Scholarships Can Help STEM Majors Pay for College
Everyone's talking about STEM majors these days. People who study science, technology, engineering and math in college have many employment prospects after graduation and may command higher salaries than their counterparts with arts degrees.
Good employment prospects are reason enough for many students to consider getting a degree in a STEM field -- and the plethora of scholarships out there is another great perk.
[Find a STEM scholarship for each type of college student.]
Some of these scholarships are specifically for minority students, who are traditionally underrepresented in the STEM fields. Hispanic students interested in tech, science or math should check out the Great Minds in STEM/HENAAC Scholars Program. The criteria is strict: Students must have a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 and prove they're actively involved in a Hispanic community group. But the rewards are significant: The top award is $10,000.
The AfterCollege STEM Inclusion Scholarship is another award, worth $500, for students who don't traditionally choose these fields. AfterCollege has awarded more than $1,000,000 to students so far.
There's also the ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Math and Science Scholarship, which grants high-achieving STEM students $5,000 scholarships.
[Find more scholarships to feed a curiosity in STEM subjects.]
You don't need to be an ethnic minority to be considered underrepresented in the STEM fields. These are primarily male-dominated areas, and to combat this imbalance there are some scholarships just for female students.
The Girls in STEM award is a $1,000 scholarship; applicants must create a 3-5 minute video about the lack of women in STEM. For a bigger payout, check out the PayScale Women in STEM Scholarship. The prize is worth $2,000, which can make a dent in your college tuition.
Geography also plays a big role in which STEM scholarships you qualify for. Students who attend Albuquerque High School and plan on majoring in a STEM field may qualify for the Barnes W. Rose, Jr. and Eva Rose Nichol Scholarship Program, provided they have a GPA of 3.6 and strong standardized test scores. The program awards up to $700.
[Check out other high-dollar scholarship opportunities.]
Across the country in Virginia, students attending community colleges to start their STEM degrees can apply for the $2,000 Virginia Space Grant Consortium Community College STEM Scholarship Program to cut the cost of college further. Permanent residents of southeast New England have a shot at earning the $1,000 SENEDIA Scholarship; applicants must be studying STEM and be a resident of Massachusetts, Connecticut or Rhode Island.
The AK Steel Foundation Student Scholastic Award is an option for students who live in Appalachian Ohio, plan to major in a STEM field and demonstrate financial need. Scholarship amounts vary.
Even if you aren't an underrepresented student or from one of the geographic areas above, there's no reason to think there aren't STEM scholarships you qualify for. For example, check out the Barry Goldwater Scholarship, which supports academic excellence in science, math and engineering. These merit-based scholarships are worth up to $7,500 annually and can be an enormous help to those who need money for college.
Jessica Zdunek is the content marketing manager for Cappex.com, a free resource that helps match students with their best-fit colleges and provides thousands of scholarships. Cappex.com is also the parent company of College Greenlight, which helps traditionally underrepresented students achieve their educational goals.