Paying for your education 

  • Students can use the OU Scholarship Genius to get a 2-minute estimate of how much financial aid they qualify for.
  • FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, has undergone several changes in the last year. It is important for all students to complete a FAFSA, regardless of family income level, because many scholarships will require a student to have a FAFSA on file in order to be considered for that scholarship. More information about the FAFSA can be found here.

There are 4 main types of awards meteorology majors at OU tend to use to fund their college educations:

1. OU-specific Scholarships:

  • CASH: It is important for every undergraduate student to complete their CASH application. CASH – the Centralized Academic Scholarship Hub – is where current OU students can apply for all merit and financial need-based OU scholarships. The link to CASH can be found on the Scholarship Homepage. College-wide scholarships, departmental scholarships, financial aid scholarships, Sooner Heritage Scholarships, study abroad scholarships, Sooner Parents scholarships, and campus awards will all be housed through the online system. Undergraduate, graduate, liberal studies, international, and study abroad populations are encouraged to access the system to apply for scholarships.
    CASH closes on February 1, 2017, for all 2017-2018 scholarship applications. Apply here.
  • The School of Meteorology Tuition Waiver Program seeks to attract and retain highly qualified incoming students who are interested in meteorology as a major.  The program awards partial tuition waivers that help defray the cost of attending OU.  The annual awards range from $1000.00 to $3500.00 and are in addition to any other tuition waiver offered by OU.  The awards are made based on ACT/SAT score; High School GPA/Rank with emphasis on science and math classes; AP classes taken, and written statements submitted during the application process, and other factors as part of a holistic approach.  All students who apply to OU and list meteorology as their intended major are automatically considered for the scholarship.  Around ten new awards are made each year.  The awards are typically renewed for up to four years as long as the student is a meteorology major and maintains above 3.0 GPA at OU.
    -When funds are available, the School of Meteorology has also looked at incoming transfer students.  For these students, the application process is a bit different. They are in consideration after completing their first semester at OU. In particular, we look for students with calculus and physics backgrounds and take their transfer and OU GPAs into consideration.
  • New Needs-based School of Meteorology Tuition Waiver: funds will be awarded during the 2017-18 academic year. Individuals with a significant financial need are encouraged to apply for this scholarship, which will be open for application prior to the start of each semester. We anticipate being able to award up to $3,750 in the form of a tuition waiver each semester. The available scholarship money may be split amongst multiple students, but the total pool will not exceed $3,750. However, if more than one student is awarded, each student will receive a minimum tuition waiver of $1,000. Students who receive the award in the fall semester will also be eligible to receive the award in the spring semester. In addition, students already receiving a tuition waiver from the School or another source are eligible for this award, though the amount of support given via the scholarship outlined here will be limited to the lower of the award amount or remaining need of the student (i.e., outstanding tuition balance). Eligible students must currently carry a 3.25 GPA or higher and a declared major in Meteorology. To apply, please send a personal statement of need to the School of Meteorology’s Coordinator of Undergraduate Programs, Ms. Shelby Hill (sheill@ou.edu). This statement may be up to two pages in length, single-spaced, and minimum 12-pt Times New Roman font. Though not required, students are encouraged to have a letter of support provided by an academic advisor, professor, or adjunct/affiliate faculty member of the School that speaks to the student’s academic performance and/or work ethic and maturity. Applications for an award to be applied to the fall 2017 semester are due by 4 August 2017. Students will be notified of the scholarship committee’s decision by 16 August 2017.

2. Annual School of Meteorology Student Awards

Each year, the School presents a number of awards to students; these awards have typically been funded through the generosity of friends and alumni of the School. Faculty, adjunct faculty, and staff are asked to nominate students for awards to acknowledge academic performance, leadership, and service. Typically, nominations are made by early February and award decisions are made by early March. Awards are presented at the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences Student Awards Ceremony, typically held in April. Each student receives a certificate and monetary award, as well as a place on the School of Meteorology recognition plaque. The following awards have been presented in the past:   

