Scholarships and Financial Support

Slavic Department Scholarships and Prizes

Every year we award several different prizes to our students at the departmental Convocation ceremony.  See our Departmental Awards and Prizes page for information about past recipients of these awards.

Slavic Excellence Prizes

These prizes are awarded for the best paper written by an undergraduate and graduate student. They include a prize of $250, to be applied to tuition. If you wrote a paper for a Slavic Department course within the past year (SPR 2022 - WIN 2023) and received a grade of 3.9 or better, you are encouraged to apply for this prize.  

Application Procedure

Interested students should e-mail a copy of their paper and a cover sheet (including their name, address, e-mail, instructor’s name, and the title of the course for which they wrote the paper) to slavoffice@uw.edu.

Submissions are due by 5:00pm on April 15, 2024.

Outstanding Students and Best Language Students

The Outstanding Undergraduate and Graduate Student prizes are awarded for academic excellence and service to the department.  They include awards of $150 and $200, respectively.  There are also awards for the best student in several language areas, including Bosnian/Croatian/Montenegrin/Serbian, Czech, Polish, Russian, and Slovene.  These awards include small monetary prizes or other gifts.  Recipients are selected by faculty familiar with students in the department, there is no application process for Outstanding Student or Best Language Student awards.

Oleg Fomin Scholarship

The Oleg Fomin Scholarship provides students with $1,500 to travel to any of the post-Soviet states within a year of receipt. The purpose of the scholarship is to encourage and promote exploration and study of the languages, cultures, and histories of this region.  All undergraduate and graduate students who have enrolled in Slavic Department courses during the past year are eligible to apply.  There will be one scholarship awarded per year.

Application Procedure

Interested students should send their application materials and any questions to slavoffice@uw.edu.

The application should include:

  1. A travel plan of no more than 500 words, in which you include a summary of the countries to be visited, the dates for the intended visits, and the reason(s) for choosing the proposed itinerary
  2. An unofficial copy of your transcript

Applications for studies between June 2024 and May 2025 are due by 5pm on April 15, 2024.

UW Polish Studies Scholarship

The UW Polish Studies Scholarship is offered by the UW Polish Endowment Committee, and is made possible by the generosity of supporters and friends of UW Polish Studies.  Awarded to UW students interested in studying in an accredited program in Poland, recipients receive up to $1,500 to use toward airfare, lodging and/or tuition. Priority is given to students travelling to Poland to study the Polish language, although support may be also provided to students who would like to pursue other aspects of Polish studies.

Application Procedure

Interested students should send their application materials and any questions to slavoffice@uw.edu.

The application should include:

  1. A two-page, double-spaced essay, in which you explain your intended academic plans and how these funds will assist you
  2. A budget outlining your expenses
  3. One letter of support from a faculty member
  4. An unofficial copy of your transcript

Applications for studies between June 2024 and May 2025 are due by 5pm on March 25, 2024. Results will be announced by April 30, 2024.

Vadim Pahn Scholarship

Awarded to undergraduates who have been, or are currently, enrolled in the University of Washington Russian language program, the Vadim Pahn Scholarship provides students who plan to enroll in RUSS 250 during summer quarter with a $1,500 scholarship. The purpose of this scholarship is to encourage and promote knowledge of the Russian language and culture, as well as to increase understanding of Russia and its people. PLEASE NOTE: This scholarship does not provide funding for students enrolling in RUSS 150.

Application Procedure

Interested students should send their application materials and any questions to slavoffice@uw.edu.

The application should include:

  1. A one-page letter that includes a statement explaining why you are studying Russian
  2. A letter of recommendation from one of your Russian language instructors
  3. An unofficial copy of your transcript

Applications for summer 2024 are due by 5:00 pm on May 1, 2024.

Other UW Funding

Graduate students interested in Teaching/Research Assistantships and fellowships should see our Graduate Student Financial Support page.

External Funding

There are many organizations that provide funding for students in Slavic and related fields.  Simply search for "Polish scholarships," "Russian scholarships," and so on in your favorite search engine.

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