Survey Your Options for Good Civil Engineering Scholarships

Civil Engineering is considered the grand-daddy of all engineering specialties. Professional civil engineers work primarily on structures, both public and private.

In recent years academia and government have sought to diversify to keep pace with global trends, build self-sustainability, increase innovation and collaboration, and generally provide a more contemporary and unified workforce. To these ends you will discover abundant scholarship resources aimed at minorities and women—all still under-represented in every facet of engineering.

Popular Sources for Civil Engineering Scholarships:

  • Government sources
  • College and university sources
  • Private and professional sources

Government Sources for Civil Engineering Money

Federal and state governments are devoted to bulking up workforce diversity and even more committed to helping students in the STEM subjects. The “E” in STEM stands for Engineering, by the way.

  • One of the most publicized scholarship grants is the National SMART Grant, a federally sponsored academic aid program designed for junior and senior undergrads studying a STEM subject, including Engineering.
  • The Barry Goldwater Scholarship is available in support of students pursuing math, science, computer science, or engineering studies. To be eligible you must be nominated by a faculty representative who knows you’re interested in competing. Over 200 awards are handed out annually from this foundation and most students are seeking PhDs in their field. This is a cream-of-the-crop scholarship. Awards are based on tuition and books and top out at $7,500 per academic year.

Example of an innovative and valuable state scholarship program:

  • Virginia students enrolled in a Civil Engineering course of study may qualify for scholarship for service program with the Virginia Department of Transportation. The Engineer Scholarship Program offers qualified candidates a $3,500 cash stipend for every semester they are willing to work with the V-DOT.

College and University Sources for CE Scholarships

Your college or university School of Engineering as well as Department of Civil Engineering usually offer multiple types of scholarships to students. Narrow down the list to those that meet your specific needs. Search within the college of study and within your department. You should find at least 2 or 3 awards you have a reasonable chance of winning.

Clemson University, Purdue University, University of Minnesota, and the University of Kentucky are a SMALL sample of the major engineering schools that offer scholarships specifically for Civil Engineering students.

Private and Professional Scholarship Sources

Don’t overlook the scholarships that are sponsored through professional engineering associations. Here are organizations DEDICATED solely to the Civil Engineering professional as well as the student. Many maintain quite well-funded scholarship coffers. Only criteria: you be a member.

Private business and industry, especially in the engineering sector, are also very good sources.

  • Kelly Engineering Resources sponsors the annual Future Engineers Scholarship Program. This $5,000 award goes to a student studying in an accredited school of engineering who best expresses their career goals in an essay.
  • The American Society for Engineering Education hands out a number of undergraduate and graduate scholarships annually, as well as minority awards.
  • As a student member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) you are eligible to compete for a number of college scholarships. Awards range between $2,500 and $3,000.