Comp Sci Scholarships: Top Resources for Free College Money

Computer Science remains a steadfast college major with infinite career options. In the realm of scholarship money, it means you need to expand your focus to include all the possible options….

Diversity in the Comp Sci realm spells bigger and badder scholarships for ethnic minorities and women. Up until recently the large majority of college majors in Computer Science were white and male. Historically women and minority students have not been encouraged to pursue the field. Scholarships offer just the right encouragement.

Here’s a solid strategy for working up a viable short-list of sources for which you have a real world chance to qualify for cash.

  • Federal and state governments
  • Colleges and Universities
  • Private Sources
  • Professional Associations

Government Sources for Comp Sci Scholarships

Government sources are always an option for students searching for any type of science or technology scholarships. Why? These fields are hungry for new blood AND they are also lacking in diversity. Of particular abundance are scholarships and scholarships for service aimed at students studying cybersecurity, IT security management, cryptography, and other very specialized fields closely related to national security.

  • The Department of Defense runs a competitive and popular program: Information Assurance Scholarship Program is a scholarship for service opportunity. Students from undergraduate degree programs up through doctoral degrees may qualify for a full-tuition scholarship in return for service in IT to the DoD.
  • The Department of Homeland Security offers a number of undergraduate and graduate scholarships annually, plus paid internships. These programs vary in area of study, but computer science students studying computer forensics or cybersecurity are welcome.

Colleges and Universities

Many students, particularly at the undergraduate level, miss out on many of the possible scholarships available through their own college and university. Besides the general academic scholarships directly offered through the financial aid or scholarship office, there are many very specialized endowed scholarships. Additionally you should scour the funds often available in your computer science department. You may find academic awards, as well as valuable research and travel scholarships.

Private Sources for Comp Sci Scholarships

“Private sources” include business and industry, corporate giants and others. You better believe you have computer science scholarship opps here. Of particular interest to you should be major companies in the IT sector: computer hardware and software manufacturers, big name and small name. Many offer college scholarships with an eye toward recruitment. Expect big scholarships from corporate sponsors to come bundled with paid internships, often required. This way they have a solid chance to net big college talent—could be you.

Here are a few examples, but there are many more:

  • Microsoft, one of the major players in the IT marketplace is always shopping for the next “genius.” As such the company extends valuable paid internships to undergraduate students. But scholarships through Microsoft are lucrative as well, and as mentioned above are one of those programs that comes with a required internship attached. But wow, on this opportunity. Four types of scholarships are offered annually: Minority Scholarships, Women’s Scholarships, Scholarships for Students with Disabilities, and General academic scholarships. Eligible students must be four-year undergrads and studying in the U.S.
  • Google, not to be outdone, has assembled quite a list of scholarships for which it extends major funding: The Google Anita Borg Scholarship is one of the most well-known—open to undergraduate and graduate women studying in the field of Comp Sci. Awards are between $1,000 and $10,000. Other Google scholarships focus on adding diversity to the industry mix: disabled students, African women, Hispanics, and African–American students are all included in various Google scholarships.

Professional Organizations

At the risk if getting completely distracted with prime corporate scholarships, we urge you to also include professional sources in your short-list of Computer Science scholarship possibilities. Here you should take a close look at the various types of IT associations—most offer student members scholarships for academics, research and for travel.

The IEEE, CompTIA and many other associations designed for computer professionals, offer various types of student awards, including scholarships and fellowships for undergraduates, graduates and post-graduate scholars.