Comprehensive Guide to Graduate School Scholarships for Women

While gender equality has gained more awareness, women are still underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers. As the gender gap begins to decrease in these fields, organizations are recruiting women for STEM positions more than ever before. Financial aid, particularly scholarships, can provide opportunities for female graduate students pursuing careers in male-dominated fields, such as STEM fields, and can help women strive for high-paying jobs.

Introduction

Many female graduate students face exceptional difficulties in attaining advanced degrees and entering the workforce; these difficulties can be financial, personal, or related to the gender-based inequality women continue to face in society. Covering the costs associated with an advanced degree in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) can be a significant financial investment. Fortunately, a variety of funding opportunities are available to help STEM graduate students.

The Landscape of Graduate Scholarships for Women

Graduate scholarships for women are a form of financial aid available to women pursuing a graduate degree. In some cases, these scholarships can be available to both undergraduate and graduate students. Many scholarships for university women serve to break down the barriers faced by women pursuing a graduate program. In particular, financial aid can help women enter a variety of male-dominated fields, as costs can often prevent female college students from being able to achieve their personal and professional goals.

These scholarships may be exclusive to women in graduate school, but graduate students can apply for other scholarships for which they are eligible as well, regardless of whether it is specific to those attending graduate school. For instance, a scholarship may be open to female high school seniors as well as those pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree. In this case, the scholarship is not explicitly for graduate school students alone, but would still be open to women pursuing a graduate degree.

There are more specific types of graduate scholarships for women as well, and they can be categorized by field, type of degree program, school, age, and identity. All university women should look into scholarships more specifically geared to their strengths and identities; the narrower the applicant pool, the better one's chance of winning!

Read also: Funding Your Graduate Education

STEM Scholarships for Women

Studying science, technology, engineering, and math (colloquially known as "STEM") can prepare students in graduate school for a number of career paths. There are many STEM scholarships available to women in graduate school, especially low-income women who demonstrate financial need. There are many graduate scholarships for women in STEM or STEM-related fields on Bold.org, with new ones posted each week!

Specific STEM Scholarship Opportunities

Microsoft Research Women’s Fellowship: Provides scholarships to women pursuing a PhD in computer science, electrical engineering, or mathematics at a select list of academic universities. Each participating university presents one woman with an award, a portion of which is used toward tuition and another portion toward travel expenses to a conference in the recipient’s field of study.
Society for Women Engineers (SWE) Scholarship Programs: Provide financial assistance for women in graduate programs preparing for careers in engineering, engineering technology, and computer science. Both PhD and master’s students must be enrolled or accepted at a school with ABET-accredited programs.
Amelia Earhart Fellowship: Aims to assist women pursuing their PhD or other doctoral degrees in aerospace-related sciences or aerospace-related engineering. Thirty-five women are chosen for the fellowship each year.

Scholarships for Women of Color

Women of color face many hurdles related to their race/ethnicity as well as their gender. There are significant divides in employment rates, education outcomes, and wages between white women and women of color. Students of color are most likely to take out loans, with 84.3% of Black Bachelor’s degree students taking out loans for the 2015-2016 year, followed by 83.0% of Alaska Native and American Indian/Native American students and 72.2% of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students. Student loan disparities are made even worse due to the racial wage gap that disadvantages Black and Latinx workers, a discrepancy impacted by the underemployment of workers of color. Scholarships can help break women of color out of cycles of poverty and allow them to pursue undergraduate or graduate degrees to achieve their career goals.

Scholarships for Black Women

Though they are women of color, Black women face many more specific barriers to success brought on by the unique oppression faced by Black people, as well as the intersection of racism and sexism they face in everyday life. With these difficulties in mind, financial assistance becomes more essential than ever to help level the playing field for marginalized individuals. The disparity in education between white and Black adults combined with the disparities between men and women place Black women at a particular disadvantage in reaching professional and personal goals. These circumstances also contribute to the underrepresentation of Black workers in high-paying fields, such as management, STEM, and law, and which can be discouraging for any black women looking to join a graduate program. Black female graduate students should also consider Bold.org's scholarships for Black students.

