Scholarships for Stem Majors

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Scholarship America’s Guide to

STEM Scholarships
A publication of Scholarship America®
in collaboration with US News & World Report
www.scholarshipamerica.org

Table of Contents
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Introduction: Why is STEM so important?

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S: Scholarships in Science

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T: Scholarships in Technology

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E: Scholarships in Engineering

Scholarships in the various fields of science

Learn about scholarships in the ever-growing field of technology

Find scholarships for one of the hottest college majors

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Add in these scholarships to fund your education in math

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5 Simple Steps to Get Organized for Scholarship Season



M: Scholarships in Mathematics

Map out your plan of attack for scholarship applications and
deadlines

What is STEM and
why is it important?
Science and technology are becoming the most pervasive forces in our global
economy and modern society. As our society becomes increasingly environmentally
aware, health conscious, and reliant on technology, it also becomes more
dependent on students pursuing studies in science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics (STEM).
STEM majors are playing more prominent roles in their communities and on an
international scale. Both the public and private sectors are clamoring for more
American students to pursue degrees and careers in STEM. If you’ve always been
fascinated by why and how things in our world work, consider a major in the fields
of STEM.
Selecting a major is one of the biggest decisions of your college career. Not only will
your major dictate a lot of your academic path and college life, it will also greatly
influence your potential career path and, ultimately, your post-graduation life. With
a decision of that magnitude, there are plenty of factors to take into consideration
before you declare. Of course, you’ll want to major in a field that you care about,
that you’re interested in pursuing a career in, and that you have the right skill
set for. You’ll also want to do your research and find the strongest colleges with
your desired program, and, of course, you’ll want to look into the financial side of
things—which majors have strong financial aid opportunities and which will pay off
in the long-run.
The Center for Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University outlined the
results of the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey Estimates in a 2012
report that described the financial returns and unemployment rates for various
college majors.

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Not surprisingly, the report states that majors with high scientific and technical
content had the best job placement and salary prospects. According to the report,
engineering majors had a 3.4 percent unemployment rate and the highest earnings
for recent grads, an average of $55,000.
“Students who pursue a STEM-related major hold the best job placement and salary
prospects upon graduation, as companies clamor for employees trained in science
and technology. Yet, according to the U.S. Department of Education, only 16 percent
of American high school students are interested in STEM as a career,” said Lauren
Segal, President & CEO, Scholarship America. “Students in the fields of STEM need
our financial support now more than ever, as their work will widely impact our
country’s future.”
While the need for college graduated with STEM-related degrees is ever increasing,
so has the availability of STEM-supportive scholarships. Everyone from private
organizations to the federal government is offering attractive STEM scholarships and
grants.
Scholarship America has compiled some of these scholarships that you can take
advantage of in your pursuit of an education and degree in the field of STEM.

As our society becomes increasingly
environmentally aware, health conscious,
and reliant on technology, it also becomes
increasingly dependent on students
pursuing studies in STEM.
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Scholarships in STEM

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S: Scholarships in Science
Adapted from The Scholarship Coach, US News & World Report

The word “science” can encompass many other fields in itself. It is as broad as it is
valuable. Thankfully, with the wide-array of disciplines within science comes a widearray of scholarships to assist you in your pursuit of higher education.
If you’ve got your heart set on becoming a scientist, you don’t want to miss out on
this $10,000 scholarship. The Thermo Scientific Pierce Scholarship Program offers
scholarships to students studying Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry or a related
life science field. The program offers two $10,000 scholarships and four $5,000
scholarships to eligible candidates. Eligibility requirements are available on the
organization’s website.
If you have a natural competitive nature, why not harness that enthusiasm and put it
towards some great scholarships? Competitions in the field of science can pay off in
great ways in the form of scholarship money.
If you build robots, you probably think of yourself as an innovator. Consider
participating in the Intel Science Talent Search, a national competition designed
to recognize student achievement and inspire innovation in science, technology,
engineering and math.
Each year, more than 1,700 high school seniors conduct original research projects
and present their work at the Intel Science Talent Search and forty finalists are then
chosen to participate in a week-long event in Washington, D.C. Students compete
for more than $1.25 million in awards and scholarships, including a grand prize
scholarship worth $100,000.
The Siemens Competition recognizes extraordinary science projects completed
during high school years. It is considered to be one of the highest science honors

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for high school students. Multiple scholarships of up to $100,000 are awarded to
individuals or teams with remarkable talent in the science, math, and technology
fields.
If you’re passionate about the sciences and the environment, check out the Lexus
Eco Challenge, another team-based challenge with rewarding payoffs. Once
a teacher adviser selects of team of five to 10 students, the team chooses an
environmental issue that’s important to its members, develops and implements an
action plan and reports its results.
Teams from grades six to 12 can enter one or both challenges that address different
environmental elements – land and water, or air and climate. Winning teams from
each element challenge earn $10,000 and move on to the final challenge series. Last
year’s two grand prize-winning teams also earned $30,000 each. Since winners from
the last challenge cycle were recently announced, you’ll want to check back for the
2014-2015 season.
And if those aren’t enough, there’s also a mile-long list of science-related
scholarships at scholarships.com. Start your search today!

