Saving Money With STEM Scholarships for Students

Pursuing a career in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) can be exciting and rewarding, but it can also be financially challenging. Many students are passionate about these fields but may be deterred by the high cost of higher education. Thankfully, there are numerous scholarships available that can help make a STEM education more affordable.

General STEM Scholarships

Davidson Fellows Scholarship: The Davidson Fellows Scholarship offers awards up to $50,000 for students who have completed exceptional projects with potential to improve society.
Science Talent Search (STS): This prestigious competition rewards students' original research with scholarships ranging from $2,000 to $250,000.
Breakthrough Junior Challenge: Students ages 13 to 18 can enter this competition by creating a short video that explains a scientific concept. The grand prize is a $250,000 scholarship.
R&D Systems Scholarship: The R&D Systems Scholarship supports students pursuing degrees in science-related fields, including life sciences, medical sciences, and health sciences.
SMART Scholarship Eligibility and Program Requirements: The SMART (Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation) Scholarship, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, provides funding for college as well as mentorship, summer internships, and a job after graduation.
National Merit Scholarship Program: The National Merit Scholarship Program, administered by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), is an annual academic competition that began in 1955 and is open to all majors.
AFCEA STEM Majors Scholarships for Undergraduate Students: The AFCEA Educational Foundation offers competitive scholarships to U.S. undergraduate students pursuing STEM degrees.
Goldwater Scholarship Competition: The Barry Goldwater Scholarship is aimed at supporting U.S. college sophomores and juniors working toward careers in the natural sciences, engineering, or mathematics.
Edison Scholars Program: The Edison Scholars Program, administered by Edison International, offers $50,000 college scholarships to 30 high school seniors in Southern California Edison's service area.
AEOP Scholarships and Grants: The Army Educational Outreach Program offers a range of scholarships and grants to support students pursuing STEM education.

K-12 STEM Scholarships

FIRST Tech Challenge Team Grants: The FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) is a competition in which teams design, build, and program robots to compete in a head-to-head challenge.
U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize: The U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP) is the nation's top award for high school students conducting water-related scientific research.
MIT THINK Scholars Program: The MIT THINK Scholars Program helps students who have done background research for a science, technology, or engineering project but lack the financial resources to complete it. Winners receive $1,000 and the opportunity for mentoring from MIT students.
ExploraVision STEM Competition: This is a competition in which teams of students envision future technologies. Winners receive up to $10,000 in savings bonds.

Scholarships for Specific STEM Fields

Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Scholarship Program: This program provides financial assistance to women pursuing engineering degrees.
Pega Scholars Program: The Pega Scholars Program, administered by Scholarship America, offers $2,000 scholarships to high school seniors and current college students pursuing computer science or technology degrees.
ASCE Scholarships for Civil Engineering Students: The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) offers a variety of scholarships to support undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in civil engineering.
Virginia Space Grant Consortium Graduate STEM Research Fellowships: This program provides $6,000 fellowships for graduate students conducting aerospace-related research.
SME Education Foundation Scholarships: The SME Education Foundation supports students pursuing degrees related to manufacturing technology with both merit-based and need-based funding.
Society of Exploration Geophysicists Scholarships: SEG supports students of geophysics and related sciences with scholarships of up to $10,000.

Scholarships for Minority and Underrepresented Groups

UNCF STEM Scholars Program: Backed by the Fund II Foundation, this program gives scholarships and other opportunities to African American students pursuing STEM degrees.
Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF): The Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) provides scholarships ranging from $500 to $5,000 to outstanding students of Hispanic heritage pursuing higher education.
Ron Brown Scholarship: The Ron Brown Signature Scholarship is named for Ronald H. Brown, the first African American commerce secretary.
GMiS STEM Scholarship Guidelines: Great Minds in STEM (GMiS) supports Hispanic undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in STEM-related fields with this scholarship program.

International Student STEM Scholarships

British Council Women in STEM Scholarship: In an effort to help close the gender gap in STEM careers, the British Council offers scholarships toward earning a master's degree at a U.K. college.
Schwarzman Scholars Program: Fully funded scholarships for international students at Tsinghua University in China are available through this program that focuses on developing global leaders in STEM fields.
Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (JJ/WBGSP): The Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (JJ/WBGSP) gives full scholarships to students in developing countries working toward master's degrees in development-related fields.
Fulbright Foreign Student Program: The Fulbright Foreign Student Program offers graduate students, young professionals, and artists from abroad the opportunity to study and conduct research in the United States.

Tips for Future STEM Majors

Start Early: Search for scholarships at least six months before your application deadline.
Stay Organized: Keep a list of the scholarships you're applying for and note their deadlines to avoid missing out.
Check Eligibility: Ensure that you meet the specific requirements for each scholarship to maximize your chances of success.
Use Scholarship Search Engines: Websites like Fastweb.com and Scholarships.com are excellent tools for finding more opportunities.
Personalize Your Application: Tailor each application to the scholarship's theme, showing how your skills and achievements align with their goals.