Undergraduate Scholarships and Awards

A variety of scholarships are available to incoming first-year students as well as current hospitality/tourism management and consumer science students. The number of scholarships and amounts awarded are subject to change without notice.

Scholarships for High School Seniors

Congratulations on being admitted to Purdue and its Hospitality and Tourism Management Program! Below is one scholarship to consider. The White Family Scholars Scholarship was established in 2023 in memory of the late hospitality visionary and Purdue alum, Bruce White. Bruce White was the founder and former chairman of White Lodging, a hospitality company headquartered in Merrillville, Indiana. The Scholarship aims to support outstanding new students enrolled in Purdue’s Hospitality & Tourism Management (HTM) major, and committed to completing the HTM Finance Concentration. The scholarship will cover full tuition and fees for United States (U.S.) citizens or U.S. permanent residents for one year only. Recipients of the scholarship can reapply each year during their tenure at Purdue. To apply, complete the application and upload your documents at the link below.

Website

White Family Scholars Scholarship

Criteria

  • High cumulative high school GPA
  • High SAT or ACT Score
  • Area: Interest in Purdue’s hospitality and tourism management program, Math, and numbers, in general.
  • Involvement in organizations and/or engagement in volunteer work.
  • U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident only.

Official Transcript

All applicants will need a transcript.

Updated Resume

All applicants will need an updated resume. Your resume should include:

  • Your cumulative high school GPA.
  • Your SAT or ACT score.
  • Organizations and clubs you were or are involved with.
  • Volunteer projects you were and are involved with.
  • And any other information you think may strengthen your application.

Brief Essay

And in no more than 300 words, state the following: How finance makes a contribution to organizations and how you see yourself contributing to this area in the future.

Application Link Learn More

Scholarships for Current HTM Students

The White Family Scholars Scholarship aims to support students enrolled in Purdue’s Hospitality & Tourism Management major and committed to completing the HTM Finance Concentration. Recipients should be high-achieving sophomores, juniors, and seniors with strong interests in finance and lodging. The scholarship will cover full tuition and fees for United States (U.S.) citizens or U.S. permanent residents for one year only. To apply, complete the application and upload your documents at the link below.

Criteria for Sophomores

  • Cumulative GPA: 3.0 or higher
  • Area: Have a strong commitment to finance and to completing Purdue’s HTM finance concentration. To prove the latter, an approved mapped 4-year plan of study must be submitted with your application. This plan of study should be approved by the applicant’s advisor or by Maggy Leitch in the HTM Career Center.
  • Work experience in lodging and/or hospitality finance. (For this criterion, bonus points will be awarded.)
  • Involvement in student organizations and HTM events like Career Day, Spirit of Hospitality Summit, etc.
  • U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident only.

Criteria for Junior or Rising Seniors

  • Cumulative GPA: 3.0 or higher/ Finance Coursework GPA: 3.0 or higher
  • Area: Have a strong commitment to finance and to completing Purdue’s HTM finance concentration. To prove the latter, an approved mapped 4-year plan of study must be submitted with your application. This plan of study should be approved by the applicant’s advisor or by Maggy Leitch in the HTM Career Center.
  • Work experience in lodging and/or hospitality finance.
  • Involvement in student organizations and HTM events like Career Day, Spirit of Hospitality Summit, etc.
  • U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident only.
  • Engagement in industry-based and/or scholarly research, in general, but especially in finance. (For this criterion, bonus points will be awarded.)

Criteria for Students Reapplying

Enrolled students in the Hospitality & Tourism Management major at Purdue can reapply for the scholarship each year. However, in addition to the criteria listed above the following are required.

  • Attendance at, a minimum of one, White Family Scholars event per academic year.
  • Attendance at multiple HTM professional events per academic year.
  • A copy of the essay submitted with your earlier application (along with your new essay).

Official Transcript

All applicants will need an official transcript or an unofficial transcript printout.