Featured Scholarship Programs

AAUW American Fellowships: This program provides funding and resources to women pursuing doctoral degrees. It’s awarded based on academic merit, commitment to helping girls and women, and dissertation originality and impact. The award amount ranges from \$8,000 to \$50,000.
AAUW Career Development Grants: This scholarship is for women with a bachelor’s degree who are applying for a master’s or different bachelor’s degree in the fields of education, STEM, social sciences, or health and medical sciences. Award amounts vary from \$2,000 to \$20,000 and must be used toward educational expenses, living expenses, dependent care, and/or travel to meetings, conferences, and seminars.
AAUW International Fellowships: If you’re not a US citizen but want to attend graduate school in the states, this fellowship might be for you. It provides \$20,000 to \$50,000 in aid for female international graduate students. To apply, your bachelor’s degree must be from a college or university in the United States and you must return to your home country after earning your master’s degree.
AAUW Selected Professions Fellowships: This \$20,000 fellowship is designed to provide funding to women pursuing master’s degrees in fields with low female participation. To apply, your graduate degree should be in computer science, engineering, architecture, or mathematics. Women of color may also be pursuing degrees in medicine, business administration, or law.
Amelia Earhart Fellowship: If you’re pursuing a doctoral program in aerospace engineering or space sciences, consider this \$10,000 scholarship. You must be enrolled in a full-time doctoral program or hold a master’s in an aerospace-applied field at the time of your application. Applicants who are members of Zonta (or are related to a member) are ineligible.
AMWA Medical Education Scholarships: Each year, the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) gives out four \$500 scholarships to women currently in medical school. Awards are based on merit, but financial need is also considered.
AWIS Distinguished Doctoral Research Scholarship: This \$10,000 scholarship helps fund a dissertation project that provides significant contributions to the recipient’s discipline. To apply, you must be a predoctoral student in the life sciences, physical sciences, behavioral sciences, mathematics, or engineering. You also must be a member of the Association for Women in Science (AWIS).
AWMF Ford Emerging Voices Scholarship: This \$5,000 scholarship is awarded to a female graduate or undergraduate student working toward a degree in media. Candidates must create a video or audio piece about why women’s voices in media are important. The winner also receives mentorship from a board member of the Alliance for Women in Media.
AWMF Ford Empowering America Scholarship: This \$5,000 scholarship is intended to aid one student pursuing a career as talent in cable, television, radio, or digital media. To apply, candidates profile or interview a female role model who serves as a leader in their community. The selected candidate will also have the opportunity to conduct interviews for the Faces of Ford Fund program.
AWSCPA Scholarships: Each year, four female students working toward an undergraduate or master’s degree in accounting are awarded this \$5,000 scholarship. To be considered, you should show significant leadership skills, academic achievement, and future career interests in accounting.
CREW Chicago Scholarship: CREW provides a number of scholarships to female graduate and undergraduate students interested in careers in commercial real estate.
The ESPN Scholarship: If you’re a Black or Hispanic undergraduate student pursuing a career in sports media, consider applying to this scholarship. Each year, two \$5,000 educational scholarships are awarded; one goes to a Black student, and the other goes to a Hispanic student. Each award recipient also receives a complimentary ticket to attend the Gracie Awards Luncheon in New York.
Haffizulla Family Scholarships: This \$1,000 award is granted to two women enrolled in medical school who show commitment to disease prevention and nationwide health and wellness. To be eligible, you must be actively involved in AMWA for at least two years.
INSEAD Groupe Galeries Lafayette Endowed Scholarship for Women: If you’re interested in earning your MBA in France or Singapore, this award can help fund your degree. To apply, you must be a woman enrolled at INSEAD business school who identifies with the values and goals of Groupe Galeries Lafayette. The award is for 15,000 euros toward your degree and is open to women from around the world.
The Leadership Institute for Women of Color Attorneys’ Scholarships: Each year, this organization provides up to five scholarships to women of color who are enrolled in law school. You must have completed at least one year of law school and have a minimum GPA of 2.8 to apply.
Leslie Andree Hanna Medical Scholarship: This \$5,000 scholarship is awarded annually to a female student attending medical school. To be eligible, you must be in medical school at the time of application with a GPA higher than 3.25 on a 4.0 scale.
Loreen Arbus Foundation & AWMF Scholarship: This scholarship provides \$2,500 to one undergraduate or graduate female student pursuing a degree in media/communications. The award is determined based on financial need, past achievements, contributions to the equitable media coverage of people with disabilities, and an essay submission.
Mike Eidson Law Student Scholarship: The Women Trial Lawyers Caucus awards this \$5,000 scholarship to a female student entering her third year of law school who intends to be a trial lawyer after graduating and passing the bar.
AWMF & NCTA Scholarship: Open to undergraduate and graduate students pursuing a degree in media, this scholarship provides \$5,000 toward tuition. To apply, female media students must create an original video, digital short, or multimedia project for NCTA and AWMF’s media channels. The student whose project is chosen will also receive a ticket to the Gracies Leadership Awards, where they can network with leaders in the media industry.
Parisa Tabriz PrinSWSIS Scholarship: This scholarship is intended to help fund the graduate or undergraduate studies of a woman entering the field of information security or cybersecurity. To apply, you must be enrolled in a master’s program for information security or be in your junior or senior year of an undergraduate degree. Award amount varies.
P.E.O. International Peace Scholarships: If you’re an international student interested in attending graduate school, consider this scholarship. The amount varies, with a \$12,500 maximum award. To apply, you must be an international student accepted into or currently enrolled in a graduate program in the United States or Canada.
P.E.O. Program for Continuing Education (PCE): Designed to provide financial assistance to women whose education has been interrupted and who are returning to pursue a graduate degree. The maximum award is \$4,000, though the amount varies. While you don’t need to be a P.E.O. member to apply, you must be recommended by a local chapter of the P.E.O. Sisterhood.
P.E.O. Scholar Awards: If you’re pursuing a doctoral degree, this scholarship might be a good fit. This merit-based award provides a maximum of \$25,000 to a woman in a doctoral program. To apply, you must have a bachelor’s degree, be a US or Canadian citizen, be within two years of your graduation date, and have at least one year left in your doctoral degree.
Point Foundation Flagship Scholarship: If you’re a woman who identifies as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, this scholarship might be a good fit. Each year, Point provides scholarships to members of the LGBTQIA+ community who are pursuing graduate or undergraduate degrees and working toward better representation and equity within their community. This award is based on financial need, so the amount varies.
Rebecca Gurley Bace SWSIS Scholarship: This scholarship is awarded annually to a woman with financial hardship who is pursuing an undergraduate or master’s degree in information security.
Stephen L. Squires SWSIS Scholarship: This award is for women pursuing undergraduate or graduate degrees in cybersecurity. Successful candidates must have overcome adversity, such as a learning disability, bullying, or discrimination.
Women in Business Scholarship: Zonta provides 37 international scholarships to women pursuing undergraduate or graduate degrees in business. Each scholarship is \$5,000 and can be used at any accredited business school worldwide. If you or a family member are a member of Zonta, you are not eligible. To apply, you must be nominated by your local Zonta chapter.
Women in Defense Scholarship: This scholarship provides funding to female graduate and undergraduate students interested in pursuing a career in national security or defense. To apply, you must demonstrate financial need and have a minimum GPA of 3.25. The award amount varies from year to year.

