Mercer University is a partner institution of the Stamps Scholars Program, and each year it names ten incoming first-year students as Stamps Scholars. The award is a full ride: tuition and fees, housing and food, an Apple iPad, and up to $16,000 of enrichment stipend across four years for study abroad, undergraduate research, unpaid internships and conference travel.
On international eligibility, Mercer's international admissions pages state that international students are eligible for merit-based scholarships, and the Stamps award appears in Mercer's merit scholarship list with no FAFSA requirement attached to it. Mercer's own Stamps page stays silent on nationality.
The effort is front-loaded. Your admission application, supporting documents and a portfolio in the Mercer Application are due by 1 November. Selection then runs through invitation only: eligible accepted students are invited to Presidential Scholars Weekend to interview with faculty, staff and alumni, and you must attend to stay in the running. A shortlist goes on to interview with further committees.
Selection looks for leadership, perseverance, scholarship, service to humankind and innovation. Once awarded, the scholarship runs four years or eight semesters, with a 3.5 GPA required each year to keep it.