Updated Resume

All applicants will also need an updated resume. Your resume should include:

  • Your current cumulative and HTM Finance GPA (if available).
  • Your work experience, inclusive of dates and a brief overview of your duties and responsibilities for each.
  • Student organizations you were and are currently involved with, the dates when, and your role(s).
  • Research projects you worked on. For example, poster and/or standup presentations you made on an industry-based or scholarly research project(s) you work on whether alone or with others. Publication(s) on your research whether you authored it (or them) alone or with others. All research-related inputs to your resume should be listed according to American Psychological Association (APA) requirements.
  • For applicants re-applying for the scholarship, list the White Family Scholars activities and HTM events you attended inclusive of the dates.

Brief Essay

Finally, in no more than 300 words, state in an essay why you should be selected for this scholarship. Persons reapplying for the scholarship should submit two essays, their previous and a current essay.

Application Link

The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) Foundation is the charitable giving arm of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. The AHLA Foundation aims to build careers, improve lives and strengthen the lodging industry. The foundation provides several scholarships. One such award is the Cecil B. Day Memorial Scholarship.

The White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management aims to nominate one student for this award. Neither the school nor Purdue University will make the award. The scholarship is awarded in the amount of $7,000. This amount will be distributed across two semesters, fall 2024 and spring 2025. The following are the requirements for the Cecil B. Day Memorial Award.

Criteria

  • Enrolled full-time (12 credit hours) in an undergraduate hospitality-related degree-granting program.
  • Enrolled for 12 credit hours at the time of application and for each semester during the award period.  
  • Completed 36 credit hours at the time of application.  
  • Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.  
  • Work experience in lodging.  
  • Involvement in student organizations, especially those in hospitality.  
  • Participation in the school’s professional development events, such as Career Day and the Spirit of Hospitality Summit, among others.
  • Engagement in industry-based research/scholarly research, especially in lodging.  
  • U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident.  
  • Once nominated by the school, you will be required to complete the AHLA Foundation online application by March 15, 2024, at the latest.    

Updated Resume

Applicants will need an updated resume. The resume should include:

  • Your current cumulative GPA.
  • Your work experience, including dates and a brief overview of your duties and responsibilities for each.
  • Student organizations you were and are currently involved with, the dates you were involved with these entities, and your role(s) in the organizations.
  • Professional development events you attended and the dates.
  • Research projects you worked on. For example, posters and stand-up presentations made on an industry-based or scholarly research project(s). Publication(s) on research authored alone or with others. Research activities should be listed in your resume according to the American Psychological Association (APA) guidelines.

Note: Only items listed in your resume will be considered during the application review process.

Brief Essay

In no more than 300 words, state why the school should nominate you for this scholarship.

Deadline: Friday, March 1, 2024

Application Link

The International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA) Education Foundation mission is “to give qualified culinary, marketing, sales, supply chain, and food science students financial support toward completion of education requirements through accredited institutions, enabling career-oriented internships and employment opportunities within IFMA member companies and through the food industry.” This year, the IFMA Education Foundation will be awarding up to four scholarships to students in Purdue’s White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality & Tourism Management. The maximum value of each award will be $5,000 which the awardees will be expected to use for tuition, fees, room and board, or other school-related expenses only. Below are details about this scholarship.

Criteria

  • Required GPA: 3.0 or higher
  • Junior or rising Senior
  • Prove firm commitment to a career in foodservice (such as in culinary, marketing, sales, supply chain and/or foodservice)
  • Show evidence of work experience, especially in foodservice
  • Show involvement in student organizations at the school, college, and/or university level, especially at the leadership level
  • Provide evidence of participation in professional development events (like Career Day and Spirit of Hospitality Summit)
  • Prove financial need

One optional requirement that could strengthen your application is involvement in industry-related or scholarly research, especially in foodservice.

