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There’s nothing better than free money — especially with the cost of many private colleges topping $70K a year. If you’re a woman trying to navigate the labyrinth of ways to fund your education, you might want to consider one of these scholarship programs first.
When selecting these top scholarships for women, we looked for programs that were open to the most number of women, offered relatively high amounts and helped women in need. We also tried to find scholarships that were either renewable or had multiple recipients each year.
| Amount | $10,000 |
|---|---|
| Deadline | September 27th |
| Eligibility requirements | To qualify for this scholarship, you need to meet the following requirements:
|
The Adobe Research Women-in-Technology Scholarship is geared toward women pursuing a computer science or technical degree. Applicants are selected based on their academic record, personal statement and letters of recommendation they submit with their application.
Take note that this scholarship isn’t open to rising high school seniors or first-year college students. You must be entering your second year of college or higher to qualify.
| Amount | $5,000 |
|---|---|
| Deadline | February 10th |
| Eligibility requirements | To qualify for this scholarship, you need to meet the following requirements:
|
For female students who are pursuing a medical degree, the Leslie Andree Hanna Medical Scholarship is a perfect fit. The application process is based solely on merit, so the scholarship committee will be looking for students who excel in their field. The scholarship is not automatically renewable, but students can reapply each year if they continue to meet the criteria.
| Amount | $3,000 |
|---|---|
| Deadline | Not listed |
| Eligibility requirements | To qualify for this scholarship, you need to meet the following requirements:
|
The PEO Program for Continuing Education Scholarship is geared toward women who’ve spent at least two years of their adult life out of school and have since decided to go back to earn their degree. On top of the eligibility requirements for the scholarship, prospective recipients have to be nominated by a current PEO chapter or member. In order to be nominated, applicants must explain why they’re interested in pursuing their chosen degree and discuss their employment goals once their education is completed.
| Amount | $1,000 to $16,000 |
|---|---|
| Deadline | November 15th |
| Eligibility requirements | To qualify for this award, you need to meet the following requirements:
*Dependents can include children, a spouse or partner, siblings and/or parents. |
| Eligible countries and territories | Soroptimist International of the Americas’ member countries or territories include:
|
The Soroptimist Live Your Dream Awards are designed for women who are doing it all. If you support your family and are ready to pursue a degree to help further your career, this scholarship is tailor made for you. Awards go up to $16,000 — and unlike many scholarships, it’s not limited to US residents. Women from over 20 countries and territories are eligible. But keep in mind this is a one-time scholarship — previous recipients aren’t allowed to apply a second time.
| Amount | $5,000 |
|---|---|
| Deadline | Late spring |
| Eligibility requirements | To qualify for this scholarship, you need to meet the following requirements:
|
The goal of the Patsy Takemoto Mink Education Support Awards is to open up access to education to low-income mothers. Five recipients are chosen annually based on their financial need, career goals, educational path and community service. If chosen, the award can be used for both tuition and living expenses while you’re enrolled in an eligible program.
| Amount | $2,000 |
|---|---|
| Deadline | March 1st |
| Eligibility requirements | To qualify for this scholarship, you need to meet the following requirements:
|
The Jeannette Rankin Women’s Scholarship is a need- and merit-based program specifically designed to help low-income women over 35 years old pursue post-secondary education. Not only are multiple women chosen each year, but the award is renewable annually. The number of awards given each year varies depending on the number of applicants, though there have been over 1,000 scholarships awarded since 1978.
To be considered low income, your household income must fall within these 2019-2020 guidelines:
| Household size | Maximum annual household income |
|---|---|
| 1 | $23,500 |
| 2 | $38,511 |
| 3 | $52,863 |
| 4 | $65,257 |
| 5 | $77,014 |
| 6 | $90,059 |
| Amount | $2,500 |
|---|---|
| Deadline | June 1st |
| Eligibility requirements | To qualify for this scholarship, you need to meet the following requirements:
|
Founded by the National Federation of Republican Women in honor of First Lady Nancy Reagan, the National Pathfinder Scholarship awards five women with $2,500 each year. The scholarship is based on merit, with recipients selected based on their letters of recommendation, scholarly achievement, civic or political activism and career goals. Take note that high school seniors and first-year college students aren’t eligible to apply. And the award can only be received once.
| Amount | Varies |
|---|---|
| Deadline | May 1st for first-year college applicants; February 15th for all other applicants |
| Eligibility requirements | To qualify for this scholarship, you need to meet the following requirements:
|
Students interested in pursuing engineering, computing or technology at the undergraduate or graduate level might find the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) a helpful resource. In 2018, over 238 new and renewed scholarships valuing over $830,000 were awarded through the SWE. The reason that number is so high is because you’re automatically considered for all associated SWE scholarships when you submit your application through the SWE portal.
Did your scholarship funds come up short? Here are some other ways to fund your degree:
Explore your options by APR, minimum credit score, loan amount and loan term. Select the Get started button to start an application with a specific lender.
Women who are dedicated to their field of study or interested in going back to school to further their career have several scholarship options to choose from. While many are based on financial need, others consider your academics and community activism.
You can explore more ways to pay for school with our guide to student loans.
Do I need to fill out the FAFSA to qualify for scholarships?
Not necessarily — the Department of Education doesn’t offer scholarships. However, scholarships provided through your college or other outside organizations might ask you to fill out the FAFSA to prove your financial need. Scholarships that are strictly based on merit might not require the FAFSA, though.
Regardless, if you’re planning on attending college, you should always start by filling out the FAFSA to see if you’re eligible for federal grants and loans.
How much scholarship funding can I receive each year?
This will vary greatly depending on the scholarships you qualify for and if those funds are renewable annually. There’s no limit to the amount of private scholarships you can receive. However, you can be taxed on any scholarship funds that surpass your need for covering education expenses.
Can I combine my scholarships with other forms of funding?
Absolutely — most students have a financial aid package that includes many different types of funding. However, every school has a cost-of-attendance maximum. If you received enough scholarships to reach the maximum, you won’t be eligible for other types of funding such as federal loans or grants.
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