Bertha Kalm Scholarship at College of Graduate Studies 2025

Eligibility

• The Bertha Kalm Scholarship is available to first-year graduate students who are enrolled in any field of study and demonstrate financial need.
• To be considered, applicants must meet the following criteria:
• Be in the first year of their graduate program, having completed fewer than half of the program-applicable units required for their degree by the end of the application semester.
• Be nominated by a tenured or tenure-track faculty member, who will also provide a primary letter of recommendation.
• International students are eligible to apply, as long as they meet the other eligibility requirements.
• Students are not allowed to self-apply;
• they must seek support from a tenure-track faculty member who will submit the nomination on their behalf.

Scholarship Value and Benefits

• The Bertha Kalm Scholarship offers substantial financial support, with up to four awards of $10,000 each available for the 2025-2026 academic year.
• The scholarship is designed to assist first-year graduate students who need financial aid to continue their studies.
• In addition to the monetary award, the scholarship aims to recognize students who show a strong desire to make a meaningful difference in the world, aligning with the vision of Bertha Kalm's endowment.

Application Process

The application process for the Bertha Kalm Scholarship involves multiple steps:

• Nomination by Faculty: Only tenured or tenure-track faculty members can nominate students.
• Faculty members are encouraged to identify first-year students who exemplify the qualities described in the scholarship criteria and write a primary letter of recommendation for them.
• Student Application: After being nominated, the student must complete the scholarship application and submit it along with supporting documents: a personal statement, undergraduate and graduate transcripts, a resume or CV, and an additional letter of recommendation from another SJSU faculty member or someone external to SJSU (such as a work supervisor or mentor).
• College Review: The completed application is submitted by the nominating faculty member to the student's college for review.
• Each college may forward up to four applications to the College of Graduate Studies.
• Graduate Studies Review: The College of Graduate Studies will review the forwarded applications and select the scholarship recipients.

Important Dates:

• Nominations must be submitted to the student's college by March 24, 2025 (earlier deadlines may apply at the college level).
• Nominations must be received by the College of Graduate Studies no later than 5:00 p.m. on April 14, 2025.