Both a fellowship and a scholarship are considered grants, and sometimes the terms may be used interchangeably. Most fellowships are also scholarships, but scholarships may not be fellowships. Some differences exist between a fellowship and a scholarship, but these can be variable and depend upon the grant-giving organization.

A fellowship and a scholarship are usually differentiated because scholarships tend to be given to undergraduate college students, primarily for the purpose of general education expenses. They may be limited as to the type of major a student has, but most are more general and award gifts of money for education based on superior school performance. Some also take into account need, or may require specific skills. The Miss USA pageant and Miss America pageant are both scholarship programs. Women who win these pageants receive money to continue their education at the undergraduate or graduate level.

In many cases, you don’t need to get into a swimsuit in order to win a scholarship. Most are based on application only, and any qualifications that make you particularly eligible to receive the scholarship. There are many peculiar conditions which may make you eligible for a scholarship: your last name, your status as a single parent, your possessing a disabling condition, or your specific research goals as a student. More general scholarships given by countries and states may be given to students who will attend school full time, have a minimum grade point average (GPA) of at least a B average, and who can demonstrate financial need.

One difference between a fellowship and a scholarship is that most fellowships are not based on need. They are usually based on skill, GPA, and qualifications to work in a certain field. Another distinction between a fellowship and a scholarship, is that most fellowships are payment for some type of work, such as teaching at the college level, while obtaining a master’s degree or Ph.D, or doing extra training in a hospital to earn board certification as a specialist in a certain field of medicine after an M.D. has been earned. Fellowships tend to pay for internships or fieldwork, so that students, usually at the graduate level, can enhance their training in their field of interest.

There are some paid internships available to students at the undergraduate level. These may qualify as both a fellowship and a scholarship, or they may simply be referred to as scholarships. Many of the country’s top museums offer fellowship and intern opportunities to students at the undergraduate level, usually in their junior or senior year of college.

The fellowship further implies a limited timeline and a stated period of months in which work or internships will be completed and people will be paid. The main difference here between a fellowship and a scholarship is that most scholarships last for at least a semester in school, though some may be given more generally to pay for school expenses. Fellowships can last for a few days, a few weeks, a couple of months, a year, or a couple of years depending upon the scope of the work involved, and they normally pay in increments, by monthly stipend, instead of awarding the total amount of money at one time.