Division Scholarships and Fellowships

These divisions of the American Planning Association sponsor a variety of competitions, scholarships, fellowships, and grants for students enrolled in degree programs in planning or a closely related field.

Economic Development Division

Economic Development Division Graduate Scholarship

Master's level students from PAB-accredited planning departments across the U.S. may apply. The $1,000 scholarship is awarded on the basis of a letter of recommendation from a full-time faculty member and an original paper or work having to do with a substantive and relevant topic related to economic development and planning. We prefer an article length or shorter paper submitted (not a thesis, although a shorter paper developed from the thesis is acceptable) of 2,000 to 2,500 words. The scholarship will be presented at the APA Conference and the paper will be published in EDD's News & Views publication.

Environment, Natural Resources, and Energy Division

ENRE Student Fellowship Program

The American Planning Association's Environment, Natural Resources and Energy Division (ENRE) offers a fellowship for second year planning graduate students. The Fellowship's purpose is to provide $2,500 financial support for students excelling in graduate level studies in planning related to natural resources, energy or the environment.

International Division

International Division Grants Program

The International Division annually awards three US$500 grants to undergraduate or graduate students pursuing a study abroad program, doing research, or participating in an international internship program approved by their School or Department. Our program is relatively flexible recognizing the varied needs that many students have for assistance, and works to support the diverse activities and financial needs of our student members.

Latinos & Planning Division Scholarship

The division strives to address planning issues affecting Latino communities in the U.S. and increase the number of Latinos in the profession. This scholarship program is designed to foster interest in the study of urban planning within the Latino student population.

Planning & Law Division

Daniel J. Curtin, Jr., Fellowship Program

The Daniel J. Curtin, Jr. Fellowship Program foster increased interest in the study of land use planning and its interrelationship with the law at the advanced undergraduate, graduate, and law school levels. It promotes increased participation in the planning profession, and ultimately, greater service to communities across the nation. The 10-month fellowship is open to third and fourth year undergraduate students, first and second year master's degree students and first and second year law students. The fellows' responsibilities may include, but are not limited to, assisting the Planning and Law Division (PLD) with preparing and conducting its annual membership survey, assisting the editor of the PLD Newsletter and preparing articles for publication, serving as a Continuing Legal Education liaison between the APA and various states for the provision of CLE credits to its members, and assisting with the solicitation and review of session proposals submitted by PLD members for the annual National APA Conference.

For eligibility, rules, and award information

Smith-Babcock-Williams Writing Competition

The Planning & Law Division of the American Planning Association conducts an annual student writing competition. It honors the memory of three leading figures in American city planning law — R. Marlin Smith, Richard Babcock, and Norman Williams — and is open law students and planning students, writing on a question of significance in planning, planning law, land use law, local government law or environmental law.

For eligibility, rules, and award information

New Urbanism Division

Gina Tirinnanzi Memorial Scholarship

To commemorate the contributions of Gina Tirinnanzi, one of the division's founding members, the Division established this one-time scholarship of $500. Submission requirements include an original paper or project focused on the tenets of New Urbanism and the practical application of those views within contemporary development scenarios.

For eligibility, rules, and award information

Planning & the Black Community Division

The Robert A. Catlin/David W. Long Memorial Scholarship

Named after committed planners and long-standing members of the Planning and the Black Community Division, The Robert A. Catlin/David W. Long Memorial Scholarship was created to foster increased interest among Black students in the field of urban planning. The scholarship will be awarded to one student on a competitive basis to cover costs associated with the pursuit of graduate studies.

Small Town and Rural Planning

STaR Funded Internship Program

STaR has allocated up to $6,000.00 to provide partial funding of internships for students entering their second year of graduate learning at institutions of higher learning accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board (PAB).

Transportation Planning Division

Student Paper Competition

The Transportation Planning Division (TPD) Student Paper Competition promotes student interest in studying contemporary transportation planning issues and policies. It recognizes and rewards outstanding student papers completed for courses in PAB-accredited masters and undergraduate planning programs.