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T: Scholarships in Technology
Adapted from The Scholarship Coach, US News & World Report

As one of the most pervasive forces in our society today, we use technology
constantly—to connect with one another, to create and share ideas, to communicate
across borders we never dreamed possible, and to preserve and dig up history.
Employment numbers are already high in the field of technology but it is also
expected to be one of the fastest-growing fields between 2014 and 2022 according to
U.S. News. In fact, for the first time, U.S. News ranked a technology-related job as its
No. 1 pick on the annual “100 Best Jobs” list.
If you’re on your high school’s robotics team, you’ve likely heard of FIRST, the
nonprofit founded more than 20 years ago that, according to its website, “designs
accessible, innovative programs” that help young students build “self-confidence,
knowledge, and life skills.”
More than 350,000 students from around the country participate in a FIRST program
or competition. But you may not have known that FIRST offers more than 875 college
scholarship opportunities, and last year awarded over $16 million.
The FIRST scholarship program can be your ticket to not only being recognized for
the skills you’ve gained through your participation on a robotics team, but also leave
you with a sizable monetary award to help pay for college.
Many of the program’s scholarships are dedicated to specific schools, states or
regions. You can use the organization’s website to find scholarships that you’ll be
eligible for.
If you want to build the next great iPhone app or simply like working with computers,
you may consider a career in computer science or information technology. Jobs like
those in the renowned Silicon Valley are highly coveted these days. With an average
salary of more than $55,000, according to PayScale, the pay isn’t too shabby, either.

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Although we don’t recommend that you declare a computer science major for the
slim possibility that you could end up working for Google, there are several fields
and related fields in technology that will also provide great payoffs and benefits.
Those considering majoring in computer science or information technology should
think about applying for the Wayne V. Black Memorial Scholarship, a $5,000 award
from the Energy Telecommunications and Electrical Association (ENTELEC). The
ENTELEC Association has awarded over $35,000 in scholarships to students studying
computer science, telecommunications, information technology, and many others.
Scholarship application topics are released in October and submissions are due in
January of each year.
The Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship, in honor of renowned computer
scientist Anita Borg, strives to encourage women to excel in computing and
technology and become active role models and leaders in the field. Winners
receive a generous $10,000 scholarship and are invited to attend the annual Google
Scholars’ Retreat in Mountain View, Calif. The application opens in early 2014 and
you can check their website for more details.

E: Scholarships in Engineering
Adapted from The Scholarship Coach, US News & World Report

By far the hottest and fastest-growing majors out there right now are in all areas of
engineering.
From petroleum to electrical to aerospace engineering, there is a huge demand
for all kinds of engineers. A salary survey completed by the National Association
of Colleges and Employers showed that engineering majors dominate the list of
college degrees that pay the highest salaries to recent college graduates.
Unfortunately, your first paycheck four years from now can’t go toward your tuition
payment today, so we suggest you turn to scholarships for help.
The SMART Scholarship (Science, Mathematics & Research for Transformation),
established by the Department of Defense, offers a huge incentive for engineering
and math majors studying in the U.S. by covering full tuition and educationrelated fees, offering paid summer internships, a health insurance reimbursement,
mentoring and more.
The catch? You have to be willing to work for the Department of Defense after
graduation.
Several scholarships for current college students pursuing studies in engineering
are available. One of the Another great option for those interested in a career in
engineering is the Intertek Scholarship Program—a brand new program for 2014.
Intertek is offering a two-for-one deal to five aspiring engineers: a scholarship of up
to $10,000 and an internship at an Intertek office.
Students currently enrolled in a full-time undergraduate at an accredited four-year
college and majoring in an engineering-related field including, but not limited to,
chemical, civil, electrical, or mechanical engineering are encouraged to consider
this scholarship. Further applicant eligibility requirements can be found at their
website.

