5 Great Computer Science Scholarships For All Students

The average computer science student borrows more than $8,000 for each and every year of their education, according to Student Loan Hero’s recent study of which majors require the most debt.

Although a sizable entry-level salary can ease student loan repayment, there’s a way to avoid borrowing those loans in the first place: Seek out computer science scholarships.

There are scholarship opportunities for students of every background, including awards designed specifically for women and people of color who are still underrepresented in the field. Here are five worth considering, plus additional tips on how to find more.
1. Women Techmakers Scholars Program
2. Microsoft’s Tuition Scholarship
3. Stokes Educational Scholarship Program
4. Adobe Research Women-in-Technology Scholarship
5. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ Presidents’ Scholarship
How to find more computer science scholarships

1. Women Techmakers Scholars Program

Created in honor of Dr. Anita Borg, a technologist known for furthering gender equality in her field, the Techmakers program is meant for any undergraduate or graduate student that identifies as female. It awards US$10,000 to be used on your ensuing year of study.

Techmakers is unique to more generic computer science scholarships, as it consists of non-financial support as well. Scholarship winners are invited to attend the annual Google Scholars’ Retreat, which includes chances for networking and workshops.

Applying for the award is no easy task. You must provide grade transcripts, a resume and a persuasive recommendation letter as well as responses to five essay prompts. Applications are judged based on your “impact on diversity, demonstrated leadership and academic background.”

Deadline to apply: The application period for 2019-20 is closed, but the deadline usually falls in December for the following fall.

2. Microsoft’s Tuition Scholarship

Microsoft’s scholarship is open to students seeking a bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering or a related field. International students attending class in the U.S. are also eligible to apply.

For its scholarship, Microsoft seeks “demonstrated passion for technology, academic excellence, and leadership while working to push the software industry forward,” and prioritizes the applications of students who have helped promote diversity in their field while studying on campus.

Besides offering partial and full-ride scholarships for one academic year, the tech giant also administers a Diversity Conference Scholarship to allow students to attend educational events by paying for their conference registration, as well as providing them with $1,200 stipend.

In addition, Blacks at Microsoft, a group of employees at the company, distributes a pair of $5,000 awards to worthy high school seniors looking to study computer science or another eligible degree. These students will also be eligible to receive this award annually through four consecutive years of education, should they continue to meet the scholarship’s criteria.

Deadline to apply: Jan. 26 for the Microsoft scholarship, and March 8 for the Blacks at Microsoft program.

3. Stokes Educational Scholarship Program

The Stokes program is one part computer science scholarship, one part National Security Agency (NSA) job. High school seniors who are planning to major in computer science or engineering are eligible to receive up to $30,000 annually to cover tuition and fees — and a salary working for the federal agency. You would receive year-round pay and benefits despite working just the 12 weeks of summer per year while you’re enrolled.

In terms of the job itself, the NSA says its technologists work on “applications programming, computer security and graphics, and the design and implementation of software involving database management systems, real-time systems, networking and distributed processing systems.”

Note, however, that by accepting the Stokes award, you must agree to work for the NSA beyond your graduation.

Eligibility requirements include U.S. citizenship, a 3.0 minimum grade point average and high SAT or ACT scores. The application includes the college scholarship essay prompt, “Why I want a career at NSA.”

Deadline to apply: October 31

4. Adobe Research Women-in-Technology Scholarship

Unlike some of the other scholarships, you don’t have to be a U.S. national to receive this one-time award of $10,000. Adobe’s scholarship program serves female undergraduate and graduate students studying computer science anywhere in the world.

Winners also receive a one-year subscription to use Adobe’s suite of tools, access to a mentor who works for the company and the opportunity to interview for a separate internship.

To apply, you’ll need to submit your transcripts, resume, contact information for three references and answers to four essay questions. You could better your odds by including a minute-long multimedia presentation that describes your career aspirations.

Deadline to apply: Sept. 27

5. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ Presidents’ Scholarship

Many merit-based computer science scholarships award aid for your grades, but the IEEE’s scholarship doles out $10,000 for an outstanding project. It must be entered in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), which attracts 1,400 students from over 40 countries annually.

The IEEE hands out a variety of other scholarships to computer science students. If you’re a member of your school or region’s branch, you might apply for the Richard E. Merwin Student Scholarship (application deadline in April) — it offers awards valued at $1,000 and above for active students (with no stellar science fair project required).

Deadline to apply: May, when the international competition is held.

How to find more computer science scholarships

Computer science scholarships and STEM scholarships abound far beyond just these five opportunities. Here are a few ways to find sources of aid that don’t need to be repaid:

• Focus on your niche: There are computer science scholarships for seemingly any specific interest within the field. If you’re passionate about cybersecurity, for example, you might be eligible for the federal government’s Scholarship for Service initiative. If you simply love video games, on the other hand, check out the Entertainment Software Association’s scholarship.

