Bonner Scholarship

Two students crouched down fixing something on the ground
Two students crouched down fixing something on the ground

Use the Bonner Scholarship Application link above and your Rhodes College application portal email address and password to access the Bonner application. 
 

Rhodes is part of a national consortium of Bonner Scholars, an innovative and pioneering program for scholarship and community service, supported by the Corella and Bertram F. Bonner Foundation of Princeton, NJ. The Bonner Scholarship is for entering students who have a passion for service and social justice, and who require financial assistance in order to attend Rhodes. If you are passionate about effecting positive change in the world, you may be a good candidate for this award. Each year, we select 15 incoming first-year students with exceptional records of leadership, community-service and/or social-justice work to participate in a unique, four-year leadership program. Since 1992, the Bonner Scholars Program has supported a growing spirit of service at Rhodes, helping us move from a strong history of volunteerism towards campus-wide service based learning, civic engagement, and community based advocacy.

As a Bonner Scholar, you will be challenged to connect your academic studies, personal beliefs, leadership skills and philosophy of service to real-life organizations and situations.

In return, we expect you to:

  • Fulfill weekly service and leadership activities each semester
  • Maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.50 and a 67% course completion rate
  • Attend Bonner specific meetings, biannual, and annual events
  • Attend the Bonner New Student Orientation in August prior to the start of the fall semester
  • Keep record of service and development completed on the college’s Rhodes Engage platform

What benefits will I receive as a Bonner Scholar?

  • A scholarship of $10,000 per year
  • A stipend of $1,500 per semester, based on fulfilling the weekly service requirement
  • Your documented need (as determined by the FAFSA or CSS Profile) met through institutional and federal funding (if eligible), which may include subsidized loans
  • $2,000 living stipend and $2,500 in earnings for two "Bonner Summers" as you participate in service projects
  • An additional $500 available to rising 4th-year Bonner Scholars for a project or preparation for your senior year
  • A four-year cohort model program of leadership development, reflection, and service activities
  • Opportunities to present at student conferences at no costs
  • Opportunities for research, grant writing, and civic engagement experiences
  • Opportunities for funded service abroad and graduate school
  • Opportunities to travel and for professional development throughout all four years
  • The support of a nationally endowed program with a vast alumni network or professionals across the US and abroad

How do I qualify? 
Requirements for the Bonner Scholarship:

Note: For the 2025-26 academic year, the new FAFSA will NOT be available until late December. Early Decision and Early action applicants must complete the CSS Profile and the FAFSA when it becomes available. Regular Decision applicants are NOT required to complete the CSS Profile but must complete the  FAFSA.

The following is a list of our merit-based scholarships (effective for 2025-2026 incoming students only):

  • Early Decision I: Application for admission, CSS Profile completed by November 1; Bonner Scholarship Application completed within 7 days of completed application for admission; Notifications made within 2 weeks of application for Bonner Scholarship.
  • Early Decision II: Application for admission, CSS Profile or FAFSA completed by January 15; Bonner Scholarship Application completed within 7 days of completed application for admission; Notifications made within 2 weeks of application for Bonner Scholarship.
  • Early Action: Application for admission, CSS Profile completed by November 15; Bonner Scholarship Application completed by November 21; Notifications made by January 15.
  • Regular Decision: Application for admission, FAFSA completed by January 15; Bonner Scholarship Application completed by February 1; Notifications made by March 15.
  • Completion of application for admission to Rhodes by published deadline for the selected admission plan
  • SAT or ACT scores that are competitive for admission (submission of test scores is optional)
  • A high school record that is competitive for admission
  • Exceptional record of leadership, community service and/or social justice work
  • The average Expected Family Contribution (EFC) as determined by the FAFSA for the entire Bonner cohort must be $7,500 or less. Students with EFC of $15,000 or less are encouraged to apply, although students with higher EFC often qualify based on the characteristics of other applicants.

 

Funding for this program is provided by the Corella and Bertram F. Bonner Foundation.