Scholarships and Stipends

Randi Aulie was born in Lofoten, Norway. She arrived in Seattle with her husband, Alf Kristian Aulie, in 1974 and decided to make it their permanent home. In 2001, Randi became the President of the Leif Erikson Lodge, Sons of Norway, an office Alf Kristian held three times before he passed away in 1999. Simrad, Inc. is a division of Kongsberg Gruppen AS, a leading marine technology specialist and manufactuer of underwater instrumentation and hydrography. The company is a leading supplier of satellite reference systems, hydro-acoustic systems, as well as marine electonics to the fishing, coastal, and research vessels. In helping to establish this fund along with the Aulie family, Simrad affirmed the central role of the Norwegian language and culture in the world today.

The Alf Kr. Aulie/Simrad, Inc. Endowed Fund was established by Randi Aulie and Brian Staton, President of Simrad, Inc., to provide support for students of Norwegian studies and the activities of the Norwegian program in the Department of Scandinavian Studies. Students in the College of Ocean and Fishery Sciences and the College of Engineering who include Norwegian studies in their course of studies are also eligible for support from this fund.

In addition to support for the Norwegian program, the Alf Kr. Aulie/Simrad Endowed Fund will provide a scholarship of up to $1,500 for University of Washington students.

This endowment honors the memory of Ann-Marie Lindqvist Gavel (1908-1996) and Gunnar Gavel (1908-1993) of Linköping, Sweden, whose strong interest in scholarship, higher education, and support for Swedish studies abroad will always be fondly remembered.

The purpose of this endowment is to provide support for undergraduate and graduate students in the Swedish program by such means as scholarships, travel stipends, research awards, and activities related to Swedish studies.

This up to $2,000 stipend is awarded on the basis of academic achievement and educational objectives in the area of Swedish language and literature or area studies with a Swedish emphasis.

To provide financial support to graduate students or post-graduate fellows with proficiency in the Latvian language and culture, who serve as teaching assistants, research assistants, lecturers, or other faculty in the Baltic Studies Program.

The Consul Kim Nesselquist Norwegian-American Community Endowed Fund was established by donations from leading members of Seattle's Norwegian-American Community in the name of former Consul Kim Nesselquist for the purpose of providing support for the students and activities of the Norwegian studies program in the Department of Scandinavian Studies.

Undergraduate and graduate students with a Norwegian emphasis in their studies are eligible. The scholarship is awarded on the basis of overall academic excellence and stated educational objectives in the area of Norwegian language, literature, or area studies with a Norwegian emphasis.

The award is up to $1,500.

This scholarship is to be applied toward tuition expenses. The award amount is up to $2,000 per student. Applicant must be an undergraduate Danish major at the University of Washington in the second or third year of study. 

The Weingarten Endowed Fund honors the heritage of the late Dr. Werner and Mrs. Margit Weingarten. Dr. Weingarten was a friend of the UW through his interests in the liberal arts. Margit Weingarten received her bachelor's ('70) and master's ('76) degrees in art history. She emigrated from Trøndelag in Norway where she grew up near the shores of the Trondheimsfjord.

The purpose of the Weingarten Endowed Fund is to provide support for the Department of Scandinavian Studies at the University of Washington, with emphasis on providing financial assistance to students who are studying Norwegian language and literature. The award amount is up to $1,500.

Graduate students and Undergraduate students with a Norwegian emphasis (major or minor) in their studies may apply.

To provide financial assistance to graduate students in the Department of Scandinavian Studies whose area of focus is Norwegian Studies.

The scholarship fund was established in honor of the National Nordic Museum, which opened in a new building in spring 2018. The endowment was established by Ms. Karen Koon, who has supported the Museum and the Scandinavian Studies Department’s activities, and seeks to sustain their missions with the endowment, in particular the Nordic Museum’s promotion of Nordic heritage. It is the hope of the Donor that recipients of the scholarship may spend time in the museum as a way to enhance their studies at the University of Washington. Undergraduate and graduate students studying in any subject area of the Department of Scandinavian Studies may apply for support from the Endowment. At least one scholarship of significant value will be awarded annually.  

More information regarding the National Nordic Museum can be found at www.nordicmuseum.org.

This generous gift honors the memory of Gertrude D. Holdal (1903-1987), the daughter of Norwegian immigrants Andreas Edvard Abelsen and Bereth Christine Hansen. Gertrude Holdal grew up in Spanaway, Washington, attended Pacific Lutheran University, and lived most of her life in Tacoma. She is fondly remembered for her devotion to her family and for her dedication to preserving her Norwegian heritage.

