College offers the exciting opportunity to learn new things and meet new people, but the high cost of education can be burdensome. The rising cost of college has burdened students with an increasing amount of student loan debt upon graduation, even more so for women in particular. But scholarships, like the ones listed below, can help ease this weight and help women pursue a higher education, granting them more opportunities and resources to pursue their dream.
Live Your Dream: Education and Training Awards for Women
(Our namesake awards!)
Award Amount: $1,000-$16,000
Deadline: November 15 (application opens August 1)
Who is eligible: Women enrolled in or accepted to an undergraduate degree program or vocational/skills training program, who support dependents, and can demonstrate financial need.
Description: Soroptimist’s Live Your Dream Awards assist women who provide the primary source of financial support for their families by giving them the resources they need to improve their education, skills and employment prospects.
For more details visit http://www.soroptimist.org/awards/eligibility.html
American Association of University Women (AAUW) Scholarships
Award Amount: $2,000-$30,000
Deadline: November 22
Who is eligible: For American Fellowships, women pursuing full-time graduate or postdoctoral research, or preparing research for publication. For International Fellowships, women who are non-U.S. citizens or non-permanent residents pursuing full-time graduate or postdoctoral study in the U.S. For Career Development Grants, women pursuing a degree to advance their careers, change careers, or reenter the workforce. For Selected Professions Fellowships, women pursuing master’s degrees in the fields of Architecture, Computer/Information Sciences, Engineering, or Mathematics/Statistics.
Description: Due to the longstanding, generous contributions of AAUW members, a broader community of women continues to gain access to educational and economic opportunities — breaking through barriers so that all women have a fair chance.
For more details visit https://www.aauw.org/what-we-do/educational-funding-and-awards/
BHW Scholarship
Award amount: $3,000
Deadline: April 15 (application opens in January)
Who is eligible: Women pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree and majoring in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics.
Description: BHW is a custom web and mobile app development company who have been providing scholarships to women pursuing STEM majors since 2016.
For more details visit https://thebhwgroup.com/scholarship
ConnectHER Film Festival Awards
Award Amount: $2,500 – $5,000
Deadline: October 1 (submissions open July 1)
Who is Eligible: Full-time high school and undergraduate students who are ages 25 and under
Description: The ConnectHER Film Festival Awards are available to full-time high school and undergraduate students who are ages 25 and under. To be considered, you must submit an original, three- to six-minute short film that addresses global women’s issues such as: education for girls, maternal health, violence against women and girls, equal pay, honest beauty, or a variety of other issues. Films are judged and awarded based on several categories such as Best Documentary, Best Narrative, and Best Animation.
For more details visit https://connectherfilmfest.org/awards/
Harriet Fitzgerald Scholarship
Award amount: $10,000
Deadline: February 1 (application window opens November 1)
Who is eligible: Women starting their first full term of college at an undergraduate women’s college the following fall.
Description: The Harriet Fitzgerald Scholarship will provide a promising young woman with financial support to attend a woman’s college where her intellect and talents will be nurtured and where she will receive an education preparing her to participate fully in public life.
For more details visit https://www.thesunflowerinitiative.com/scholarship/
Jeannette Rankin Women’s Scholarship Fund
Award Amount: $2,500, renewable for up to five years
Deadline: March 1 (application for 2020-21 school year available in November 2019)
Who is eligible: Women over 35 years old who demonstrate financial need and are enrolled or accepted to a regionally accredited school and are pursuing a technical or vocational education, associate’s degree, or first bachelor’s degree in the U.S.
Description: Jeannette Rankin Women’s Scholarship Fund (JRF) provides scholarships and support for low-income women 35 and older across the U.S. to build better lives through post-secondary education.
For more details visit https://rankinfoundation.org/scholar-grants/
Margaret McNamara Education Grants
Amount: Up to $15,000
Deadlines:
US & Canada Program: Apply September 15 – January 15;
South Africa Program: Apply May 15 – September 14;
Latin America Program: Apply June 1 – September 30.
Who is Eligible: Women age 25 or over who are a national of a country listed on the MMEG Eligibility List and are registered at an accredited academic institution. Additional eligibility criteria apply depending on location.
Description: MMEG supports women from developing countries who are pursuing their education with the aim of improving the lives of women and children in their countries. They are one of the few organizations who provide financial assistance to such women.
For more details visit: http://www.mmeg.org/apply
Patsey Takemoto Mink Scholarship
Award amount: Up to $5,000
Deadline: August 1
Who is Eligible: Low-income women with minor children pursuing a vocational degree/certificate, associate’s degree, first bachelor’s degree, or professional/master’s/doctoral degree.
