Best STEM Scholarships for Holiday Season

This holiday season is the one season to get a scholarship! For high-school students, college students or graduate students, this list provides a productive way to be STEAM and festive.

While you enjoy this much-needed time off, you may want to apply for some financial aid for next year. This holiday, give yourself the gift of scholarship money.Consider applying for the scholarships from this list as the deadline is approaching on December 31^st.

There’s no limit to how many scholarships students can apply for as every dollar counts and the more scholarships students apply the less money they have to borrow. The average private and external scholarship can be between $1,500 and $5,000. But $1,500 is easily the difference between buying a laptop or not. 

Using IOScholarships allows diverse students to apply for opportunities which they already qualify for, and their ethnic and cultural background is valued. Start by applying for your favorite scholarships and organize them with IOScholarships organizer. Getting organized helps you stay on track and gives you time to complete all the applications available.

AIAA Scholarships

Description

Scholarships are open to current AIAA student members who have completed at least one academic semester and are studying science or engineering encompassed by the technical activities of AIAA. In addition to the general scholarships, there are scholarships open specifically to students studying Astronautics or Aeronautics, female students, and students who attend a college within the Rocky Mountain Section (Colorado, Wyoming or Montana).

Application Criteria

Applicants for an AIAA Foundation Undergraduate Scholarship shall meet the following eligibility requirements: Must be a current AIAA Student member in good standing Must have completed at least 1 academic semester of full-time college work Must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.300 on a 4.000 scale unless otherwise noted Unless otherwise noted, applicants must be enrolled in an accredited college or university within the United States or U.S. Territories Applicant’s education plan shall be such as to provide entry into some field of science or engineering encompassed by the technical activities of AIAA

UNCF

The UNCF General Application is used to establish an applicant pool of potentially eligible students for ongoing scholarship opportunities that are unpublished.

Unpublished scholarship opportunities using the UNCF General Application, are restricted to students who are enrolled full time at one of the 37 UNCF Member Institutions during the 2022-2023 academic year.

 Students are encouraged to continue to visit the UNCF Scholarship homepage throughout the academic year and apply to ALL scholarship programs whose criteria match their academic profile. Updating your profile each semester may enhance the possibility of a match.

The UNCF General Application based on the following minimum criteria:

1. Be enrolled full-time at a UNCF Member College or University;
2. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at https://fafsa.ed.gov;
3. Have a demonstrated financial need as verified by the financial aid office;
4. Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50 on a 4.00 scale;
5. Complete the online application.

STEM Scholarship

Description

Scholarship is open to students attending an accredited college and pursuing a career in one of the following: Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math. Applicant must submit a short form, transcript, and a short essay about themselves.

Application Criteria

Candidates must plan to attend an accredited college and must be pursuing a career in one of the following, Science, Technology, Engineering or Math to qualify for the RevPart scholarship. Must be planning to attend a College in the United States.

The Thiel Fellowship

Description

Founded by technology entrepreneur and investor Peter Thiel in 2011, the Thiel Fellowship is a two-year program for young people who want to build new things. Thiel Fellows skip or stop out of college to receive a $100,000 grant and support from the Thiel Foundation’s network of founders, investors, and scientists. Between 20-30 Fellows are selected annually.

Application Criteria

You do not need a pitch deck to apply, but it helps. A short deck or prospectus is a great way to state clearly and concisely what you’re working on. You may apply for the fellowship if you are in school, though if you’re selected, you’ll need to stop out in order to accept the Fellowship. There is no application deadline since we accept rolling applications. For more information or to apply, please visit the scholarship provider’s website.

Where to Find STEM Scholarships for Hispanic, Latinx, Black and other diverse students in STEM?

If you’re looking for scholarships for diverse STEM majors, there are a number of resources available to you. These include:

• Your school’s financial aid office: School financial aid offices provide resources to help you find scholarships. The financial aid office can be the best place to discover scholarships that may be available from specific departments at your school, as well as other general scholarships available to all students in the STEM field.
• Professional organizations: Professional organizations in STEM such as the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and HACU offer scholarship opportunities to Latinx students who want to study science, technology, and other subjects. Check with local and national organizations to find all of the potential scholarships for which you could be eligible and utilize your network to find potential leads.
• IOScholarships: Most scholarship application deadlines occur typically from September through May. While this does give minority students some time to apply for scholarships, it still is a good idea to start searching for scholarships as early as students can. 

Treat the scholarship application process as a part-time job. The more applications you submit, the greater your chances are of winning scholarships. I treated the application process as a part-time job dedicating 15-25 hours per week. I figured if I spent two hours applying for a scholarship and won $1000, that was like making $500 per hour; an AMAZING part-time job!

IOScholarships help narrow your search. Results are generated based on your ethnic background and interests. Don’t wait, apply today!

If you need more information to help you win big scholarships read the following article.