Auburn champions student achievement through national scholarship opportunities

Auburn University is strengthening its reputation for success in National Prestigious Scholarships, or NPS, with renewed momentum to help more students discover and pursue these transformative opportunities.

Leading the effort is Benjamin Fagan, an associate professor of English and the new assistant director for NPS in the Honors College. In his first six months in the role, Fagan has visited departments, colleges and student organizations, working to ensure students from every academic background know these scholarships are available to them.

“There’s absolutely no requirement or expectation that you have to be involved with the Honors College to apply for these opportunities and get the support of the NPS office,” Fagan said.

NPS encompasses dozens of competitive awards, funding everything from study abroad opportunities to graduate degrees at some of the world’s most renowned institutions.

Auburn students have earned several in the past, but Fagan said far more are within reach if more students applied — including those outside the Honors College — and if Auburn nominated its full allotment every time. It’s a commitment he said will strengthen the university’s reputation in national competitions.

Student success

Alumna Maggie Nelson exemplifies the impact of NPS. Before graduating in 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering and three minors, she made history — not only as Auburn’s first Winston Churchill Scholarship recipient, but also by earning five total prestigious scholarships, more than any Auburn undergraduate in university history.

These achievements led her from an internship in Germany through the DAAD RISE award to a year at the University of Cambridge for a master’s degree, experiences she said broadened her perspective and shaped her academic future. Now a Ph.D. student in materials science and engineering at MIT, Nelson credits NPS with altering her trajectory in lasting ways.

“They truly changed my life,” she said.

For Nelson, the transformation began before she won any awards. She described the application process as an exercise in deep self-reflection, one that forced her to articulate a clear narrative about her passions, experiences and ambitions.

“You have to sit down and craft a coherent vision or story of what you have done and what you want to do,” she said. “This ultimately helped me figure out where I truly wanted to go, rather than simply following the path of inertia.”

John Murray, Auburn’s most recent NPS winner, experienced the same feeling in his application for the Humanities at Hertog Fellowship.

“You just learn a lot about yourself going through the process, whether or not you get the scholarship,” he said. “There’s something about physically writing down how you want other people to perceive you that teaches you more about yourself than you would have learned otherwise.”

Murray, an Honors student pursuing concurrent degrees in international studies and political science, said he worked with Fagan and found the Hertog an ideal NPS option because it aligned with his interests in political theory and public policy.

Open to all

All of them agree every Auburn student should consider applying for an NPS or at least talk with Fagan about available options.

“There is something for almost anyone,” Fagan said.

He also emphasized that the value of applying reaches beyond winning. He said students, regardless of the application outcome, gain valuable feedback, mentorship and connections that can shape their academic and professional paths.

“These scholarships aren’t looking for a specific ‘type’ of student,” Nelson said. “They are looking for people with a vision and the curiosity to pursue it.”

For Auburn students interested in exploring NPS opportunities, the process is straightforward: Make an appointment.