Mission, Vision & Values

Mission

The Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships & Awards helps University of Washington undergraduates develop the skills and personal insights necessary to pursue scholarships appropriate to their goals. Our office:

• Provides information and resources to increase student awareness of the scholarship search and application process via workshops, events, online resources, and individual advising.
• Mentors students through an intense process by offering resources, advising, and individual feedback which result in competitive applications for local and national scholarships.
• Collaborates with faculty and staff to identify and support potential student scholars.

Vision

We have an impact on the academic experiences of our students, helping them connect with transformative opportunities and resources. These experiences expand their perspective of themselves and the world.  Through our campus partnerships and collaborations, faculty, students, and staff become active ambassadors of student scholarships at the UW.  OMSFA has the recognition and support of the campus community, and the UW acknowledges our contribution to the institution’s national reputation through appropriate funding and staffing.

Values

• Students. We value students’ voices, lives, dreams, hopes and aspirations as individuals.
• Learning.  We value scholarship application as a learning process which helps students clarify goals, define resources, and develop tools applicable to all aspects of their lives.
• Resilience. We value the ability of students to move through challenges, disappointments, and successes to build resilience.
• Collaboration. We value our connections with faculty, staff, individual students and student groups.  All are partners in this process that identifies, selects, mentors, and works to develop strong undergraduate candidates for local and national scholarships.
• Inclusion. We value an inclusive scholarship community fostered through information sharing, transparent processes, and diverse participation.
• Experience. We value the rich learning environment at the UW—both in and out of the classroom—which provides students with resources and opportunities to demonstrate commitment to their work.