  • David James Shellberg Scholarship
  • Faculty Recognition for Outstanding Performance as an Undergraduate:  The criteria for selection for this award include GPA and other extracurricular activities (such as jobs, volunteer work, committee work, etc).
  • SoM Director’s Recognition for Outstanding Service to the Department as an Undergraduate Student:  Presented to an undergraduate who has given freely of his or her time and talents to departmental activities (e.g. departmental tours, etc). This may include a student very actively involved in groups such as OU SCAN.
  • Outstanding Teaching Assistant:  (May be graduate or undergraduate TA from either Spring, Summer, or Fall of the previous calendar year)
  • Faculty Recognition for Outstanding Performance as a Graduate Student: This award is based primarily on GPA, but other factors may be considered (such as volunteer work, committee work, etc.)
  • Tommy C. Craighead Award for Best Paper in Radar Meteorology: (undergraduate or graduate) Presented to any University of Oklahoma student or recent graduate (May, August, December of previous calendar year) who is the lead author on a refereed journal article (preferably accepted, but at least submitted) with a focus on radar studies of the atmosphere. The research described in the article should be of superior quality and deemed to exemplify the inter-disciplinary nature of remote sensing of the atmosphere using radar.
  • McCasland Award for Undergraduate Capstone Research paper: Eligible submissions are published papers, submitted manuscripts, or nearly completed manuscripts from Capstone research projects from the previous calendar year. 
  • Edwin Adlerman Award for Undergraduate Research on Severe Weather: Must be in sophomore or junior-level meteorology courses, have a research project related to advancing the prediction of severe weather over the Great Plains of the United States and/or improving the public’s response to severe weather forecasts, and be mentored by a faculty member within the College of Atmospheric and Geographical Sciences (including regular, adjunct and affiliate faculty). Ideally, the research effort should be during the summer following the award.  However, the research project may be started in the fall semester following the award, and continue into the following spring semester.
  • James Bruce Morehead Award for Undergraduate Research In Weather and Climate: Must be in sophomore or junior level courses, have a research project related to the college’s weather and climate research activities, and be mentored by a faculty member within the College of Atmospheric and Geographical Sciences (includes regular, adjunct and affiliate faculty). Ideally, the research effort should be during the summer following the award.  However, the research project may be started in the fall semester following the award, and continue into the following spring semester.
  • Undergraduate Academic Achievement AwardMETR Senior: (in senior level meteorology courses) with the best overall GPA.
  • Undergraduate Academic Achievement AwardMETR Junior: with the best overall GPA.
  • Fawbush-Miller Scholarship for Excellence in Forecasting is awarded to the undergraduate student winner of the Weather Challenge.
  • The Work Assistance Tuition Waiver (WATW) is designed to assist current undergraduate students that work 25+ hours per week during the academic year.
    The intent of the tuition waiver is to help these students with their finances so that they are able to work fewer hours during the semester and focus more time and energy on their studies. (Students that receive the tuition waiver are not required to continue to work 25+ hours a week during the following semester).Find more information here: http://www.ou.edu/scholarships/ou/WATW.html

3.Meteorological/STEM Awards and Scholarships:

  • The American Meteorological Society (AMS) administers an array of graduate fellowships and undergraduate scholarships with the support of its members, corporations, and government agencies nationwide. The fellowships and scholarships help further the education of outstanding graduate and undergraduate students pursuing a career in the atmospheric and related oceanic or hydrologic sciences. Visit the AMS website to learn more and apply: https://www.ametsoc.org/ams/index.cfm/information-for/students/ams-scholarships-and-fellowships/
  • NWA scholarships
  • NOAA scholarships/fellowships
  • NASA scholarships/fellowships
  • Others: We also encourage all students to look to their local civic organizations, religious organizations, municipalities, etc. for scholarship opportunities. Even a smaller scholarship can make a big difference. We prioritize getting all scholarship opportunities that come to our attention out to our students.

4.Student Employment

  • Many students pay for college expenses or room and board through student employment. The various entities of the National Weather Center and nearby Partners Place buildings offer students jobs that provide both a paycheck and experience in the meteorological industry. Students should watch for job announcements via departmental emails, the Monday Memo from AGS, and on our job board.