Financial Aid and Career Opportunities for Women

Undergraduate and Graduate Awards

College Answer

An extensive, searchable database of scholarships and fellowships for students from high school through graduate school. You have to register, but registration is free, as are the searches. You're asked a number of questions that are designed to pinpoint the financial aid opportunities for which you qualify. Sponsored by Sallie Mae.

College Scholarships for Women, Graduate Fellowships, Research Internships & Grants

Large, well-organized site with a searchable database. In addition to a section for women, there are sections devoted to subject areas and sections for specific racial/ethnic groups such as African Americans, Ethnic Groups & Studies, Hispanic Americans, Minorities, Native Americans, as well as a host of other sections.

Gates Millennium Scholars Program

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has made a one-billion-dollar commitment to support the college and graduate education of high-achieving, low-income African American, Hispanic American, Native American/Alaskan Native, and Asian Pacific American students in the disciplines of mathematics, science, engineering, education, and library science, where these groups are severely underrepresented.

Google Anita Borg Scholarships

To honor computer scientist Dr. Anita Borg, the search engine Google is offering $10,000 scholarships for female undergraduate or graduate students in computer science, computer engineering, or a related field during the 2017-18 academic year (amount and eligibility differs for applicants from Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia). See website for further information about eligibility and deadline.

Grants for Individuals

The Michigan State University Libraries have put together this exceptionally valuable listing of scholarships and fellowships. It is arranged by Academic Level (pre-college to post-doctoral), by Population Group (including Disabled, GLBT, Minorities, Non-Traditional, Veterans, and Women), and by Subject (Sciences includes technology).

Helping Women Pay for College

This website from Affordable Colleges Online offers information about scholarships for women who are current or new college students, and some information about funding for graduate study as well. Separate sections deal with scholarships in Business, Computer Science, Education and Teaching, Engineering, Math, Nursing, Physical & Life Sciences, and Graduate Study. The site also includes related resources, such as an interview with an admissions expert, and sources of funding aside from scholarships.

Office of Personnel Management's Scholarships for Service: Cyber Corps

The Office of Personnel Management's Cyber Corps program offers up to two years of tuition, room, board, books, and an annual stipend for undergraduates and graduate students at selected colleges and universities who are interested in the "information assurance" field. The awards carry with them an obligation to perform a 10-week internship and to work for a U. S. Federal agency in an information assurance position for a period of up to two years. The awards are open only to U. S. citizens. More information is available at the web site.

Society of Women Engineers Scholarship Program

Annual awards open to women pursuing baccalaureate or graduate degrees in ABET-accredited engineering programs, engineering at SWE-approved schools, or computer science in CSAB-accredited programs, or ABET-accredited or SWE-approved schools. See website for more information.

Women@SCS

This website at Carnegie Mellon University offers a large list of financial aid opportunities for women at the undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral level, primarily but not exclusively for those interested in Computer Science and related fields.

Women Getting Financial Aid for School

This site from the Community for Accredited Online Schools offers specific information about scholarships, fellowships, grants, and expert advice on applying. There is a General section as well as sections for Education Majors, Single Mothers, STEM Majors, Leadership for Women, and Non-traditional Students/Women over 35.

Undergraduate Scholarships

APS/IBM Research Internship for Undergraduate Women

The American Physical Society and IBM sponsor a summer research internship program to encourage undergraduate women students to pursue graduate studies in science (including computer science) and engineering. The internships carry a salary and include an additional $2500 for use during the school year. Female students with sophomore or junior standing at a US college or university at the time of application are eligible. Minimum 3.0 GPA. No citizenship restrictions.

College Scholarships.org

In addition to a $500 scholarship for female students, College Scholarships.org also offers awards for bloggers and for students studying web design or library & information science, as well as for minority students. See the website for details.

College Success for Women in STEM

This site from the organization Affordable Colleges Online offers information about "scholarships, programs, and organizations helping women bridge the STEM gender gap." In addition to financial aid info, there are sections on attracting girls to STEM, degree trends for women in STEM, best careers for women in STEM, and more.

CWIT Scholars Program

The Center for Women in Technology at UMBC offers a merit scholarship program for talented undergraduates majoring in computer science, information systems, business technology administration (with a technical focus), computer engineering, mechanical engineering, chemical/biochemical/environmental engineering, or a related program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). CWIT Scholars receive four-year scholarships ranging from $5,000 – $15,000 per academic year for in-state students, and from $10,000 – $22,000 per academic year for out-of-state students, to cover full tuition, mandatory fees, and other expenses. Each CWIT Scholar participates in special courses and activities and receive mentoring from faculty and participating members of the IT and engineering communities.

