Scholarships and Honors
Scholarships recognize and reward academic excellence and are not usually based on financial need. Economics majors may apply for scholarships administered by the San Diego State University Scholarship Committee and/or by the Department of Economics.
San Diego State University Scholarships are awarded each Spring Semester for the following academic year. Both current and prospective students are eligible to apply.
Center for Public Economics (CPE) Scholarship Program
The Department of Economics administers the Center for Public Economics (CPE) Scholarship Program. Applications are solicited early each Spring Semester with cash awards normally made during April. The competition is open to currently enrolled students with a concentration in economics and an interest in public economics. Annually the Center for Public Economics awards the $1000 Henry Cramer scholarship, the $300 Leonard Chadwick scholarship, the $600 Sidney Evans scholarship, the $300 Louis Freeman scholarship, the $600 Henry George scholarship, the $500 Walter Weiss scholarship, and a general $500 scholarship.
To apply, please download CPE Scholarship Application Materials.
Daniel Weintraub Endowment Scholarship
All class levels are eligible. Recipients must be pursuing a major in Economics and
have a minimum overall cumulative GPA of 3.00. Graduate students must be enrolled
in at least 6 units. Undergraduate students must be enrolled in at least 9 units.
Preference will be given to applicants who have completed at least 9 units of coursework
in Economics.
Dennis P. Hill Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Recipients must be undergraduate students and be Economics or International Economics
majors. Pre-majors are eligible to receive the scholarship. Recipients must be enrolled
full-time and have a minimum overall cumulative GPA of 3.00 out of 4.00 or the arithmetic
equivalent. Award renewal is not automatic. Prior recipients must reapply for consideration.
Students must have financial need, as determined by the SDSU Office of Financial Aid
and Scholarships. To be considered, students must file a Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA) or its equivalent no later than April 1st.
Marjorie S. and Merle B. Turner Endowed Scholarship
Recipients must be pursuing an undergraduate degree in Psychology or Economics and
have a minimum 3.0 GPA. Recipients must have financial need, as determined by the
SDSU Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships. Applicants must have filed a FAFSA
by the annual deadline and submit a statement of between 250 and 500 words explaining
the purpose and goals of their study and how this scholarship will benefit them. Undergraduate
students are not required to be enrolled full-time.
McCuen Endowed Economics Scholarship
Recipients must be Pre-Economics or Economics majors. Recipients who are incoming
freshmen must have a minimum 3.4 cumulative high school GPA or the arithmetic equivalent.
(Aztec Scholarships cannot pull in incoming students’ GPA. Please review students’
incoming GPA in SIMS/R.) Incoming undergraduate transfers must have a minimum 3.0
cumulative GPA or the arithmetic equivalent. Continuing SDSU undergraduate students
must have a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA or the arithmetic equivalent. Incoming graduate
students must have a minimum 3.0 undergraduate cumulative GPA; or the arithmetic equivalent.
Recipients must have financial need, as determined by the SDSU Office of Financial
Aid and Scholarships based on the student’s FAFSA. Applicants must file a Free Application
for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) no later than April 1st.
Stanley I. and Andrea J. Ornstein Endowed Scholarship
Recipients must be undergraduate juniors or seniors and pursuing a degree in the Department
of Economics. Recipients must have a minimum overall cumulative GPA of 3.00 out of
4.00 or the arithmetic equivalent and be enrolled full-time. Students must have financial
need as determined by the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships.
Terhune Economics Scholarship
Recipients must be students pursing a program of study in the Department of Economics in the College of Arts & Letters and have a minimum overall cumulative GPA of 3.00 out of 4.00, or the arithmetic equivalent. (Aztec Scholarships cannot pull in incoming students’ GPA. Please review students’ incoming GPA in SIMS/R.) All class levels are eligible. Undergraduate students must be enrolled full-time to remain eligible for this scholarship. Graduate students must be enrolled in at least 6 units to remain eligible for this scholarship.
The Weintraub Paper Award
Also available is the The Weintraub Paper Award. Daniel Weintraub was born and raised in San Diego and received a degree in Economics from San Diego State University in 1981. He currently works for the Sacramento Bee as a public affairs columnist. In 2000, Weintraub received the John Jacobs Award from the Center for California Studies for excellence in reporting on California government and politics. This scholarship is to support excellence in writing about topics in economics.
To apply, please download the Weintraub Paper Award Application Materials.
Other Honors
The M.C. Madhavan Prize is awarded annually by the department to both the Outstanding Graduating Undergraduate and Masters student. The award recognizes outstanding scholarship and a cash award is given at graduation. This award has been given since 2006 and was generously established by Professor Emeritus of Economics, Dr. Madhavan.
The objective of the Omicron Delta Epsilon – Honor Society is to recognize scholastic attainment and honor outstanding achievement in economics. To be eligible for membership, students must have a minimum 3.0 GPA BOTH overall and in their Economics courses. Students do not have to be Economics majors but must have a genuine interest in the field. Eligibility requires the completion of one semester of full time college work, including a minimum of 12 units of Economics Courses. For more information, please visit their page on the Honors Council website.
Student may be eligible for other scholarships for the College of Arts and Letters. Visit the SDSU Scholarship search tool page.