you and such a talented GM and vibrant energetic and goodwill ambassador for chess in The U.S. I want to say thank you for doing such a wonderful job! Now what can we Americans do about creating a World Champion of Chess!? Its been such along time. I know you are a World Champion but I mean no one born here has achieved such Status since Bobby Fischer. A country that is near or at the top in the regular Olympics should do much better in chess. Are we just too lazy? I know our Chess organization needs steroids to wake up in the 21st century! Susan I have a great idea, how about you running for USCF President, and turn Americas program around!!?
TFK
And where are very very poor states like NY, NJ, CT?
Don’t Forget Florida!!
The front page of today’s Wall Street Jurnal has an article about a community college in Florida(Miami Dade i think?) that finished 3rd in the nation.
Apparently they have a few Cuban refugees on the team and are giving the powerhouse in Maryland and Harvard a tough time.
Since there is so little work in Cuba they have a lot of time to play chess. The only positive thing to come out of a communist run country is Chess. As in the Soviet Union, Chess was/is mandatory in Cuba and apparently creates many afficiados in that country.
Their scholorships are only $500 though 🙁