Barbara Lotze Scholarship for Future Physics Teachers

About this scholarship

The Barbara Lotze Scholarship for Future Physics Teachers helps students prepare to teach physics at the high-school level. The American Association of Physics Teachers awards successful applicants a stipend of up to $3,000 and a complimentary one-year AAPT student membership. The scholarship can be granted to the same individual in each of four years, subject to renewed selection. Eligible applicants are U.S. citizens attending U.S. schools who either are undergraduate students at an accredited two-year college, four-year college, or university or are high-school seniors already accepted for such enrollment. Each candidate must pursue or plan a course of study leading to high-school physics teaching, formally intend to enter that career, and show promise of academic success. The current AAPT application is online and uses a free ComPADRE account for access. A student can create an account or log in from the direct application route rather than searching the association site. AAPT considers complete applications at its winter board meeting. For the 2026 cycle, the student portion is due December 1, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern, and reference letters must arrive by December 5. The updated link now lands at the actual application login instead of an obsolete account URL.

Eligibility

• Be a citizen of the United States
• Attend or plan to attend an accredited two-year college, four-year college, or university in the United States
• Be an undergraduate or a high-school senior accepted for undergraduate enrollment
• Pursue or plan a course of study leading to high-school physics teaching
• Declare an intention to prepare for and work in a high-school physics-teaching career
• Show promise of academic success
• Submit the application by December 1, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern
• Ensure references are received by December 5, 2026