Description: The Patsy Takemoto Mink Education Foundation aims to carry on some of Mink’s most ardent commitments: educational access, opportunity, and equity for low-income women, especially mothers; and educational enrichment for children.
For more details visit https://www.patsyminkfoundation.org/education-support-application
Point Foundation Scholarships
Award Amount: For the Point Scholar Program, depends on need; $2,000 – $4,800 for the Community College Scholarship
Deadline:
Applications accepted Sept 10 – December 5 for the Point Scholarship;
Applications accepted November 21 – February 20 for the Community College Scholarship;
Applications accepted January 28 – March 13 for the LGBTQ+ Access Scholarship.
Who is Eligible: The Point Scholarship empowers LGBTQ+ and ally students who are enrolled full-time in a U.S. undergraduate or graduate/doctoral program. The Community College Scholarship supports LGBTQ+ and ally students enrolled at an accredited U.S. community college earning their associate degree and intending to transfer to a four-year college the follow academic year. The Access Scholarship helps LGBTQ+ and ally students from backgrounds that have traditionally faced limited access to opportunities.
Description: The Point Community College Program inspires LGBTQ community college students to fulfill their ambitions of attending a four-year college or university.
For more details visit: https://pointfoundation.org/thepoint/scholarship/
Stonewall Foundation Scholarships
Award amount:
Artizia Scholarship – $5,000
Traub-Dicker Rainbow Scholarship – $4,000
Little Bird Scholarships for LGBTQ+ Immigrants – $18,000
Deadline: Application opens in the Spring, deadline varies; check their website
Who is eligible:
Artizia – LGBTQ+ women studying or planning to work in business, fashion design, retail management, or social justice advocacy, and who are enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program in the U.S.
Traub-Dicker Rainbow – Lesbians who are applying for or already enrolled in any year of college study, including graduate school.
Little Bird: LGBTQ+ or intersex junior or senior high schoolars who also identify as immigrants, newcomers, or refugees, and who are enrolled at an accredited nonprofit school in NYC.
Description: The Stonewall Foundation’s scholarships are designed to help LGBTQ+ people overcome complex social and economic barriers, creating unique opportunities and access to education both in New York City and throughout the country.
For more details visit https://www.stonewallfoundation.org/scholarships/
Women’s Independence Scholarship Program
Award amount: Awards range from $500-$2,000 per semester or quarter. For master’s degrees awards average $1,000 per semester or quarter.
Deadline: First-time applications are accepted twice a year:
January 1 – March 1
September 1 – November 1
Who is eligible: Survivors of intimate partner violence who have been separated from their abuser between 1-9 years and have sought related services from a non-profit agency for at least 6 months. They must also have applied or been accepted to an accredited course of study at a U.S. institution.
Description: The program assists women who are survivors of intimate partner abuse with education that leads to a living wage and financial self-sufficiency, interrupting the cycle of financial abuse within the larger context of economic justice.
For more details visit http://wispinc.org/about-wisp/
Zonta Foundation Scholarships
Award amount: up to $10,000
Deadline: varies, see website for details
Who is eligible: All applicants must live or study in Zonta district/region.
Amelia Earhart Fellowship – Women pursuing advanced studies in aerospace-related sciences and engineering, are in at least their second year of the program or have an aerospace-related master’s.
Zonta Women in Business Award – Women ages 18-35 who demonstrate exceptional leadership in a business-related field of study or industry and are contributing to address global or local issues affecting women and girls or climate justice.
Young Women in Leadership Award – Women ages 16-19 with a demonstrated interest in public services and civic causes.
Zonta Women in STEM Award – Women who demonstrate groundbreaking research, pioneering discoveries and/or exemplary contributions to advancing knowledge and innovation in a science, technology, engineering or mathematic (STEM) field of study or industry.
Additional scholarships are offered at the local level by Zonta clubs, and vary club to club. Learn more on Zonta’s website.
Description: Zonta improves women’s lives, their children’s lives and the communities in which they live and work. To create a world in which men and women have equal opportunities, women need to have an active role in technology, business, and public affairs.
For more details visit https://foundation.zonta.org/
Ashleen Knutsen is a science writer and editor in Los Angeles. After a decade of experience in engineering and research, she decided to pursue a career in science communications to not only spark women and girls’ interest in STEM, but to let them know that they too can change the world.
I’m not sure which one of these scholarships fit me