Scholarships
Undergraduates
To support the educational pursuits of our students,
the Ethnic Studies Department offers several scholarships:
Scholarship
- The Ethnic Studies Undergraduate Scholarship has been established to increase the understanding of diversity and social justice. It is an award given to an undergraduate student pursuing an ethnic studies major or minor. Learn more below.
Scholarship
- The Hiram and Trudi deFries Scholarship was established in 2014 to provide scholarship support for students’ intent on pursuing a career to ensure social and economic justice for Hawaiian Home Land communities and/or federally recognized tribes. Learn more below.
Scholarship
- The Harriet Patsy Boyer Scholarship program was established to increase opportunities for students to participate in scholarly activities that promote new understanding of women in culture and society. Learn more below.
Ethnic Studies Undergraduate Scholarship
History
Faculty, staff, alumni and friends recognize the importance of scholarships in encouraging students to aim for excellence. The generous gifts from individual members of these various groups allow us to provide financial support for students who have demonstrated superior achievements or skills, thereby encouraging their continued efforts and the overall atmosphere of vigorous research and creativity.
Criteria
- Students pursuing a major or minor within the Department of Ethnic Studies in the College of Liberal Arts
- Demonstrate financial need as established by the Office of Student Financial Services of CSU
- Have a minimum cumulative 2.5 GPA
- Demonstrate a strong interest and understanding of diversity and cultures including experiences with diverse populations and submit an essay addressing this understanding
Apply
- The Colorado State University Scholarship application is available online from December 1 until March 1 of each academic year. To access the application:
- Log into RAMweb using your eID
- Look under Financial Information in the right hand column
- Select “CSUSA” and fill in the form
Hiram and Trudi deFries Scholarship
History
When the Department of Ethnic Studies was the Center for Applied Studies in American Ethnicity (CASAE) a bright, young woman enrolled in its program specializing in Asian American/Pacific American Studies. As a young Center, CASAE had only been in existence for three years when Tamar deFries Saronitman, a student with a strong mind, a heart of gold, and a streak of activism, graduated (1997) with a certificate in Asian American/Asian Pacific Islander Studies. Tamar went on to receive her Master’s from University of Hawaii, Manoa, started a family, and is now principal of Pacific Growth Associates, a certified Community Development Entity specializing in New Market Tax Credits. Tamar’s work closely follows the tenets extolled in the mission of Ethnic Studies: “to challenge paradigms that systematically marginalize the experiences of diverse populations. In doing so, we bring to bear issues of power, privilege, and social justice pertinent to aggrieved groups in the United States and abroad. We are especially committed to nurturing civic-minded and culturally informed students who strive to strengthen communities and bring meaningful change in public policy and social life.”
Tamar follows a long line of CSU graduates: Tamar’s father, Hiram deFries, played football for CSU and graduated in 1963 with a business degree; her grandfather graduated in 1932 with a degree in mechanical engineering; Ray Clapper, her uncle, graduated in 1969 in economics; Phillip Dougherty, her uncle, graduated with a Bachelor’s in natural science in 1962, and a Master’s in chemistry in 1966.
Tamar’s establishment of the Hiram and Trudi deFries Scholarship is borne out of her great love for CSU, and for the work of the Ethnic Studies department. This scholarship will, in perpetuity, assist students engaging in community work or advocacy in the area of Socioeconomic Development, especially for those students hailing from Hawaiian Home Lands established under the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1921 or Federal Indian Reservations in the continental United States.
Criteria
- Full-time undergraduate or graduate Ethnic Studies major/minor
- Good academic standing
- Demonstrates prior or intented community work or advocacy in the area of Socioeconomic Development
- Preference shall be given to students who can demonstrate Hawaiian Home Lands residents or students with a Federal Indian Reservation residency
Apply
The Colorado State University Scholarship application is available online from December 1 until March 1 of each academic year. To access the application:
- Log into RAMweb using your eID
- Look under Financial Information in the right hand column
- Select “CSUSA” and fill in the form
Patsy Boyer Memorial Scholarship
History
Dr. Patsy Boyer retired as Professor Emerita from the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures in Spring 1997. After obtaining her Ph.D. in Spanish at the University of New Mexico in 1967, Dr. Boyer joined Colorado State University where she remained until her retirement. A noted specialist in Spanish Golden Age Literature, Dr. Boyer published numerous works in her field, including the translation of a book by the seventeenth century Spanish author, Maria de Zayas. Apart from her participation as a scholar in the major associations of her discipline and on the boards of national scholarly journals, Dr. Boyer was an early proponent of Women’s Studies at Colorado State University and wrote the grant that initiated the Women’s Studies Project on Teaching, Curriculum and Scholarship which began in 1984 as the Gender Integration Project. She played an active role in departmental, college, and University governance, was a member of the Colorado State University Faculty Council and the first faculty representative to the State Board of Agriculture. The recipient of numerous awards, including the Pennock Award for Service, she was named the John N. Stern Distinguished Professor in 1997. She earned the 1997 Women’s Caucus Award for “exemplary inspiration to women on campus as teacher, scholar, mentor and role model.” Dr. Boyer was perhaps most known for her generosity of spirit and her sense of importance of a true community of scholars. She is remembered with particular fondness by the generations of students she taught and mentored throughout her 30 years on campus.
Criteria
- Pursuing an interdisciplinary minor in Women's Studies, an Ethnic Studies concentration in Women's Studies, or a graduate certificate in Women's Studies
- Enrolled full-time with a minimum 2.5 GPA overall and a 3.0 in program courses
- Making satisfactory progress towards degree
Apply
The Colorado State University Scholarship application is available online from December 1 until March 1 of each academic year. To access the application:
- Log into RAMweb using your eID
- Look under Financial Information in the right hand column
- Select “CSUSA” and fill in the form