When applying for this scholarship you will need the following documents:

  1. An Updated Resume
  • You will need a current resume. Your resume should include the following:
  • Your current GPA
  • Work experience inclusive of dates and a brief overview of your duties and responsibilities
  • Organizations you were and are currently involved in, inclusive of dates and role.
  • Professional development events you participated in while at Purdue, include the name of the event(s) and the date(s)
  • Research projects you have worked on whether for a class or with a professor.

Hence, for this scholarship application, your resume can be up to two pages in length.

  1. Current Statement from Purdue’s Financial Aid Office (showing financial need)
  2. Brief Essay -should say, in no more than 300 words, why you should be selected for this scholarship.essay why you should be selected for this scholarship.

Deadline: Friday September 27, 2024

Application Link

*Other Requirements (if selected)

If selected for the scholarship, the following will also be needed. However, these should be provided directly to IFMA:

  • A completed Student Spotlight Questionnaire. Note, the information provided in the survey could be used on IFMA’s website and in their marketing materials.

LINK to IFMA’s Questionnaire: Student Spotlight Questionnaire

  • A high-resolution digital head or candid shot. This should be sent to email address stefanee@ifmaworld.com. The Chair of HTM’s Scholarship Committee should be copied on the email. Her email address is ajnicely@purdue.edu.

The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) Foundation is the charitable giving arm of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. The AHLA Foundation aims to build careers, improve lives and strengthen the lodging industry. The foundation provides several scholarships. One such award is the prestigious Arthur J. Packard Scholarship. The White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management aims to nominate one student for this important award. The competition will award three scholarships. The first-place winner will receive $5,000, the second-place winner $3,000 and the third-place winner $2,000. The school nominee will be required to submit two recommendation letters, one from an employer and another from a professor. Below are the requirements for the Arthur J. Packard Scholarship for 2024-25.

Criteria

  • A hospitality and tourism undergraduate student.
  • Enrolled full-time (minimum of 12 credit hours) for the upcoming fall and spring semesters or just the upcoming fall, if graduating in December.
  • At least a junior for the upcoming fall semester.
  • Cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher.
  • Work experience in lodging.
  • Involvement in student organizations.
  • Participation in the school’s professional development events, such as Career Day and the Spirit of Hospitality Summit, among others.
  • Engagement in industry-based research/scholarly research, especially in the area of lodging.
  • U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident.
  • Once nominated, you will be required to complete the AHLA Foundation online application by March 15, 2024, at the latest.

Updated Resume

Applicants will need an updated resume. The resume should include:

  • Your current cumulative GPA.
  • Your work experience, including dates and a brief overview of your duties and responsibilities for each.
  • Student organizations you were and are currently involved with, the dates you were involved with these entities, and your role(s) in the organizations.
  • Professional development events you attended and the dates.

Research projects you worked on. For example, posters and stand-up presentations made on an industry-based or scholarly research project(s). Publication(s) on research authored alone or with others. Research activities should be listed in your resume according to the American Psychological Association (APA) guidelines.

Brief Essay

In no more than 300 words, state in an essay why you should be selected for this scholarship.

Deadline: Friday, March 1, 2024

Application Link

The Statler Scholarship of Excellence, established by the Statler Foundation, was created to advance the U.S. hotel industry and its future professionals. The Statler Foundation was established under Ellsworth Milton Statler’s will. Learn more about Ellsworth Milton Statler.

This year’s Statler Scholarship is for up to $25,000 and can only be used for tuition, fees, and books. Of that amount, recipients can use a maximum of $1,000 to purchase books and a computer. Before payments can be made recipients must submit the relevant invoices. Recipients will also be required to advise Statler’s finance office of the date of payment.

The White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Purdue recommends students for the Statler Foundation Scholarship. The Statler Foundation decides the recipient.

Criteria

  • Cumulative GPA: 3.0 or higher.
    • Hotel Coursework GPA: 3.0 and higher.
  • Should be entering 3rd or 4th year of your undergraduate program.
  • Area of focus: Hospitality/tourism major with commitment to hotels.
  • Involvement in student organizations at the school, college, and/or university levels, especially leadership roles.
  • Involvement in HTM Events like Career Day, Spirit of Hospitality Summit, etc.
  • Work experience in hotels.
  • Financial need.
  • U.S. citizen.
  • Engagement in industry-based and/or scholarly research, in general, especially in lodging (For this criterion, bonus points will be awarded.)
  • Completed Statler Scholarship of Excellence Application.

