Wheatley Scholar Application

Online applications for 2026 recipients will open Fall 2025.

The Jack and Lois Wheatley Endowed Leadership Scholarship is a program that supports up to four semesters of undergraduate work at BYU with the potential for additional support of graduate work at a university of the student's choice.

Wheatley Institute is centered around fortifying the core institutions of the family, religion, and constitutional government. Scholarship applicants should be passionate about this mission and prepared to help further the work of Wheatley Institute.

THE VISION

As disciples of Jesus Christ, we believe that agency, accountability, charity, morality, and spiritual strength are essential to human flourishing.

As students of history and humanity, we believe such personal virtues can be transformed into civic virtue in the presence of trusted and trustworthy institutions of civil society and the rule of law.

Accordingly, Wheatley Institute engages students, scholars, thought leaders, and the public in research-supported work that fortifies the core institutions of the family, religion, and constitutional government.

This scholarship endowment was established to inspire and motivate students to develop ethical leadership attributes while pursuing their academic goals related to the core institutions of family, religion as an institution of civil society, and constitutional government. The expectation is that each recipient will continue to prepare to assume leadership responsibilities in their home, their workplace, their church and their community.

WHEATLEY SCHOLARS

Each recipient of the scholarship is required to find a faculty mentor and complete an academic project for which they initiate and execute good work beyond required curriculum. The formats for past projects have included research papers, poster presentations, websites, manuals, portfolios, books, and, in one case, an annotated index.

Scholarship recipients are invited to:

• Attend small group gatherings with visiting scholars

• Register for a first block class taught by Wheatley Fellows and leaders

• Volunteer at Wheatley events and assist with other projects at the Wheatley Institute

Scholarship recipients also receive periodic announcements of special programs at other institutions and have the first opportunity to apply for student positions at Wheatley.

We are looking for students who are:

• Maintaining a 3.5 GPA
• In their sophomore year
• Working for good beyond their personal goals
• Successful in enlisting others to help improve the world around them
• Servant leaders who plan and implement actions to reach their vision
• Actively and intentionally participating in the mission of BYU, keeping their subject matter “bathed in the light and color of the restored gospel”

Selection Process

Wheatley Scholars are selected based on:

• An online application filled out by the student
• A faculty recommendation
• A personal reference letter

Applications for 2026 recipients will open Fall 2025.