Environmental Engineering Scholarships: Explore Your Options

In this age of Green Business you must bet that the opportunities open to Environmental Engineers are expanding at the speed of light. The range of specialties and related fields of study continues to evolve and the lines between chemical engineering, mechanical engineering and civil engineering can even overlap that of environmental engineering.

Scholarships for college are designed to help you pay down the heady costs. Primary reason the engineering sector is so willing to get scholarship money flowing into the student pipeline is this: because the field is growing complex and innovative, there are amazing demands for new talent. Chief tactic for attracting students to jobs and engineering school is scholarship money, the more the better.

As you check out the leading sources for environmental engineering scholarships you’ll do yourself a big favor if you can focus more closely on your goals.

  • What type of environmental engineering field do you picture yourself pursuing?
  • What type of academic degree do you see yourself achieving?
  • And in what type of industry can you imagine yourself thriving?

Among the thousands of scholarships out there to weed through, we bet that if you take the few minutes or even couple of hours you need to create a complete checklist of your goals, you will ultimately slash the number of scholarships you’re really looking for down to just a few. These will be your gold nuggets, the real opportunities to win free scholarship money in your major. And you may find some of them right here in these sources.

Top scholarship sources for Environmental Engineering scholarships:

  • Government sources
  • Private industry
  • Professional associations
  • Colleges and universities

Government Sources

Federal and state governments are beacons for scholarship money. Here’s the deal: when it comes to engineering, the number one push is to diversify—attract more minorities and more women—and be able to fill the opportunities coming online—create more self-sustaining national and regional economies.

  • If you’re interested in atmospheric science you might explore the Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship Program. This is sponsored through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and is available to undergrads seriously interested in this career field. Awards are $8,000 and include a paid internship.
  • NOAA also sponsors an Undergraduate Scholarship Program that aims to engage African-American/Black, Hispanic, or Native American/Alaskan/Hawaiian students studying at a minority serving college.
  • The Morris K. Udall Scholarship is a federally sponsored foundation committed to providing financial assistance to students pursuing Environmental careers and degrees, including environmental engineering, law, policy, urban renewal, green business, and much more. Udall scholars receive $5,000 for tuition and books and must be able to attend the Udall Scholars conference.
  • The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administers both graduate and undergraduate research fellowships. The EPA Star Graduate Fellowship is good for up to $74,000 total in annual cash, which covers research, tuition, living and other expenses. Undergrads receive $17,500 per year plus a paid internship.

This does not complete the scholarships from the federal government. But it does offer you a sample of the types of programs common to the different agencies.

Colleges and Universities

Fertile ground for environmental science and engineering scholarships is closer than you think. Your college or university has likely a variety of different places it locks away its scholarship dough. Begin with the main college scholarship and financial aid programs, then check out the Engineering scholarships and definitely do NOT miss the Department of Environmental Engineering’s scholarships it may have tucked away.

Examples:

  • At Ohio State University students in the Crop Science and Agronomy specialties can apply for the Ohio AgriBusiness Scholarship. Awards are $1,700 and based on academic talent and commitment to the business.

Professional Associations and Private Business Sources

These are two outside sources that have high need for new environmental engineering blood. Programs are as diverse as are the fields of specialty and the sources from which these funds pour:

  • The Ohio Academy of Science sponsors the Ohio Environmental Science and Environmental Engineering Undergraduate Scholarship Program. Awards are up to $2,500 and are based on academic merit and motivation to pursue a career in the field.
  • Scholarships through the Future Farmers of America number in the dozens. Most are funded by partner businesses and companies, each with a stake in the environmental or agriculture industry in one form or another. To say these scholarships are diverse is an understatement. The FFA boasts that “1 out of ever 5 students” wins scholarship money.

Cargill and Monsanto are just two more of the major environmental and agribusiness corporations that support new talent in these emerging fields.