Atlanta, GA – June 2025 – The Stamps Scholars Program announces its 20th class of Stamps Scholars, welcoming 398 exceptional students from 34 esteemed partner institutions across the United States in 2025. This milestone class marks two decades of championing future leaders, empowering them to pursue their goals and make lasting impacts in communities around the world.
Chosen from a highly competitive pool of 527,824 applicants, the 2025 Stamps Scholars represent the next generation of change-makers. They are united by a shared passion for addressing the world’s most pressing challenges, along with an unwavering commitment to academic excellence, leadership, and service.
This year’s cohort hails from 40 U.S. states, two U.S. territories, and 21 countries, bringing with them a remarkable range of experiences, talents, and aspirations. Many have already made meaningful contributions in their communities and are pursuing ambitious goals, such as designing sustainable energy solutions, reforming the U.S. prison system, studying the intersection of artificial intelligence and art, using computer science to construct prosthetic limbs, and serving as Secretary of State, to name some.
“Twenty years ago, Penny and I imagined a partnership with great universities which would enable some of the world’s brightest and most driven young men and women to move closer to their lives’ objectives,” said E. Roe Stamps, benefactor of the Stamps Scholars Program. “Seeing how this community has grown, and what our Scholars have accomplished, is one of the greatest joys of my life. I am honored to welcome our 20th class and excited to support their journeys.”
Since its founding in 2006 with partnerships at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Michigan, the Stamps Scholars Program has grown into an international community of 37 partner institutions, with a network of 1,239 current Scholars and 2,762 alumni. In total, the Stamps family has granted 4,144 scholarships, transforming the lives of students and families across the globe.
The Stamps Scholarship covers up to the full cost of attendance for four years of undergraduate study at most partner institutions, along with generous enrichment funds for academic and professional development. These funds support opportunities such as study abroad, research, internships, and conference participation. With an estimated total value of $67,000,000, this year’s awards reinforce the program’s ongoing commitment to nurturing globally-minded, service-driven leaders.
Stamps Scholarships are also awarded to select sophomores at a number of prestigious institutions, including the U.S. Air Force Academy, the U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy, the University of Chicago, Dartmouth College, Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of Georgia, the University of Michigan, and Wake Forest University.
Beyond financial support, Stamps Scholars benefit from a robust and close-knit network of peers, mentors, and alumni. Through collaborative meet-ups, guidance from institutional advisors, leadership development programming, and alumni-led career panels, Scholars gain access to a lifelong community dedicated to mutual support and growth.
“Receiving this scholarship connected me with a community of dedicated professionals at my institution who encouraged me to shoot for the moon and believed in my ability to excel,” said University of Missouri Scholar Emma McDougal (‘25).
“The enrichment funds available through Stamps have also served a key role in transforming my self-confidence and cultural literacy. I never imagined having the financial support to study abroad in college a single time, much less the three times I was able to live, study, and work abroad! These experiences have taught me so much about myself and the world around me. I cannot overstate how substantially Stamps has changed the trajectory of my life for the better.”
McDougal will attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology this fall, where she plans to pursue a PhD in Chemical Engineering.
As the 20th class of Stamps Scholars begins its journey, it carries forward the legacy of those who came before. Stamps alumni continue to excel in post-graduate endeavors, earning prestigious honors such as Fulbright, Gates Cambridge, Goldwater, Knight-Hennessy, Marshall, Rhodes, Schwarzman, and Truman Scholarships; working with leading organizations like Google, Goldman Sachs, and NASA; and pursuing advanced degrees at top institutions such as Harvard, MIT, Stanford, and Cambridge.
Throughout the 2025-2026 school year, the Stamps Scholars Program will celebrate two decades of transformative impact by sharing profiles on alumni and reflections from partners. Follow along on Linkedin and Instagram.
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About the Stamps Scholars Program
The Stamps Scholars Program was founded in 2006 by E. Roe Stamps and his late wife, Penny, to provide exceptional students with extraordinary educational experiences. Through partnerships with universities across the United States and into the United Kingdom, Scholars receive multi-year awards that range from $6,000 to $93,900 per year, with additional enrichment funds to support study abroad, research, leadership training, and more. Partner institutions and the Stamps Scholars Program share the cost of each award.
Today, the Stamps network includes 4,000 current Scholars and alumni – a vibrant, global community of ambitious thinkers, compassionate leaders, and change-makers. Although Penny Stamps passed away in 2018, her legacy lives on through the Scholars who benefit from the program she helped build.
Learn more at stampsscholars.org.