How to Apply for Graduate Scholarships for Women

The exact application and eligibility requirements vary with each scholarship program, so it's important to look over the scholarship description before applying. Scholarships generally require some type of submission to apply and may include additional materials like transcripts or work samples. Some graduate scholarships require students to be pursuing a particular field of study or studying in a particular graduate program. Additionally, some scholarships require a minimum GPA or a submission of a transcript, so students should also be mindful that academic performance can be a factor in graduate school scholarships for women. Every scholarship is different and requires some time and effort, so always check the exact requirements of the scholarship for which you are applying to make sure you've met all qualifications to be considered.

Strategies for a Strong Application

Applying for scholarships can be overwhelming. That’s where crafting an application plan can be beneficial. Start by creating a bulleted-list detailing how to find and apply for scholarships, as well as a list of documents that may be required for all scholarships, such as transcripts, personal statements and letters of reference. You might also want to create a folder or tracking system for easy access to necessary documents and specific scholarship needs.

Read also: Graduate Fees at CMU

A good rule of thumb is to select scholarships that fit your specific qualifications, academic interests, work/life experiences, and long term goals. You may think your time spent volunteering at the homeless shelter or helping youth with their language skills are hobbies and outside commitments, but to scholarship organizations and committees, these past-times give them a strong idea of your character, drive, ambition and passions.

This is your opportunity to introduce yourself as a candidate with a distinct personality, goals, desires, ambitions and accomplishments. Scholarship selection committees use your essay to determine what makes you a candidate worthwhile of funding. It’s an opportunity for you to demonstrate your background, experiences, and life goals and commitment in relation to your professional objectives. You should think about creative and concise ways to tell your life story that is engaging and speaks to the specific scholarship you are applying for.

Letters of recommendation serve as expert information from others who can give insight on your qualifications, experience, and character, and showcase why you’re deserving of the scholarship you applied for. When determining who to reach out to for letters of recommendation, contact respected and well-known professionals, colleagues, friends, and academic contacts to speak to your merits, achievements and abilities in a positive light.

