Scholarships

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation is proud to serve as the largest provider of dietetic scholarships to deserving students at all levels of study. More than 300 scholarships are available, and applicants only need to fill out one universal application to be matched with the ones the applicant is eligible to receive.

Individual scholarships range in value from $500 to $25,000 each and have varying criteria. The total amount and number of Foundation scholarships awarded each year is determined by fundraising efforts and investment returns on scholarship funds. The majority of the scholarships awarded are between $1,000-$2,500.

View Topics on This Page

Applying for Scholarship | Eligibility | Establishing a New Fund

Important Dates

2026-2027 Academic Year Scholarships

Scholarship Application Opening: February 10, 2026

Scholarship Application Deadline: April 2, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. (Central time)

Scholarship Notifications: All applicants will be notified of their scholarship status via email by mid-to-late September 2026. Foundation staff cannot provide feedback on individual scholarship applications.

Check Mailing: Foundation scholarship funds will be received before the end of the 2026 calendar year. Recipients can expect funds to arrive before the beginning of the Winter/Spring 2027 semester.

Apply

The Foundation accepts applications for Foundation scholarships on an annual basis within the Foundation's external, online application platform, linked below. Any person may apply for Foundation scholarships and will be given fair and protected-class-neutral consideration for an award. In addition, all applicants will be entitled to provide at their discretion any lived experiences they would like to be considered as part of their application.

Application Portal | Scholarship FAQs | Application Checklist | Application Prompts

Eligibility

The scholarship proudly offers a singular, centralized application. By completing our scholarship application, the Foundation will automatically consider you for every scholarship we are offering that you meet the eligibility for. If you meet our general eligibility criteria, listed below, we encourage you to consider applying.

General Eligibility Criteria

Academy membership is not required to apply for Foundation scholarships but is strongly encouraged, given most Foundation scholarships require Academy membership to be awarded or give preference to Academy members.

View the type of program you are enrolled in for your specific eligibility requirements:

Unsure if your program is accredited by ACEND? Check if your program is accredited by searching ACEND's Accredited Program Directory.

Undergraduate Program

1. You must be accepted to, or presently enrolled in, a Didactic, Coordinated, or Future Education Model Bachelor's program accredited by ACEND.
2. You must be minimally enrolled for four months of the academic year (August 2026 to July 2027)

Graduate or Doctoral Program

1. You must be accepted to, or presently enrolled in, one of the following programs:
   • An advanced degree program in a US regionally accredited college or university.
     Please note, your major must be in nutrition and dietetics or a related field and you must intend to practice within the field of dietetics to qualify.
   • A Coordinated or Future Education Model Graduate program accredited by ACEND
2. You must be minimally enrolled for four months of the academic year (August 2026 to July 2027)

Dietetic Internship Program

Any dietetic intern enrolled in their program through June 30, 2026, is eligible to apply.

Dietetic interns who participated in an off-cycle match or whose program does not align with the academic year calendar are also eligible to apply, including those who will finish their program between January 1, 2026 and June 29, 2026.

Dietetic Technician Program

1. You must be accepted to, or presently enrolled in, a Nutrition and Dietetic Technician Program accredited by ACEND.
2. You must be minimally enrolled for four months of the academic year (August 2026 to July 2027)

Other Program Type

Students of certification programs are not considered eligible to apply.

Select other academic programs may qualify, if the applicant is also credentialed by the Commission on Dietetic Registration. If this applies to you, please email to determine your eligibility.

Looking to Establish a Named Fund

The Foundation supports and encourages individual and industry contributions to our Scholarship, Award, Research and Public Education Programs. Our goal is to assist students in their academic endeavors, and recognize outstanding members for their contributions, fund member conducted research and provide resources through public education efforts.

Industry, industry foundations, dietetic practice groups, member interest groups, affiliates or individuals may contribute to any existing fund or establish a new scholarship fund. Learn more by downloading the PDFs below:

• How to Establish a Scholarship or Award
• Individual Fund Information
• Foundation Donor Agreement