Completed Statler Application Form

You will need to complete the Statler application Form and upload it. To be considered for this scholarship all areas of the Statler Scholarship application must be completed except the area requiring the School’s Dean signature.

Transcript

You will need an official transcript as well from the Registrar’s Office. Your transcript should be in a sealed envelope and left at the Main Office in Marriott Hall. Indicate on the front of the envelope your name and “The Statler Scholarship of Excellence”.

Updated Resume

You will also need an updated resume. Your resume should include the following:

  • Work experience inclusive of dates and a brief overview of your duties and responsibilities.
  • Student organizations you were and are currently involved with, inclusive of dates and your role(s).
  • Hotel-related extracurricular activities you were involved with inclusive of dates and your role(s). Such as seminars and conferences you attended and externships you participated in on lodging.

On a separate page list, the following:

  • HTM events you attended while at Purdue, inclusive of dates.
  • Non-scholarly and scholarly research projects you have worked on (such as real-life feasibility studies, consulting projects, and studies completed whether for a course or not). These should be listed according to the American Psychological Association requirements (APA).

This page will be an addendum to your resume.

Statement from Purdue’s Financial Aid Office

You will need a statement from Purdue’s Financial Aid Office (FAO) indicating your need. FAO should complete your Statler application as well. So, in addition to answering the questions in DocuSign at the link below, the following should be uploaded, your: [1] completed Statler Application Form and Personal History Statement; [2] updated resume and addendum; and [3] Financial Aid Office statement. Your transcript should be left at the Main Office in Marriott Hall. Note, do not uploaded your transcript at the link below. All documents uploaded on DocuSign should be professionally and attractively formatted.

Application Deadline: Thursday, April 25, 2024

Download Statler Application Form DocuSign Application Link

Direct Self-Apply

Awarding Body: The Hospitality Industry Network, Chicago

Application Deadline: October 15, 2024

Application Link: You may use any of the following options

View Flyer

for students interested in competing for the FSF and “Post-Modern” Scholarships. 

The general topic for the 2025 Case Study Scholarship Competition is “The Intersection of Digital Technology and Fashion.” Across disciplines, students are asked to consider what advanced digital technologies mean for the fashion industry (e.g., AI, AR, big data).  This year, students may select a brand OR retailer.  It is still suggested that applicants choose a publicly traded company.  

There have been a few changes to previous years.

  1. The tech sheets are no longer required in the Design and Product Development brief.
  2. The Income Statement (Six-Month Plan) is no longer required for the Merchandising brief.
  3. Please also note that there is emphasis given to e-commerce strategies this year within the Business Strategy brief.

This year, the case studies available to you in both text and magazine formats, which are accessible online.

Note, applicants must use the Wizehive Portal Link to submit their completed case studies by October 14, 2024. To receive the link to the Wizehive Portal contact Paul Whitehurst from Purdue HTM Career Center at email address  pwhitehu@purdue.edu.

Students are encouraged to complete the applicant profile on Wizehive as soon as possible so they can know ways in which FSF offers Case Study support:

  1. FSF Summer Scholar Series:  Ten weeks of virtual master classes and workforce preparedness sessions. Four of the workforce preparedness sessions focus on the four case study disciplines with helpful tips from the FSF Case Study Author and an FSF Alumnus.
  2. Summer FSF Case Study Q&A Sessions: Applicants may attend the weekly virtual sessions to ask questions and receive guidance on the case studies and drafting process.
  3. Alumni Case Study Mentors:  1:1 mentoring by an FSF Alumni who previously competed for the FSF Scholarship competition.