How to Get a Graduate Scholarship for Women

Always reference the application and eligibility requirements of the graduate scholarships for women in which you are interested to make sure you are a good fit and better your chances of success. Check these materials before beginning your essay or application so that you don't waste any time on opportunities you don't qualify for. There are scholarships specific to female graduate students who wish to enter a specific field while there are others open to all students. For instance, one scholarships may be awarded only to a graduate student studying computer science, while another may be for women engineers pursuing a bachelor's degree.

Scholarships are typically awarded based on a writing sample or demonstration of interest. There are also women's graduate scholarships that are only available to applicants who demonstrate financial need or who have a particular identity. Narrow, specific scholarships will likely have smaller application pools than scholarships for all women or those for all graduate students. The fewer eligible applicants there are, the more likely you'll be to win! Since there's less competition for narrow scholarships, students should consider scholarships with many criteria, such as scholarships specifically for people with particular identities, financial and educational backgrounds, or fields of interest. There are also scholarships exclusively available to students who attend a particular college or university or who live in a certain state. Though many graduate scholarships for women are only awarded one time, there are also many opportunities that are awarded annually. Female students can apply for these scholarships each year of graduate school for additional chances to earn financial support.

Improve Your Bold.org Profile

Another way to increase your chances of winning scholarships for women is to make your profile on Bold.org strong. Donors look for profiles that are fully filled out, with detailed descriptions. The more thoroughly you fill in your Bold.org profile and the more bold points you have, the more likely you are to attract the attention of those deciding on scholarship winners. Moreover, some scholarships (including several on this list) are only available to applicants with a minimum number of bold points.

Tips for Standing Out on Your Application

If you want to rise to the top in a sea of scholarship applicants, pay attention to the details and customize each scholarship application. A general rule of thumb is to highlight what sets you apart as well as how your background and future goals align with the values of the scholarship committee. Carefully answer each section, from listing your extracurriculars to writing a thoughtful essay, to submit a top-notch application.

Beef Up Your Extracurriculars

Don’t just list your extracurriculars. Explain what you learned and how you grew from your participation. For example, if you were president of your sorority as an undergrad, don’t just list your title. Instead, list the specific philanthropic events you organized and how those relate to your master’s degree and to the scholarship committee’s values.

The More Scholarships, The Merrier

Like graduate school applications, receiving scholarships is a numbers game. Unlike graduate school applications, applying doesn’t stop once you’re in a graduate program. One of the biggest mistakes students make is only applying at the beginning of their degree. Instead, set aside time each semester to apply for scholarships. You’ll have more experience with each semester too, making you a more competitive candidate.

Apply to Scholarships with More Eligibility Requirements

While it’s great to apply to as many scholarships as you can, prioritize the ones with more eligibility requirements. The more specific the eligibility requirements, the fewer qualified applicants there will be and the better chance you have of getting the scholarship. For example, winning a scholarship for Jewish women from Cleveland, Ohio, who are getting their master’s in engineering will be less competitive than winning a scholarship for all women in the United States going into a STEM field.

Collect Stellar Letters of Recommendation

A common misconception is that your letters of recommendation are out of your control. This could not be further from the truth. When someone agrees to write you a letter of recommendation, give them a brief overview of the values of the scholarship committee and the experience you have that relates to these values and your professional goals. This makes it easy for your recommenders to incorporate specific accomplishments in their letters.

Wow with Your Essay

Your essay shouldn’t just tell the scholarship committee why you’re the right choice. It should paint a picture of how the scholarship would contribute to your education, local community, and academic discipline. If you tell the story of the day you fell in love with education and decided to get your master’s, your essay will stand out more than if you just reiterate a laundry list of extracurriculars.

Turn Your Application in as Early as Possible

Try to be the first in line for turning in your scholarship applications, especially for ones with rolling acceptance. Even for those that don’t have rolling acceptance, submitting your application before the deadline demonstrates initiative. A great tip to make sure you turn applications in on time is to mark the due dates in your calendar and set up notifications or reminders for application due dates.

Apply Locally and Regionally

Local and regional scholarships will be easier to get than national or international scholarships because the pool of applicants is smaller. With these applications, highlight your ties to your local community. Consider writing an essay about how your community has impacted you or how you give back to your city or region.

Additional Scholarship Resources for Women

Many people start their search for scholarships on Google. While this works, you may also run into scholarships with questionable legitimacy or ones that you aren’t eligible for. Instead, look at specific organizations that support educational advancement for women.

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