Many students and teachers hear about STEM Scholarships but are unsure of exactly what they are and how to get one.
While there is no single designation for a STEM Scholarship, you’ll find that many schools and universities offer them, each with their own rules on qualifications.
So, what is a STEM Scholarship, and how do you go about getting one?
The Basics Of STEM Scholarships
STEM is short for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
STEM Scholarships are generally open to anyone who is interested in these fields and is currently undertaking projects or applying to attend college with an intent to major in one of these fields.
They are also available to learning institutions in order to aid in financing STEM projects in the classroom. Institutional Scholarships are vital because the components and projects used in teaching STEM are often expensive. Without these scholarships, many great minds that are interested in technology, math and engineering may never have the chance to explore them through hands-on learning.
Tuition scholarships are a broad spectrum and there are a lot of them available, but you may find that the qualifications for each scholarship are different.
Depending on the grantee of the scholarship, there may be restrictions on age and field of study and stipulations for applications on the funds allotted.
For example, if you are working on a robotics project, a STEM Scholarship that’s granted by an organization working for environmental cleanup may not accept your project, unless it has applications that apply to environmental projects.
Be sure to read the rules and intent of each scholarship you apply for.
Using Projects To Land A STEM Scholarship
In many cases, applicants will be required to submit a proposal for a future project, a description of a current project, or the write-up from a past project as part of an application. This is actually a terrific way to get yourself on the short-list for consideration. If you start early enough you can actually design specific projects intentionally to support your scholarship application. If you’ve completed your project, documentation should include, plans, a technical write-up of components used, intent of the finished project and a short video in which you describe your project.It’s a good idea to include what you learned and how you’d like to expand on your work.
These projects can be targeted to a specific cause or general research and application of technologies. You can design a robot, or attempt to build a machine that solves a current topical problem.
A great example of STEM problem solving is the crisis that occurred in Texas several years ago when the Deepwater Horizon oil well began leaking. Engineers had to design and fabricate a cap that functioned underwater. Your project does not need to be quite that dramatic or intensive, but don’t be afraid to think big.
Resources For Projects Ideas
Mechanical Engineering projects From Beginner To Advanced
10 Cool & Challenging Engineering Projects For Kids
The Ultimate List Of Engineering Projects
7 Arduino Projects For Beginners
Now Back To STEM Scholarships
To recap, to apply for a STEM Scholarship, you’re going to need the following:
- You must be eligible for that scholarship. Be sure to double check qualifying standards.
- You will need a project.
- You will need a technological write-up of your project and the components used.
- You will need a short video describing yourself, your project, the intentions of your build and how you will apply the scholarship funds.
STEM Scholarships For High School Students
Traditionally, High School students apply for these scholarships to either complete work on a project in high school, or to apply for scholarships to help fund higher education at STEM-focused fields of study in College.
The following STEM Scholarships are open to the High School students and have a closing date in 2019.
Click the links to read more about each scholarship and how to apply.
AAAS Mass Media Science and Engineering Fellows Program
ACF Barnes W. Rose, Jr. and Eva Rose Nichol Scholarship Program
(Albuquerque area only)
AFCEA Washington, DC Chapter Scholarship
(Washington area only)
American Society of Human Genetics Essay Contest
STEM Scholarships for Secondary Education
Chevron Society of Women Engineers Scholarship.
Tyler J. Viney Memorial Scholarship.
Royce Osborne Minority Student Scholarship.
Siemens Clinical Advancement Scholarship Program.
Dr. William W.L. “Bill” Taylor Memorial Scholarship Competition.
STEM Scholarships For Minorities
More institutions of higher learning are realizing that minority students have a need for focused scholarships in order to help them achieve their education in STEM fields.
The lack of minority members either working in or pursuing careers in STEM areas has lead to an under-representation of minorities in the field.
To help solve this problem, many schools offer scholarships that are only open to minority applicants.
NACME offers various scholarship opportunities for minorities in STEM.
Gates Millennium Scholars Program
National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering STEM Scholarships
Great Minds in STEM scholarships
The Google Lime Scholarship– focus on students with disabilities.
STEM Scholarships for Women
Like minorities, women are historically underrepresented in STEM fields. To help encourage women to pursue STEM course studies and careers, more institutions are offering scholarships that are only open to women as applicants.
Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship
Women in Science Environmental Scholarship
Women in Wireless Communications Scholarship
Society of Women Engineers – Boston Scholarship
Other STEM Scholarship Resources
These lists are not all-inclusive, and your High School counselor or College Ombudsman may have other avenues for funding that you could pursue.
Students interested in STEM Scholarships should also check the following sites regularly for information and current scholarship offerings:
These sites frequently update the scholarships they have listed as they expire or are created.
They also offer tips, guides, and information about each institution and STEM field, making them a great resource for students to learn more about STEM Scholarship requirements, what is frequently needed to apply, and STEM fields basics.
If you need more information regarding establishing a scholarship fund within your own school or pursuing a scholarship to be used in the pursuit of a higher education in STEM, contact your local educational offices.
If you need more information about what items you need in order to apply for a STEM scholarship, several colleges, such as MIT have begun publishing their Makerspaces online to serve an educational and inspirational purpose to younger students interested in STEM coursework.
If you’d like to further your STEM Studies, remember some organizations such as NASA and DOD offer internships to high school students and undergraduates to allow further exploration of STEM and enable field training in the application of technologies.
Teachers Seeking To Create STEM Scholarships
Teachers can also work to establish STEM Scholarships in their own schools by approaching their local school board with a proposal for the implementation and award of STEM funding to students.
In this way, teachers can work to access funds from the local community in which to purchase the supplies needed to teach STEM courses.
