Undergraduate Research & Scholarships

Haas Scholars Program

Student Eligibility & Program Commitments

Note: This page is currently being updated for the 2024-25 application cycle – thank you for your patience!

Student Eligibility

​​The Haas Scholars Program is open to undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley, who meet the following criteria:

  • are expecting to graduate in Fall 2024 or Spring/Summer 2025
  • are eligible to receive need-based financial aid* and are undocumented, permanent residents, or US citizens**
  • have maintained a Berkeley GPA of 3.450 or above***
  • have a sincere commitment and ability to be part of an interdisciplinary senior capstone experience and build a mutually supportive cohort

* This need-based aid does not need to be from the US government.

** For US Citizens, permanent residents, and AB540 students: If you were eligible for need-based aid during the 2023-24 academic year according to the assessment done by the UC Berkeley Financial Aid Office, with an Estimated Family Contribution of less than $26,000, you are eligible for the Haas Scholars Program. You can find your EFC on the “$ My Finances” -> View Awards screen on your profile at calcentral.berkeley.edu. If in doubt, ask the Program Manager to check your financial aid screen, or send a PDF of the screen showing your EFC. For international students: International students (F-1, J-1, and other international students not eligible for US financial aid) are not eligible for the program.

** We round up from 3.450 – firm cutoff — and we look at your UCB GPA as of the application deadline. Students with pending “I” grades on their record are strongly encouraged to finish the incomplete work by the application deadline, as failure to do will work against you in the selection process.

Student Commitments

Students who are selected as Haas Scholars are expected to make the senior capstone experience a main academic priority during the fellowship year. The Scholar’s Contract below details the commitments that Haas Scholars must make in order to remain eligible for the program.  Please review it carefully before you apply!

Here are the major items you should be aware of:

Events (dates are for 2024-2025 cohort):
  • New Scholars Reception, April 11, 2024
  • Haas Scholars Orientation Retreat, May 20–24, 2024.  You will be required to attend in-person.
  • Full-time research throughout summer, May 28–August 16, 2024 
  • Haas Scholars Fall Seminar, every Friday, August 30–December 6, 12-2 pm; 1 unit credit (but you may take it for no credit as well)
  • Haas Scholars Spring Writing Group, every Friday 12-2 pm; 1 unit credit
  • Haas Scholars conference, April 2025
And tasks:
  • For both semesters in which you are progressing on your project and are receiving the academic year stipend, you must sign up for 3+ units supervised by your mentor to carry out your project (this is usually an honors thesis, other times an independent study, and sometimes one semester of each)
  • You will need to make a plan approved by your mentor, report on your progress, and turn in receipts in early fall and late fall 2024 and at the end of the spring 2025.
  • You will turn in all remaining receipts (or return unspent funds), plus your final product (usually your thesis), by May 9, 2025, the last day of finals in Spring 2025. 

For more details, please see the contract available here.