Dotcom-Monitor Women in Computing Scholarship

To encourage and support female undergraduate students who are pursuing careers in computing, Dotcom-Monitor has established a $1000 scholarship. One scholarship is awarded each year. To be eligible, the student must be enrolled as a full-time undergraduate in an accredited college or university in the United States or Canada. Applicants should have already declared their major or have completed at least one academic year in computer science, computer engineering, or a closely related technical field. See the website for more information.

FinAid

Billing itself "The SmartStudent^tm Guide to Financial Aid," this site offers information and advice about scholarships, loans, other types of aid, calculating need, recognizing scams, and more. It links to the FastWeb Scholarship Search, for which you have to register (no cost).

Foundation for Information Technology Education

The Foundation's website lists several scholarships open to students who are pursuing or intend to pursue an undergraduate degree in Information Technology.

National Institutes of Health Undergraduate Scholarship Program

The NIH Undergraduate Scholarship Program offers competitive scholarships to students from disadvantaged backgrounds who are committed to careers in biomedical, behavioral and social science health-related research. Awards will pay up to $20,000 for one year; recipients may reapply for additional years (not to exceed four scholarship years). More information is available at the web site.

The Jeannette Rankin Foundation Women's Education Fund

Scholarships for low-income women 35 years of age or older who, through undergraduate or vocational education, are seeking to better themselves, their families, and their communities.

Scholarship America

Information about a number of scholarships, including state, national, private, and outside the U.S.

Scholarships for Marginalized Students

Information about scholarships for students marginalized by race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc. There are separate sections for Black, LGBTQIA+, Asian-American, and Latino/Hispanic students, as well as a section on General Minority Scholarships. The site also includes advice about How to Look for Scholarships and Funding Options, Preparing your Application, and Increasing Your Chances of Winning a Scholarship.

SingleMom.Com: Scholarships, Grants, Loans Resources

Information about a variety of available scholarships, loans, etc. with a focus on financial aid for single mothers.

Soroptimist Women's Opportunity Awards

The Soroptimist International organization offers Women's Opportunity Awards to assist women entering or re-entering the workforce in obtaining the education and skills training they need to improve their employment status. Applicants must be female heads of household who are enrolled in or have been accepted to a vocational/skills training program or an undergraduate degree program. Recipients may use their awards for any expenses related to their educational pursuits, such as tuition, books, housing, child care, and transportation.

Tau Beta Pi Engineering Scholarships

Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor society, awards one-year scholarships of $2000 each for students majoring in engineering [including computer engineering] and entering their senior year in college.

Graduate and Postdoctoral Fellowships/Grants

AAUW Educational Foundation Fellowships and Grants

The American Association of University Women (AAUW) offers several kinds of fellowships: American Fellowships support women doctoral candidates completing dissertations and scholars seeking funds for postdoctoral research leave; Career Development Grants support women who hold a bachelor's degree and who are preparing to advance their careers, change careers, or re-enter the work force; International Fellowships are awarded for full-time graduate or postgraduate study or research to women who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents; and Selected Professions Fellowships are awarded to women who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents and who intend to pursue a full-time course of study during the fellowship year in designated degree programs (including a masters's degree in Computer/Information Science) where women's participation traditionally has been low.

Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship

Support for up to four years of full-time Ph.D. study that must include work in computer science, mathematics, and a scientific or engineering discipline. Applicants must be either U.S. citizens or permanent resident aliens.

Funding Graduate School for Women

An organization called Go Grad has put together this website to help women fund graduate study. The site focuses on resources and fellowships for women "in some of the most popular master's degree programs": education; MBA; STEM; nursing, physical & life sciences; and social work. There is also a "general" section. In addition, there is abundant information about online master's and doctoral programs.

GEM: Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science

GEM offers graduate fellowships and internships to increase the number of underrepresented minorities pursuing graduate degrees in engineering and natural science disciplines, including computer science. Grants may be renewed for up to four years. See website for more information.

Fannie and John Hertz Foundation Graduate Fellowships

The Hertz Foundation supports graduate students working towards the Ph.D. in applications of the physical sciences ranging from electrical engineering to molecular biomedicine. Among the computer science fields eligible for support are Artificial Intelligence, Hardware/Systems Design, Robotics, and Advanced Computing Structures, as well as Operations Research and Computational Neuroscience. Fellowships may be used only at certain universities. Open to citizens and permanent residents of the United States.

IBM Ph.D. Fellowship Program

The IBM Ph.D. Fellowship Awards Program is an intensely competitive worldwide program, which honors exceptional Ph.D. students who have an interest in solving problems that are important to IBM and fundamental to innovation in many academic disciplines and areas of study. These include: computer science and engineering, electrical and mechanical engineering, physical sciences (including chemistry, material sciences, and physics), mathematical sciences (including analytics, statistics, operations research, and optimization), business sciences (including financial services, risk management, marketing, communications, and learning/knowledge management), and service science, management, and engineering (SSME). Additionally, IBM pays special attention to an array of focus areas. See website for more details.

