Top Scholarships for STEM, CS and IT Majors
There's a wide range of scholarships for aspiring tech pros; here are some of the most interesting and valuable.
Information technology is among the most lucrative and opportunity-rich domains in the modern workforce, and a college degree is the best way to get a leg up in this competitive field. However, in today’s economy, paying for school can be challenging. Thankfully, there’s a variety of scholarships that can help you fund a world-class education in CS (computer science), IT (information technology) and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) disciplines.
We scour the web, evaluate and reevaluate the most dynamic scholarships with the biggest payouts to find the best awards for students pursuing a career in IT. Most of the scholarships on this list are tech-focused, but we’ll also feature some undeniable awards that can be applied to any field. Some contests only accept applicants from a certain demographic or socioeconomic group - in these cases, we’ll outline those requirements in the scholarship’s description.
Here are our favorite scholarships for computing and information technology majors:
SMART Scholarship Program
Funded by the Department of Defense (DoD), the Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship-for-Service Program, is an educational and professional development opportunity for STEM students. SMART scholarship recipients gain the tools and resources to pursue a top-tier college degree in a technical discipline, with the understanding that they will join the DoD civilian workforce upon graduation. SMART is a one-for-one commitment, meaning that for every year of degree funding, the scholarship recipient agrees to work one year for the DoD.
Award: Full Tuition & Education Expenses (up to $38,000 / year) and more
Application Opens Application Closes August 1, 2022 December 1, 2022 (ISC)2 Undergraduate Scholarships
Best tech scholarship for aspiring cyber security professionals.
Sponsored by (ISC)2 - one of the world’s leading certifying bodies for information security professionals - this scholarship is designed to help aspiring IT professionals ease the financial burden of a high-tech education. Requirements for this scholarship include pursuing or planning to pursue a college degree with a focus on cybersecurity or information assurance, being a high school senior or undergraduate college student with plans to pursue a degree in the Fall, and a GPA of 3.3 or greater. Scholarship applicants must submit essays that will be scored on three domains: passion, merit, and financial need.
Award: Three (3) awards of $5,000 each (renewable for 4 years for a total of $20,000)
Application Opens Application Closes January 1, 2022 March 15, 2022 Google Student Veterans of America Scholarship
In partnership with Student Veterans of America, Google created this scholarship program for military veterans pursuing college degrees in the IT space. Requirements for the Google SVA Scholarship include actively pursuing a degree in computer science, computer engineering, information systems or a related field, strong grades, and good standing with his or her military branch and/or honorable discharge. Candidates for this award must answer three 500-word essay questions and provide a letter of reference from an instructor, adviser or supervisor.
Award: Multiple awards of $10,000 each
Application Opens Application Closes Now Open January 31, 2022 Women at Microsoft Scholarship
This scholarship aims to empower high school women to pursue a college education, realize the global impact of technology, and target a rewarding career in the field of computing. Eligibility requirements for the Women at Microsoft scholarship include being a graduating high school senior who identifies as a woman, a GPA of 3.0 or higher, plans to attend a technical training or degree program in the Fall, and the intention to pursue a career in a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) discipline. Applicants for this scholarship must write a 500-word essay and provide two letters of recommendation.
Award: Three (3) awards for $5,000 each (renewable for 4 years for total of $20,000)
Application Opens Application Closes January 1, 2022 March 15, 2022 Latinos in Technology Scholarship
Established by the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley, the Latinos in Technology scholarship will help up to one-hundred Latino students obtain a college education and get set up for success in the high-tech workforce. The LIT Scholarship aims to diversify IT by supporting a robust pipeline of Latino professionals in STEM careers. Eligibility requirements include Latino or Hispanic origin (as defined by US Census data), STEM major declaration and college acceptance, demonstrated financial need, and a GPA above 3.0.
Award: One-hundred (100) scholarships up to $30,000 each (paid over three years)
Application Opens Application Closes January 3, 2022 March 18, 2022 (ISC)2 Graduate Scholarships
Another contest from information security certification leader, (ISC)2, this scholarship is designed to help graduate students with funding to conduct special research and/or financial assistance for grad school tuition and fees. Eligibility requirements include the current pursuit of master’s or doctoral degree in cybersecurity, a GPA of at least 3.5 out of 4, and citizenship of any country (so US citizenship is not required). Applicants must complete a few short essay questions, and include a resume/CV, a letter of recommendation and their latest transcripts.
Award: Twenty (20) scholarships from $1,000 to $5,000
Application Opens Application Closes November 15, 2021 March 7, 2022 Society of Women Engineers Scholarship
The SWE Scholarship provides a variety of awards to support women attending community college, associate, bachelor’s or graduate programs with the goal of building a career in engineering, information technology or computer science. Requirements include identifying as a female/woman, and plans to enroll in or prior acceptance to an ABET-accredited college degree program as a fulltime student.
Award: 200+ scholarships from $1,000 to $17,000
Application Opens Application Closes December 1, 2021 (Sophomore and up) January 31, 2022 (Sophomore and up) March 1, 2021 (Freshman class) May15, 2022 (Freshman class) Lockheed Martin STEM Scholarship
Lockheed Martin - the aerospace, defense, technology and cybersecurity giant - launched its STEM Scholarship program as an investment in the next generation of America’s high-tech talent. Each year, this program awards $10,000 to two-hundred students pursuing a college degree in majors such as aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, physics, and computer engineering. STEM scholarship eligibility requirements include US citizenship, demonstrated financial need, and a GPA over 2.5. Additional consideration is given to applicants traditionally underrepresented in STEM careers, including (but not limited to) women, minorities, disabled people, first-generation college students, and veterans.
Award: Two-hundred (200) scholarships for $10,000 each (renewable 4 times to $40k maximum)
Application Opens Application Closes January 10, 2022 N/A Science Post Graduate Scholarship Fund
As opposed to offering financial support for a college education, this unique scholarship from the American Indian Graduate Center provides funding for professional development - such as IT training and certification prep - in STEM fields. This award is only open to members of a US-recognized American Indian Tribe, Alaska Native group, or those possessing 1/4 degree Indian blood. There is actually a host of college scholarships for American Indians offered by the AIGC - here’s a complete listing.
Award: Multiple scholarships from $1,200 to $10,000 each
Application Opens Application Closes Now Open June 1, 2022 Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship
Amazon offers a top-tier scholarship program for the next generation of programmers, IT professionals, computer scientists and engineers. In addition to one-hundred awards of $40k each ($10,000 per year), scholarship recipients get a guaranteed paid internship at Amazon after their first year of college to put their newfound computing skills to the test. Eligibility requirements for the AFE scholarship include demonstrated financial need, being a high school senior with a minimum GPA of 3.0 out of 4.0, and plans to obtain a bachelor’s degree in computer science, software engineering or a related field of study.
Award: 100 scholarships for $40,000 each + Paid internship at Amazon
Application Opens Application Closes Now Open January 25, 2022
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