Math Sciences Students: Sources and Types of College Grants

Minorities and Women Wanted

Mathematics is one of those high-demand subjects and as such holds massive grant opportunities for many types of students. Along with the sciences, technology, and the engineering fields, math is vastly under-populated particularly with minorities and women.

Some of the more popular grants for math students come from these sources:

  • Federal and state governments
  • Colleges and universities
  • Business and industry
  • Professional associations

Math Grants for Minorities and Women

Traditionally the Mathematics field has been most highly trafficked by what males. But as the world becomes increasingly porous, economies become more globally-oriented, business and industry have discovered a big need for much more diverse workforces. In response sources of all kinds have ramped up funding programs in efforts to provide both incentive and encouragement to students not formerly drawn to the study of math sciences.

Government Student Math Grants

A few of the most popular grants that provide valuable financial support for students pursuing math in college originate with federal and state governments.

  • Federally-funded National SMART Grant program provides grant money to undergraduate students in their junior and senior years of study. Applicants must prove financial need AND be enrolled in a program in pursuit of a degree in Science, Math, Engineering, Technology, or a foreign language.
  • The National Science Foundation (NSF) maintains a regularly updated list of ongoing grad and doctoral student grants, some of which could apply to math and math sciences students. Find funding for graduate research, international research projects, for dissertation work, and even some undergraduate projects.
  • The Federal TEACH Grant provides lucrative education funds--$4,000 annually-- to elementary school student teachers that will agree to teach a STEM subject—includes Math-- in a low-income school following graduation. Commitment to teach in this program, in return for grant money, is for a minimum of 4 years.
  • Check out what your state government’s higher education departments have to offer to students studying STEM subjects or math.

Grants from Colleges and Universities

By far one of the more sure-fire resources for math grants AND general award monies is your chosen college or university. Whether you’re studying at the undergrad or grad level you should have ample opportunity to qualify for some free aid.

Again, minority and female students may find higher levels of grant aid for math degrees. And you should also shop for grant programs directly through the university Math department. Also common: small travel and research stipends for math students. At the grad and post-grad level, be proactive in pursuing fellowship grant money and valuable research grants to finish up your Math Masters or PhD.

Professional Organizations and Associations Offer Math Grants

Math and science-related professional associations are motherlodes for various types of student grant money: including tuition grants, research, and travel grants. Professional associations exist in almost every field of expertise. A big part of the mission of just such an organization is support for student members and educational projects and talent.

  • The Mathematical Association of America has a list of a couple dozen grant and awards programs. Working scholars, professional mathematicians and others may qualify.
  • Association for Women in Mathematics not only provides a list of scholarship and grant sources, but provides a number of annual travel grants for members and students.

Private Business and Industry

Talk about a high-need. Business and industry that utilize the expertise of mathematicians face challenges with respect to recruitment. Because big business in research, pharmaceuticals, tech and engineering, and even manufacturing, must continue to find talented graduates from the math sciences, take care to search with an analytical eye for very lucrative undergraduate, graduate and even doctoral level grant funds.