Engineering Majors: Grants Drive Diversity

Wanted: Women and Minorities

Engineering is considered one of the STEM subjects--Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Historically these are the areas of study most under-represented by minority students and women. In efforts to counteract this perennial imbalance, you better bet you’ll find plenty of grants aimed squarely at minority students in general or as isolated groups.

Excellent sources for Engineering Grants include:

  • Federal and State governments
  • and Universities
  • Professional Organizations and Private Business/Industry

If you know which area of Engineering you’d like to study you’ll narrow down your list of grant chances and therefore eliminate programs that you’d either not qualify for or those totally unsuited to your real interests and goals. Some Engineering specialties:

  • Environmental Engineering
  • Engineering
  • Civil Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Industrial Engineering
  • Software/hardware/computer Engineering
  • and more.

Federal and State Student Grants

These free money programs should absolutely be your first stop. Complete and file the FAFSA on time to be considered for any federal or state financial aid programs. But the FAFSA is also a condition of many scholarships and grants as well. Fail to file and you could exclude yourself from thousands of dollars in accessible student grants and other aid.

  • The federal Pell Grant, the FSEOG, the Academic Competitiveness Grant and the SMART Grant are all open to engineering students. You could be expected to prove financial need for some of these programs or academic prowess.
  • an engineering student you should focus special attention on grants aimed at STEM students, as well as those for minorities and women, should you fall into one or more of those categories. Science, Technology, Engineering and Math subjects are the focus of many types of grants, including some for students interested in teaching in those subjects.
  • federal departments invite students from undergrads through post-docs to apply for internship and fellowship grants. Suitable agencies for students in the engineering majors include NASA, Department of Energy, and the National Science Foundation.

College and University Grant Programs for Engineering Students

Fertile ground for engineering grants is from your own college or university, especially your particular department. If you are studying at the graduate level or doctoral degree level, you could have lucrative assistantship or fellowship grant stipends available if you’re motivated and hungry.

Professional Associations and Foundations

Hotbeds for scholarship and grant money, as tuition grants or for research and travel, these organizations invite student members and treat those motivated to excel to scores of grants and educational opportunities. Examples include:

  • The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) awards annual research grants to doctoral and post-doctoral scholars studying in this field. Eligible applicants must have undergrad degrees in an engineering science. Awards are $17,000 with a few thousand dollars allowance specifically for research.
  • The National Physical Science Consortium sponsors Graduate Fellowship Grants for Minorities and Women. Here is an example of a program that seeks to draw scholars from under-represented groups to various engineering specializations. Large fellowship grants are awarded as incentive to graduate students interested in studying for their PhD in an engineering specialty.