UT students have received Goldwater Scholarships at least since 2005 when Troy Alexander Perkins, Emily Reagan Pritchard, and Brini Jantha Ratliff were recipients. Congress established the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education program in 1986 in honor of former US Senator and 1964 Republican presidential candidate Barry M. Goldwater of Arizona. It annually awards scholarships to approximately three hundred college sophomores and juniors who intend to pursue a career in science, mathematics, or engineering, with a maximum award of $7,500. Universities are allowed to nominate only four undergraduate students a year to receive the scholarship.