The purpose is to provide support for students in the Norwegian program by such means as scholarships, travel stipends, research awards, the purchase of teaching materials, and activities related to Norwegian studies. Awards will be made on the basis of academic achievement and educational objectives in the area of Norwegian language and literature or area studies with a Norwegian emphasis.

To provide support for the instruction of the Norwegian and/or Swedish language in the Department of Scandinavian Studies, at the discretion of the Chair. With particular support to graduate student teaching assistants and/or lecturers.

An up to $1,500 scholarship for graduate and undergraduate students of Finnish. Awarded on the basis of academic achievement and educational objectives in the area of Finnish language and literature or area studies with a Finnish emphasis.

To provide support for the Department’s Scandinavian Studies' advanced graduate students (i.e. students who have completed the MA degree or are in the dissertation-writing stage in Norwegian Studies) who seek to conduct research in Norway.

This fund was established in memory of Leslie Ann Grove, a Ph.D. graduate of the Department, who passed away suddenly in 1997. At the time of her death, Leslie was teaching at the University of Oslo while on leave from St. Olaf College, where she was an Assistant Professor.

This is fund is for financial support for graduate students in the Department of Scandinavian Studies, for study abroad, travel to conferences, or any other travel expense that supports academic research or study. 

Two scholarships are available through the Metzon Fund for students of Danish studies. Each award will be up to $2,000. The scholarships may be applied toward tuition or educational expenses.

1. An award will be given to a student, undergraduate or graduate, who is conducting a defined research project, either Senior project, M.A. thesis, or Ph.D. dissertation, in the field of Scandinavian Studies or in a related field (with Danish as the research language).
2. An award will be given to an undergraduate major or minor with an emphasis on Danish studies.

The purpose of this endowment is to annually recognize and reward outstanding academic performance and/or scholarship by an advanced graduate student in the University’s Department of Scandinavian Studies.

The Nadia Christensen Fellowship for Excellence in Nordic Studies is awarded by the graduate faculty of the Department of Scandinavian Studies to a recipient chosen from among the department's graduate students. No application is necessary and all current graduate students are eligible.

With the 2013 dissolution of the Pacific Northwest Chapter of Nordmanns-Forbundet, the scholarship funds, in compliance with the intention of the Chapter’s Articles of Incorporation regarding dissolution, were donated to the University of Washington, Department of Scandinavian Studies, in order to establish the Nordmanns-Forbundet, Pacific Northwest Chapter Student Support Fund Endowment. The endowment ensures that Nordmanns-Forbundet will not be forgotten and its gift will continue to support the Norwegian heritage and culture in the Pacific Northwest. 

This endowment provides financial support to undergraduate students in the Norwegian Studies program of the Department of Scandinavian Studies, with a preference for students who arrange to attend a UW authorized study abroad program (summer school included) in Norway.  The award may be up to $1,500.

This scholarship, worth up to $2,000, is awarded on the basis of academic achievement and educational objectives in the area of Swedish language and literature or area studies with a Swedish emphasis. 

The Scott Nelskog Scholarship was established by Wally and Anne Nelskog in memory of their son, Scott Nelskog born September 30, 1948, in Spokane, Washington. His desire was to be an airline pilot. When he was twenty years old, he graduated from flight school in Miami Dade, Florida. The same summer, he was flying a mini-mustang plane at the opening of an International Air Show in Abbotsford, British Columbia, when his plane crashed.

The scholarship is intended to provide assistance to students in the Norwegian program in the Department of Scandinavian Studies at the University of Washington. It covers all or part of undergraduate tuition expenses and may also provide support for books, fees, and other educational expenses. 

To provide support for graduate students in the Swedish Studies Program within the University’s Department of Scandinavian Studies.

To provide financial assistance to graduate students in the Department of Scandinavian Studies (Danish, Estonian, Finnish, Icelandic, Latvian, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Swedish). Distributions may be used as a recruitment scholarship for incoming graduate student(s) or awarded to current students based on academic merit.

The purpose of this student travel endowment fund shall be to provide financial assistant to support undergraduate or graduate students in the Baltic Studies Program, for the cost of travel to conferences or to study in the Baltics. This scholarship is intended to benefit students who have a deep cultural connection with Lithuania, Latvia, or Estonia, through their life experience, studies, or family connections.