5 Tips for STEM Majors

STEM Latino studentScience, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics are among the most profitable majors for Latino, Black and African American college students, and prospective diverse high school students. Whether you want to become a programmer, software engineer, a nurse, a researcher, or a data scientist, you will have many postgraduate job opportunities. This also means that there are a ton of STEM scholarships to support minority students like you!

 

  • STEM is a very wide categorization of fields of study – once you’ve made up your mind to become a STEM major, it’s a good idea to give some serious thought to which of the fields you’d like to study because you don’t want to lose a scholarship because you want to change your major from STEM to another field. Try to find some internships like the ones offered by Silicon Valley Latinos in Technology to get some firsthand experience and see what it’s like as a day-to-day job.
  • While some STEM scholarships are for students with financial need who have an interest in STEM others are for merit-based students. Please note that some scholarships based on financial aid requires a lower GPA. 
  • If you are writing an essay for your scholarship, make sure that you are tailoring the essay to the organization awarding the scholarship. Understand their mission statement, values and principles they hold, and emphasize these in your STEM essay. For tips on writing scholarship essays, check out our guides on how to write a winning essay. 
 
  • Some Foundations such as the Perryman Family Foundation may offer specific scholarships to support prospective student majoring in their area. Check with the local Foundations to see if such scholarships exist! These often have a lower number of applicants, and so you’ll have a higher chance of winning.
 
  • Investigate professional and student organizations to find additional scholarships. Different subsections of STEM have nationwide and regional coalitions and organizations that offer networking opportunities, scholarships, internships, and more to their members. For example, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) is a great resource for students studying engineering.

 

MARCH SCHOLARSHIPS FOR LATINOS, NATIVE AMERICAN, BLACK AND AFRICAN AMERICAN IN STEM

4-Year Nursing Programs Scholarship
Sponsor: James T. & Rose M. Perryman Family Foundation
Amount: Up to $15,000 per year
Closing Date: March 31, 2023
Description: Scholarship is open to incoming and current BSN (Nursing) students. Applicant must live within a 150-mile radius of Houston, Pennsylvania and must have at least a 3.0 GPA.

Albert W. Dent Graduate Student Scholarship
Sponsor: American College of Healthcare Executives
Amount: $5,000
Closing Date: March 31, 2023
Description: Scholarship is open to minority students enrolled in their final year of full-time study in a healthcare management graduate program (MHA, MPH, MBA in Healthcare Administration or similar) – with a graduation date between Sept. 1, 2023, and Aug. 31, 2024.

Rooted in Science Scholarship
Sponsor: Procter and Gamble | CVS Health | UNCF
Amount: Up to $10,000
Closing Date: March 21, 2023
Description: Scholarship is open to Black women who are college juniors and pursuing a degree in a STEM-related discipline, with preference given to students attending an HBCU.

Army Nurse Corps Association (ANCA) Scholarship
Sponsor: Army Nurse Corps Association
Amount: $3,000
Closing Date: March 31, 2023
Description: Scholarship is open to students currently enrolled in an accredited baccalaureate or advanced degree nursing or nurse anesthesia program who are serving or have previously served in any branch of a component of the U.S. Army. Applicant must not currently be receiving funding by a component of the U.S. Army and have received an Honorable Discharge (if applicable).

College and University Scholarship
Sponsor: James T. & Rose M. Perryman Family Foundation
Amount: Up to $15,000 per year
Closing Date: March 31, 2023
Description: Scholarship is open to incoming and current undergraduate students studying Engineering, Math, Metals, or Technology. Applicant must live within a 150-mile radius of Houston, Pennsylvania and must have at least a 2.5 GPA.

Community Foundation of Louisville Scholarships
Sponsor: Community Foundation of Louisville
Amount: Varies
Closing Date: March 31, 2023
Description: Scholarships are open to graduating high school seniors, undergraduate and graduate students in the Louisville area. There are multiple scholarships available with different requirements. See website for details.

Eckenfelder Scholarship
Sponsor: Brown and Caldwell
Amount: $5,000
Closing Date: March 31, 2023
Description: Scholarship is open to students who are interested in pursuing a career in the environmental profession. Applicant must be in his/her Junior, Senior year or graduate program at an accredited college or university and have a declared major in civil, chemical or environmental engineering or one of the environmental sciences.

Great Minds in STEM Deadline April 30th, 2023

The intent of the GMiS Scholars Program is to increase the persistence to graduation among underrepresented and underserved STEM college students. The financial support helps these students focus on their coursework so they can graduate on time, enter a STEM profession, continue to serve as a role model for future generations, and secure the country’s place as the finest technological leader in the world.

Application Criteria for Great Minds in STEM Scholarship

Applicants must demonstrate merit through academic achievements, leadership and campus/community activities Applicants must be pursuing a science, technology, engineering, or math degree. Applicants must have an overall minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale for merit-based scholarships. Applicants may have a minimum 2.5 GPA for non-merit-based donor scholarships. Applicants must be of Hispanic descent and/or must demonstrate significant leadership or service within the underserved community. Applicants may be enrolled full-time or part-time at the time of application and the time of the scholarship award. Applicants must be enrolled in a STEM or health-related undergraduate or graduate program for the upcoming fall semester, at an accredited 2-yr or 4-yr college/university in the U.S. or its territories. If you have already earned a bachelor’s degree and are seeking support for another bachelor’s degree OR you have already earned a master’s degree and are seeking support for another master’s degree OR you have already earned a doctoral degree and are seeking support for another doctoral degree, you are ineligible to apply to this scholarship program.

For more information about Great Minds in STEM scholarship and how to apply for this great opportunity, read this article.

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5 Scholarship Tips for STEM Majors