If you have any questions on the case study content, please email the case study author, Danielle Testa (danielle.s.testa@gmail.com). While general questions can be directed to Marie Colletta (mcolletta@fashionscholarshipfund.org) and Katie Simone (ksimone@fashionscholarshipfund.org). 

Awarding Body: American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA),

Application Deadline: Friday, April 26, 2024

Application Link/Email: https://www.aianta.org/scholarships/

Download Flyer

Awarding Body: Sales Education Foundation

Application Deadline: October 27, 2023

Application Link/Email: info@salesfoundation.org

Download Flyer

Awarding Body: The International Association of Exhibitions and Events®️ (IAEE)

Application Deadline: Wednesday, May 1, 2024

Submit Supporting Application & Documents

The Home Economists’ Guild of Indianapolis offers annual scholarships to Indiana college students who are presently majoring and will be graduating with a degree in one of the following areas of study:

Apparel (Fashion) Design; Apparel (Fashion) Merchandising; Child Development, Dietetics; Family & Consumer Sciences; Family & Consumer Science Education; Family Studies & Human Development; Foods & Nutrition Sciences; Hospitality and Tourism Management; Interior Design; or Textiles

Application Deadline: March 15, 2024

Download Application

Awarding Body: The Association of Destination Management Executives International

Application Deadline: November 1, 2024

Application Link/Email: LTMS Application – ADMEI

Download Flyer

The National Restaurant Association Supply Chain Expert Exchange, in conjunction with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, created a scholarship to help develop the next generation of supply chain leaders in the restaurant and foodservice industry.

Professionals and students in the restaurant and foodservice supply chain sector are invited to apply for the David R. Parsley Endowed Scholarship for Supply Chain Management. 

In an exciting development this year, the scholarship has expanded its scope to include not only undergraduates but also those pursuing graduate degrees, either full-time or part-time, in supply chain management.

This strategic enhancement aims to support industry professionals who are furthering their education, particularly those balancing work with a master’s degree program.

A total of five $5,000 scholarships will be awarded.

The application deadline is March 15, 2024. Interested candidates can apply through this link, where they will be asked to create a profile and view the full requirements. Applicants are encouraged to seize this opportunity to further their education and career in supply chain management, a critical component of the hospitality industry.

Application Link

Other Scholarships

The Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) will be hosted in Los Angeles in a couple of weeks.

Based on Purdue University’s participation in ALIS, we would like to extend a special invitation for 2-3 students to participate as Student Ambassadors in our Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit (CHRIS) and the Hotel Opportunities Latin America (HOLA) conference at the brand-new Loews Coral Gables in Florida on April 22-25, 2024. CHRIS and HOLA are the market leading hotel investment conferences for the Caribbean and Latin America regions. Similar to ALIS, the attendees will be focused on investing and developing hotel real estate across the regions, and they will be the c-suite leaders and decision-makers. 

For CHRIS and HOLA, the following is a tentative schedule of conference hours where we will need the Student Ambassadors available:

  • Sunday, April 21, 2024: 2:00pm-4:00pm (conference orientation and registration training)
  • Monday, April 22, 2024: 9:00am-6:00pm (student session in morning followed by first shifts)
  • Tuesday, April 23, 2024: 8:00am-6:30pm
  • Wednesday, April 24, 2024: 8:00am-5:30pm
  • Thursday, April 25, 2024: 8:00am-1:00pm

Similar to ALIS, all students will undergo a hiring process with our parent company, Northstar Travel Group, and the students will be paid based on their scheduled hours.  Each student will need to be eligible to work within the US.”

Interested students notify Dr. Annmarie Nicely at ajnicely@purdue.edu. Include in your email your interest, full name, and cellphone number. The deadline to do this is Monday February 12, 2024. Once the names and other details are received, you will be apprised of your next steps. Indicating interest does not guarantee your participation in the program.

For details on CHRIS and HOLA, visit the websites below.

Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit: CHRIS- The BHN Group (burba.com)

Hotel Opportunities Latin America: Hotel Opportunities Latin America- The BHN Group (burba.com)