Women's Scholarships

In Search of Gender Equity

Women comprise over half of all college students, but the debate still rages over gender equity. For hundreds of years higher education was designed solely for white males, women were excluded. And even though the numbers have balanced out, there remain areas of education and business and industry where women are largely underrepresented.

Add to these injustices a minority factor and you have sub-groups of women minorities with compound need for scholarship support.

For these reasons scholarships remain plentiful for women of all kinds, undergrads, grads and professional women returning to college for career advancement.

Science and Technology Sectors Want Women

Like other minorities women have been and still are underrepresented in fields related to the sciences, technology, engineering and math, sometimes simply called the STEM subjects.

  • Many college and university departments relative to the STEM fields offer scholarships to attract women and minorities.
  • Professional member-based organizations, like the Society of Women Engineers, make it part of their mission to advocate for students. SWE offers a number of annual scholarships for qualified female students pursuing engineering.

College and University Scholarships for Women

Make sure you explore all the scholarship options for women available from the colleges and universities to which you’re applying. Remember many minority scholarships include women. Also be aware that some schools have women’s centers that may offer scholarships and/or resources.

Non-Traditional Women’s Scholarships

A growing number of women are returning to school and seeking assistance. Women with careers interrupted by child-rearing and families often have financial pressures to compound other stressors. But dozens of organizations as well as colleges and universities, offer non-traditional scholarships to women returning to school or making a stressful career change.

Minority Women

Minority women students face even more challenges and scholarships are plentiful. In this category women with interests in the STEM subjects have huge advantages—companies want both minorities AND women to diversify their workplaces and offer lucrative scholarships for minority females.

Traditional Women’s Studies Scholarships

Traditional career tracks for women have been nursing and teaching, both in dire need of qualified professionals. Want to be a nurse, a teacher? Scholarships and loan repayment programs are plentiful.

Search Resources

When you begin to search for scholarships don’t overlook these resources:

  • Your high school guidance counselor
  • Local organizations
  • Your church and any clubs you’re involved in
  • Your parents’ employer
  • Your employer if you’re a professional

You can also find women’s scholarships by communicating with women’s organizations and associations. They will often have scholarship opportunities, though they may not be as well publicized.

Use the Internet as a Key Search Tool

Never pay money for scholarships. There are hundreds of scholarship opportunities available and many are searchable online. Use keyword phrases like these to explore various avenues women’s scholarships:

  • womens scholarships
  • minority women scholarships
  • womens athletic scholarships
  • womens engineering scholarships
  • womens math scholarships