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For social media-savvy college students, DiscoverE Engineering offers several
engineering awards, including a scholarship program that’s run almost exclusively
on Facebook. The New Faces of Engineering College Edition offers $500 to $1,000
scholarships to current undergraduate engineering students in their third, fourth or
fifth year of school.
Check out the program’s active Facebook page – last year’s application was accessible
on Facebook, and the page is also meant to be a place to connect with other
engineering students and resources. Be sure to look out for future program dates on
there, too.
If you’re entering your junior or senior year of college and are studying an
industrial automation-related discipline – such as robots designed to complete
manufacturing tasks – you may be eligible to apply for one of two $5,000 ASCO
Numatics Scholarships. Designed for U.S. upperclassmen or graduate students,
the merit-based scholarships are awarded based on potential to lead and make a
significant contribution to the engineering, instrumentation, systems and automation
professions.
Additionally, ASCO Numatics awards $1,000 grants to the engineering departments of
the colleges where winners are enrolled. And by receiving one of these scholarships,
you may become eligible for an ASCO Numatics internship.
Another option for students interested in pursuing a career in the automotive
and related industries is the BUICK Achievers Scholarship Program. This program
provides up to 100 $25,000 scholarships—and up to 1,000 more $2,000 awards.
Students planning on majoring in a specified course of study that focuses on
engineering or technology and plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate study at an
accredited four-year college or university in the U.S. are eligible to apply online.

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M: Scholarships in Mathematics
Adapted from The Scholarship Coach, US News & World Report

At one point in our lives, most of us have asked the question, “When am I going to
use this anyway?” while agonizing over a math assignment. If you can’t relate to that
sentiment, you may consider a career in the field of mathematics.
The career outlook for recent math major grads is fantastic and the average salary is
around $50,000, per PayScale. But if your calculations for how you’re going to afford
college just aren’t adding up, we suggest you look for math-related scholarships to
offset the cost.
Although mentioned earlier, the FIRST Robotics Competition is an exciting way to
earn a scholarship. This competition features more than 300,000 participants from
more than 70 countries and offers middle school and high school students a chance
to apply real-world math and science concepts by building their own robots.
If you’re a woman interested in mathematics, we suggest you look first at the
Association for Women in Mathematics’ Alice T. Shafer Prize for Excellence in
Mathematics, open to undergraduate women interested in math. Scholarship
recipients must be nominated by a member of the mathematical community. The
2014 Schafer Prize will be awarded at the Joint Mathematics Meetings in Baltimore in
January 2014.
If you are a woman hoping to continue your undergraduate work in mathematics
through a graduate study of statistics, the Gertrude M. Cox Scholarship could be just
for you. This $2,000 scholarship prize is awarded to one woman who is a citizen of
the U.S. and admitted to full-time study in a graduate statistics program.
Another scholarship designed for students hoping to continue their studies with
graduate work in mathematics is the Edward C. Bryant Scholarship. This scholarship

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is awarded to an outstanding graduate student in survey statistics. The $2,500
scholarship is awarded to a student who demonstrates a potential to contribute to
survey statistics, applied experience in survey statistics, and achievement in graduate
school studies.
A number of schools and organizations partner with these competitions to offer
scholarships to participating students. Since the last time we reported on the
program, the total awards have been upped to more than $19 million. Awards range
from $500 to full-ride scholarships.
Most of the scholarships are for use at particular schools, but a handful can be used
at any school. Both programs kick off in September each year, with championships
culminating in April. Keep your eyes peeled for information on future seasons.
A generous list of scholarships designated for students pursuing studies in
mathematics can be found at scholarships.com.

5 Simple Steps to Get Organized for
Scholarship Season
Adapted from The Scholarship Coach, Jan 3, 2013, US News & World Report

With all of the great scholarships out there for students pursuing a degree in the
fields of science, technology, engineering, and math, it’s easy to get overwhelmed
and feel a bit disorganized.
[More about how to get organized for application season.]
Have no fear, Scholarship America has broken down the process of researching and
applying for scholarships into just five simple steps.
Step 1: List the scholarships you’ve already found and for which you’re likely to be
eligible. Include the name of the sponsoring organization and the address.
Step 2: Bookmark the websites or write down offline resources for these
scholarship opportunities so you can refer back to eligibility criteria and application
requirements, such as letters of recommendation, essays, transcripts, and FAFSA
information.
[Learn more about filling out the FAFSA.]
Step 3: Find the deadlines for the scholarships you will be applying for, and then put
the deadlines into the calendar on your smartphone or tablet so you don’t miss one.
Be careful, though: Don’t just set a reminder for the day the application is due.
Set a reminder for two to three weeks in advance of the application deadline so
that you have enough time to complete the paperwork and gather all required
recommendations.
[Find out how to avoid missing scholarship deadlines.]

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Step 4: Note whether the application must be mailed by USPS, or if it can be E-mailed
or submitted through an online form. If the application must be mailed by USPS,
build extra time into your application schedule for mailing.
Step 5: Now that you have an organization system, do some more research to find
additional scholarship opportunities and return to Step 1.
Remember, you can always visit The Scholarship Coach for all of the information you
need to be successful in your scholarship search.

“Students in the fields of STEM need
our financial support now more than
ever, as their work will widely impact our
country’s future.”
- Lauren Segal, President & CEO, Scholarship America

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