David B. Smith Scholarship

The David B. Smith Scholarship is presented annually in honor of David B. Smith, a magna cum laude graduate of KSU, to recognize exceptional scholarship and teaching. David tragically passed away in a fire in his apartment; he was pursuing his MBA at the time. Normally, one award is made each year.

Criteria:

• Must be a currently enrolled graduate degree-seeking student.
• Full time enrollment required.
• Outstanding scholarship and teaching.
• Excellent academic record, including a minimum graduate GPA of 3.50.

Award:

Recipients receive a $500 monetary award.

Application and Selection Processes:

Submit electronic application by Feb. 15 for consideration for the following year. The completed application should include a scholarship statement, a curriculum vitae (CV) or resume, and a letter of recommendation from a current Kent State University Faculty member. All materials must be received by the deadline.

Applications are reviewed by a committee comprised of faculty representing various ranks and disciplines. Recipients are selected by the Dean of the Graduate College.

For questions, please contact the Graduate College at GraduateCollege@kent.edu.

The application window for the 2025-2026 academic year is closed.

If you are selected to receive a scholarship, fellowship, graduate assistantship, tuition waiver or any other award, your current financial aid offer, including student loans, could be reduced. If you would like to know how your financial aid offer may be affected by another award, please contact the Financial, Billing and Enrollment Center for assistance. To learn more about taxes on scholarships and fellowships, visit the Tax and Treasury Services webpage.