Statistics, Actuarial and Data Sciences Scholarships
Each year the Department of Statistics, Actuarial and Data Sciences awards a number of scholarships based on academic success, academic focus or career aspirations for and continuing students. Below you'll find information about each of the available scholarships as well as each individual scholarship application process.
Lee Endowed Scholarship
About: The scholarship was established in 2013 by Carl Lee and his wife, Ye-Fu Lee '94. Carl Lee is a professor in the Department of Statistics, Actuarial and Data Sciences and is the department's founding Chair. Carl joined CMU in August 1984, beginning his career as faculty in the Department of Mathematics, his first and only job for the entirety of his professional life. In addition to receiving CMU’s President's Award for Outstanding Research & Creative Activity and the Faculty Distinguished Service Award, Carl was elected as a Fellow of the American Statistical Association (ASA) in 2008 for outstanding research and significant contributions to the Statistical Professions. Ye-Fu came to CMU in 1988 as a Computer Programmer in the Office of Information Technology, having retired in 2013.
Eligibility: The recipient of this non-renewable award must be pursuing a major in Statistics, Actuarial Science, or Data Science and must have a cumulative minimum GPA of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale. An application is not required to be considered for this scholarship. The scholarship recipient will be the highest academic achieving student at the conclusion of their Junior year with preference given to recipients who demonstrate financial need.
Amount: The recipient and amount of this scholarship will be determined by the Department of Statistics, Actuarial and Data Sciences in consultation with the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid. Disbursement of this award will be in the recipient’s Senior year.
Miles Actuarial Award
About: The Miles Actuarial Award was established in 2007 by CMU professor Dr. Thomas Miles and his spouse Cindy. Income from the endowment will support a renewable award to Actuarial Science majors who have successful performance in courses preparing for the actuarial exam and to assist in the expense of taking the actuarial exam(s). Preference will be given to active members of Gamma Iota Sigma.
Eligibility: Actuarial Science majors who have successfully passed one or more of the following actuarial exams must provide proof of their success to the Department of Statistics, Actuarial and Data Sciences to receive a scholarship for the following amounts:
- Exam FM (Financial Mathematics) - $250.00
- Exam IFM (Investment and Financial Markets) - $350.00
- Exam P (Probability) - $250.00
- Exam PA (Predictive Analytics) - $225.00
- Exam SRM (Statistics for Risk Modeling) - $325.00
Amount: Scholarships awarded will be based on the specific actuarial exam passed and will be disbursed after proof is provided to the STAD department office.
Daniel & Barbara Wardrop Endowed Fund for Statistics, Actuarial & Data Sciences
About: This scholarship was established in 2018 by Daniel '78 and Barbara Wardrop '78. The Wardrops established this scholarship to encourage Seniors to pursue a Masters degree or Doctoral degree after graduation from Central Michigan University.
Eligibility: This non-renewable scholarship will support recipients with a cumulative minimum GPA of 3.25 and are one of the following:
- A Senior with a major in Statistics, Actuarial Science, Data Science or Math who intends to pursue a Graduate Degree.
- A student completing their first year, who will be entering their second year, of the Accelerated Masters in Applied Statistics & Analytics or the Accelerated Masters in Mathematics and intending to pursue a PhD degree.
Preference given to recipients who articulate the desire to attend Virginia Tech University for their graduate program of choice and to recipients who submit a personal narrative describing their interest and intent in earning a masters or doctoral degree in the fields of applied statistics, actuarial science or math.
Amount: $2,500 non-renewable scholarship.
Deadline Date: September 30, 2025
Application Process: Students may complete the 2025-2026 Daniel & Barbara Wardrop Endowed Fund for Statistics, Actuarial & Data Sciences application to be considered for this award. Additionally, this application will also be sent by the STAD department to potential students meeting the scholarship qualifications. The scholarship recipient will be selected by the end of October and announced at the end of November. The recipient of this scholarship will be determined by the Department of Statistics, Actuarial and Data Sciences in consultation with the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid