WSIA Education Foundation Scholarship Opening Soon
Offered by Wholesale & Specialty Insurance Association Education Foundation
About This Scholarship
The Wholesale & Specialty Insurance Association Education Foundation awards up to 30 scholarships of $5,000 each to undergraduates headed toward the excess and surplus lines insurance industry — the specialty market that insures risks standard carriers will not touch. The money arrives as two $2,500 checks, one for the fall semester and one for spring, and recipients can earn an extra $250 by completing the foundation's Surplus Lines Fundamentals online course. Previous winners are allowed to reapply every year, so a sophomore who wins could theoretically collect three times.
Eligibility targets students already circling the industry: you need a 3.00 overall GPA (or 3.25 in your major), full-time enrollment as a sophomore, junior, or senior, and either a risk management and insurance major, minor, or concentration, completed RMI coursework, or insurance industry work experience. You must also plan a career in excess and surplus lines and be authorized to work in the United States without current or future visa sponsorship. Graduate students are not eligible.
The application itself is manageable — a two-page resume, unofficial transcripts, and one essay of up to 500 words on how you will make an impact in the surplus lines industry or why you are a good fit for it. With up to 30 awards going to a niche applicant pool of insurance-focused undergrads, the odds here are far better than the award size suggests. Applications for the 2027-2028 cycle open in November 2026 and close in March 2027.
Eligibility
- College sophomore, junior, or senior enrolled full time (at least 12 credit hours); graduate students are not eligible
- Overall GPA of 3.00, or major GPA of 3.25, on a 4.0 scale
- Pursuing a risk management and insurance major, minor, or concentration, having completed RMI courses, or having insurance industry work experience
- Plans to pursue a career in the excess and surplus lines insurance industry
- Authorized to work in the U.S. without requiring employment-based visa sponsorship now or in the future
How To Apply
- Prepare a resume of no more than two pages and unofficial transcripts showing all undergraduate coursework, including transfer credits
- Write a 500-word-max essay answering one of the two prompts about your fit for, or future impact on, the surplus lines industry
- Submit the online application on the WSIA Education Foundation scholarship page after it opens in November 2026
- Watch for winner announcements in April 2027; checks are issued in July 2027 and January 2028
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the $5,000 paid out?
In two $2,500 installments: one check issued in July for the fall semester and one in January for the spring semester. Recipients can also earn $250 by completing the foundation's Surplus Lines Fundamentals online course.
Can I win more than once?
Yes. Previous recipients may reapply each year as long as they still meet the eligibility requirements.
Do I have to be an insurance major?
Not necessarily. An RMI major, minor, or concentration, completed RMI coursework, or insurance industry work experience all qualify, though preference goes to students pursuing an RMI degree.