L'Oréal Postdoctoral Fellowships for Women in Science/Technology

Though L'Oréal's excessively glitzy web site makes it hard to find information, apparently the cosmetics company is still awarding one-year fellowships worth up to $60,000 each to women who are postdoctoral fellows in the life and physical sciences. A 5-page FAQ is available in pdf format here.

OWSD: Postgraduate Training Fellowship

The Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) offers graduate fellowships "for female students from Sub-Saharan Africa or Least Developed Countries (LDCs) who wish to pursue postgraduate training leading to a doctorate degree at a centre of excellence in the South outside their own country." The stated purpose of the fellowship program is "to contribute to the emergence of a new generation of women leaders in science and technology, and to promote their effective participation in the scientific and technological development of their countries." More information about requirements, eligibility, deadlines, etc. can be found on the website.

National Physical Science Consortium Graduate Fellowships

The National Physical Science Consortium is a partnership between government agencies and laboratories, industry, and higher education. NPSC's goal is to increase the number of American citizens with graduate degrees in the physical sciences and related engineering fields, emphasizing recruitment of a diverse applicant pool including women and minorities. The NPSC Graduate Fellowship is unique in being: open to all American citizens; lasting for up to six years; providing a $20,000 annual stipend; covering tuition; including one or two paid summer internships with a government agency; providing a mentor and the opportunity for a lasting relationship with the sponsor. The application is easy to complete, requiring the same information as other national fellowships. The online application typically opens August 25 and closes November 30. See website for more details.

National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships

NSF graduate fellowships offer three years of support for advanced study in the mathematical, physical, biological, engineering, and behavioral and social sciences, including the history of science and the philosophy of science. Intended for students in the early stages of their graduate study.

National Women's Studies Association (NWSA) Awards and Scholarships

Awards for graduate work are available from the Lesbian caucus and the Women of Color caucus, as well as one for $1000 for a graduate student doing work in Women's Studies.

Sigma Delta Epsilon/Graduate Women in Science (SDE/GWIS) Fellowship Program

Several fellowships for women in a variety of scientific fields. To be eligible, the applicant must be enrolled as a graduate student, or engaged in post-doctoral or early-stage junior faculty academic research, and demonstrate financial need for continuation or completion of their research. The major component of the research can be either applied or basic. Exact Fellowships amounts will be determined by the SDE/GWIS Fellowships Committee and will range from $1000 to $10,000. See website for more details.

Miscellaneous Information

AAUW Community Action Grants

Community Action Grants provide seed money to women, AAUW branches, AAUW state organizations, and local community-based nonprofit organizations for innovative programs or nondegree research projects that promote education and equity for women and girls. Recipients must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

Anita Borg Institute Awards for Women in Technology

The Anita Borg Awards for Social Impact and Technical Leadership were established to recognize outstanding leaders who embrace Anita Borg's lasting vision to change the world for women and for technology. Each of these is a $10,000 award. A third, the Denice Denton Emerging Leader award, carries a $5,000 stipend. See website for more information.

Elsevier New Scholars Program

The New Scholars Program supports projects to help early- to mid-career women scientists balance family responsibilities with demanding academic careers. New Scholars seeks to actively address the attrition rate of talented women scientists caused by work-life balance issues. The Foundation provides one, two and three year grants to STEM institutions and organizations actively working towards a more equitable academia. These are apparently not grants directly to individuals but rather to institutions, to help them support early- to mid-career women scientists. See website for guidelines and more information, not just on the "How to Apply" page but elsewhere on the site as well.

Systers Pass-It-On Grants Program

The Systers Online Community offers Pass-It-On Grants to honor Anita Borg's desire to create a network of women in technical fields helping one another. Pass-it-on Grants are open to any woman over 18 years old in or aspiring to be in the fields of computing. Grants are open to women in all countries and range from $500.00 to $1000.00. Applications covering a wide variety of needs and projects are encouraged, such as small grants to help with studies, job transfers or other transitions in life; projects that seek to inspire more girls and women to go into the computing field; assistance with educational fees and materials; partial funding source for larger scholarships; mentoring and other supportive groups for women in technology, and more. See the website for more details and an application.

Careers in Women's and Gender Studies

From the University of North Carolina, Greensboro

Career Opportunities for Majors in Women's and Gender Studies

A page put up by Rutgers University's Career Services Office

Transform the World: What You Can Do With a Degree in Women's Studies

An essay in Ms. Magazine by Women's Studies graduate student Nikki Ayanna Stewart.

What a WGS Major Prepares You to Do

From the University of Louisville.

What Can I do With a Degree in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies?

From Portland State University

What Can You Do with a WGST major or minor?

From Luther College

Go back to Women's Studies Online Resources