Civics, Law, and Leadership majors can earn up to $12,000 in scholarships.
Students do not need to be Civics, Law, and Leadership majors to apply. See full details below.
Application deadline is August 7!
The Salmon P. Chase Center is committed to making college more affordable, which includes offering competitive and need-based scholarship opportunities.
We hold scholarship competitions throughout the year, which are announced on our social media feeds and website.
Follow us or check this page regularly for upcoming opportunities.
The Center also offers Global Education opportunities that include travel grants and an annual writing competition each spring.
$4,000 CIVICLL Major Scholarship (2026)
Students may apply for a merit-based scholarship that provides substantial financial support if they pursue our major in Civics, Law, and Leadership. Students are not required to have a CIVICLL major at the time of application, but they must declare the major before receiving funds.
Benefits
- $4,000 scholarship per year for up to three years (up to $12,000 in total support)
- Three years of scholarship support without having to re-apply
- Special access to information about career and internship opportunities
Eligibility
Requirements
Declare the Civics, Law, and Leadership (CIVICLL) major
Make sufficient progress
To renew the scholarship, students must complete a minimum number of courses as described below. All courses must be among those that count toward the CIVICLL major.
First year of scholarship
- By the end of the first scholarship semester: Complete at least one course offered by the Chase Center.
- By the end of the second scholarship semester: Students must have completed at least two courses offered by the Chase Center.
Second year of scholarship
- By the end of the third scholarship semester (not including summer semesters): Students must have completed at least four courses that count toward the CIVICLL major.
- By end of your fourth scholarship semester (not including summer semesters): Students must have completed at least six courses that count toward the CIVICLL major.
Third year of scholarship
- By end of the fifth scholarship semester (not including summer semesters): Students must have completed at least eight courses that count toward the CIVICLL major.
- By end of the sixth scholarship semester (not including summer semesters): Students must have completed at least nine courses that count toward the CIVICLL major.
Maintain a 3.0 major GPA and 2.5 cumulative Ohio State GPA
- Students who fall below these GPAs will be given one semester to elevate their GPA to or above the minimum.
Attend a minimum of three Chase Society events per semester.
- Chase Society events do NOT include events sponsored by the Chase Center that are open to the public.
Apply
Apply via Scholarship Universe. You can search for "Civics, Law, and Leadership" in the search box at the top right of your dashboard page.
Policies
Non-stackable
Chase Center merit scholarships are not “stackable,” meaning that a student may not hold more than one merit scholarship from the Chase Center at a time. Students may hold both a Chase Center merit scholarship and one or more Chase Center financial-need scholarship at the same time.
Transferring between scholarships
If a scholarship recipient would like to transfer from one Chase Center merit scholarship program to another, the student may petition the Center requesting this change by e-mailing Jonathan Spiegler at spiegler.10@osu.edu. Transfers are at the discretion of the Chase Center and subject to availability of funding. Scholarship funds will not be retroactively awarded in the event that a student transfers from a lower-paying scholarship program to one that awards a higher level of funding.
Sufficient Progress Exemptions
Students may petition for an exemption from the "make sufficient progress" requirements by e-mailing Jonathan Spiegler at spiegler.10@osu.edu. Exemptions are at the discretion of the Chase Center and require a compelling reason and/or extenuating circumstances. Exemptions for first-year requirements in particular are unlikely to be granted.
Scholarship limits
Currently, no student may receive more than $12,000 total in merit scholarship funding from the Chase Center during their time as an undergraduate student at Ohio State. Furthermore, currently, no student may receive more than three years of merit scholarship funding from the Chase Center during their time as an undergraduate student at Ohio State.
Deferments
Scholarship awards may be deferred for up to one year by petitioning the Chase Center (please e-mail Jonathan Spiegler at spiegler.10@osu.edu). Deferments are at the discretion of the Chase Center and subject to availability of funding.
Federal limitations on financial aid
Federal regulations prohibit a student from receiving resources in excess of their total cost of attendance. For any questions regarding how accepting funds may impact your financial aid, contact Ohio State’s helpline or call 614-292-0300.
Contact
Jonathan Spiegler, Assistant Director, Salmon P. Chase Center for Civics, Culture, and Society