• Join student or professional associations: Like the IEEE, many organizations offer computer science scholarships to students. For instance, the Society of Women Engineers offers gift aid to both members and non-members alike. Do some research into groups that would help you network your way to some much-needed gift aid.

• Don’t forget about non-technology scholarships: Limiting yourself to computer science scholarships would be a mistake — consider all the other reasons you could win scholarships. The Asian Pacific Fund, for example, serves minority students pursuing an education in everything from computer science to finance.

As you find computer science scholarships, keep your eyes on the prize: a debt-free education. The more scholarship money you win, the less you’ll need to borrow in the form of federal and private student loans.

Steps to Applying for Scholarships in China

Would you love the chance to study in China? It definitely would be a great opportunity as China is the second largest economy in the world, and is full of rich history and culture.

It’s also a safe country where living costs are relatively low compared to Western countries, and international students can work part-time while studying. If you’ve always wanted to learn Mandarin, China is of course one of the best places to do it, giving you the chance to easily practice with the locals.

There are also many English-taught programmes in some of the world’s best universities. Universities like Tsinghua and Peking consistently rank well in university world rankings, attracting faculty from all over the globe.

Here are two ways you can go about applying for a scholarship in China:

1. Apply for a CSC scholarship via the government website

To attract more international students to China, the national government partners with several universities to offer scholarships for those who come from overseas.

The Chinese government has a list of available Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC) scholarships on the website, also known as Chinese Government Scholarships (CGS), where there are deadline dates and detailed instructions on how to apply.

There are currently 273 Chinese universities offering CSC scholarships to international students.

According to the website, applying for scholarships at multiple universities is recommended. You just need to be sure to fill out separate CSC online application forms for each university.

“If you apply for Chinese Scholarship in more than one university, it will increase the chances to win a scholarship.”

If you get approved for more than one scholarship in China, the CSC will determine which one is better for you. You don’t necessarily need an acceptance letter to the university you’re applying for at the time of application, but it may increase your chances of winning a scholarship.

Writing a good research proposal or study plan in addition to having higher-than-average grades gives you the best chance of winning a CGS scholarship.

The website states that applicants who have high grades but do not write a proper research proposal or study plan often get rejected.

On the flip side, students with average grades who have submitted a well-researched and well-written study plan or research proposal with complete documentation have successfully won fully-funded CSC scholarships in the past.

2. Apply for a Beijing Municipal Government Scholarship

You can also get a scholarship in China from the Beijing Municipal Government. The capital city of China offers its own scholarships for international students, both for undergraduate and graduate programmes.

According to the website, “Beijing Municipal Government Scholarship is established by Beijing Municipal Government, aiming to provide tuition fees fully or partially to the international students studying or applying for studying in Beijing. This scholarship is given to those who are diligent, hard-working individuals.”

Consider yourself a diligent, hard-working individual? Follow the instructions on the website on how to apply, which includes downloading and filling in an application form for graduate students.

Undergraduate students don’t need to fill out an application form. As the website states, “For undergraduate [programme applicants], you don’t need to apply this scholarship on your own, the scholarship will be given based on your exam score and interview.”

If you already have a Chinese Government Scholarship, a scholarship from your home country or a Confucius Institute Scholarship, you will not be eligible to apply for a Beijing Municipal Government Scholarship.

Graduate Scholarships Under Mayoral Program-Apply Now!

For more than 50 years, the city has partnered with dozens of schools to provide scholarships for municipal workers interested in pursuing a Master’s degree.

The Mayor’s Graduate Scholarship Program gives city employees full or partial scholarships for programs in fields of study such as law, health care policy, business and public administration.

Fields Offered

The city has begun accepting scholarship applications for those municipal workers planning to pursue a graduate degree next fall.  Forty-two schools are participating in the program, including Adelphi University’s School of Social Work, the City University of New York’s School of Labor and Urban Studies and the Fordham University School of Law.

“We want employees to grow in their career with the City, so it’s important for us to let them know that we support them and are invested in them,” said Department of Citywide Administrative Services Commissioner Lisette Camilo. “Through the Mayor’s Graduate Scholarship Program, we give employees a chance to continue their education and reach the next level in their career by expanding on their skills and knowledge to better do their jobs.”

To be eligible, applicants must be working as city employees at the time of application and while participating in the program, and have completed their undergraduate degrees by Fall 2020. Candidates must apply directly to the school(s) they’re interested in.

The scholarship is available only to new students at most schools, although currently enrolled students are eligible for a few programs, including Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations and Pratt Institute.

Apply before Nov. 16

Those interested must submit a completed application, available at www.nyc.gov/mgsp, to their agency’s personnel office by Nov. 15. Candidates must provide a copy of their transcript or diploma, as well as three essays.

Applicants must also submit confirmation of their school-application submission, as well as a letter of intent to the school(s) indicating that they are applying for the scholarship. The universities will select the scholarship winners, and will inform them next summer.

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