Departmental Scholarships

Through the generosity of Louise Taft Semple, the Department of Classics is able to offer a number of Semple Scholarships and Centennial Scholarships to excellent students.

Semple Scholarships

Semple Scholarships are awarded to students who are enrolled in Latin or Greek at the 3000 level or above and will continue studying Latin and/or Greek each semester throughout their undergraduate careers. The scholarships cover instate tuition at the University of Cincinnati and are available to incoming and current students. A declared major or second major in Classics is required as of junior year, but not before. Semple Scholarships may not be held for more than four years.

Centennial Scholarships

Centennial Scholarships are awarded to students who have declared a major in Classical Civilization or Classics and have stood out from their peers in at least two courses completed in the Department of Classics at the University of Cincinnati. Enrollment in at least one departmental course is required each semester. The scholarships cover instate tuition at the University of Cincinnati and are available to incoming and current students. Centennial Scholarships may not be held for more than four years.

How to Apply

Incoming Students

Incoming students should apply online starting in January.

There is a common application (available in January) for the Semple and Centennial Scholarships. We request contact information, a statement of your goals in studying Classics, and three confidential letters of recommendation from teachers who know you and your work. The teachers need not be Latin teachers.

A Latin diagnostic examination will be administered to each external applicant. The 2023 exam will be administered in mid-February. Alternative arrangements can be made, if this time is impossible.

University of Cincinnati Undergraduates

Current UC undergraduates should submit a letter of application and statement of purpose to the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. in a single document by February 1. Indicate which scholarship you are applying for.

Candidates for the Semple Scholarship should request a letter of recommendation from a faculty member who has taught them or is teaching them in a Latin or Greek course at the 3000 level or above.

Candidates for the Centennial Scholarship should request a letter of recommendation from a faculty member who has taught or is teaching them in any course at the University of Cincinnati.

Current University grade point average, the list of courses completed, and opinions of all faculty and instructors will be considered as part of all internal applications. These do not need to be provided by applicants.All application materials should be sent to:

Director of Undergraduate Studies
Department of Classics
University of Cincinnati
PO Box 210226
Cincinnati, OH 45221-0226
Telephone 513-556-3050
Fax 513-556-4366

Recipients will be notified of their awards on or about March 10. The award of a Semple Scholarship in no way affects the recipient's right to apply for other scholarship aid offered by the University.

To remain in good standing, Scholars must be fulltime students at the University, maintain requirements of course enrollment and major declaration as specified above, earn a "B" or better in each departmental course taken, and maintain an overall 3.0 University grade point average. Independent study may not be substituted for regularly scheduled courses except in unusual circumstances at the discretion of the undergraduate director. A student who fails to register for appropriate courses as specified above or to attend such a course or who drops below fulltime status will be immediately terminated as a Semple or Centennial Scholar. A student who falls short of the grade requirements in any given semester will be placed on probation for the following semester and terminated thereafter if the grade requirements are not met. A student who is not making suitable progress towards graduation with a Classics or Classical Civilization major within four years may have the Scholarship revoked.

Traveling Scholarship

A Semple Traveling Scholarship may be awarded to one or more students each year. This scholarship will help cover tuition in a foreign study program for a period not to exceed one academic year. Interested students should make application to the department by March 1 of the preceding academic year. The scholarship will be awarded on a competitive basis, although the department may choose not to make the award in any given year.

Undergraduate Prizes

Each spring semester the Department of Classics offers the following undergraduate prizes:

Junior Latin Prize. A translation prize for those who have not taken more than two 3000 level courses in Latin.

Senior Latin Prize. A translation prize for those who have taken more than two 3000 level courses in Latin.

Junior Greek Prize. A translation prize for those who have not taken more than two 3000 level courses in Greek.

Senior Greek Prize. A translation prize for those who have taken more than two 3000 level courses in Greek.

Classical Civilization Prize. A prize for the best paper of 6 pages or more written in a departmental course. Instructors may nominate no more than five papers from each class.

Capstone Prize. A prize for the best Capstone project. This prize will be awarded for an exceptional project, not necessarily every year.

The prizes will be awarded on an annual basis, and the award will be $100 or a book on classical antiquity. The awards will be given out at a reception for undergraduate majors and faculty.