Women in tech scholarships are much more than just a nice gesture or “free money.” They have become an essential tool for closing the gap between men and women who work in tech industries. While it may seem like there are more women entering the STEM field today, this is not the case in every aspect of the industry. In fact, as mentioned in our article on women in tech statistics, the number of women earning computer science degrees actually decreased by 8% from 1997 to 2016.
Fortunately, colleges and employers are not only recognizing this disparity, but are taking action to try and close the gap with substantial financial investments. Now there is an ever-increasing number of scholarships for women in tech available for those looking to fund their education. Read on to learn of scholarship programs that are helping ambitious women jumpstart their STEM education and career.
Scholarships for Female Coders
Women who want to become web developers, computer programmers, or software developers will need extensive knowledge of coding. Fortunately, coding bootcamp can provide a gateway for women to enter the tech field, but the cost of attending one of these bootcamps ranges anywhere from $9,000 to $28,000. Finding a way to pay for these intensive bootcamp is oftentimes more challenging than completing the curriculum itself. This presents yet another barrier to entry for women trying to get into computer science. The good news is that there are scholarships that are awarded on financial need and reserved for female coders. We’ve compiled a list of scholarships that partially or fully cover the cost of coding bootcamps below:
Claim Academy Scholarships
Claim Academy is one program that works hard to offer scholarships and financial support to all its students. In fact, some coders are offered scholarships simply for being accepted to the programs. Any female accepted into a Claim Academy Full Stack Software Developer Program will receive a $500 women in tech scholarship.
Coding Dojo Scholarships – $1,000
This “women in tech scholarship“ was designed with the goal of supporting women who want to be coders by providing a $1,000 scholarship that can be used towards their education.
DigitalCrafts Scholarship – $1,000 – $1,500
DigitalCrafts is working to make tech careers more accessible to minority groups including female, Latinx, and Black students who are underrepresented in the tech industry. The coding bootcamp program has a $1,000,000 scholarship fund that automatically awards minority part-time students with $1,000 and full-time students with $1,500.
Flatiron School Scholarships – 50% off Tuition
Women who are interested in attending the Flatiron School coding programs have a couple of options when it comes to funding their education:
- The Women Take Tech Initiative scholarship awards a 50% discount on tuition to females. In addition, the Apply By Pi Scholarship can also help women attend the organization’s online web developer program.
- The Flatiron School also offers a National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) scholarship. Any women who enroll part-time or full-time in the school’s software, data science, or cyber security courses are eligible for the scholarship.
Makers Academy Scholarship – $700
Any minorities or women who enroll in classes at the academy can receive a tuition discount. Under the Women Who Code program, female-identifying black students may receive £500 or $700 to help with their tuition costs.
Grand Circus Scholarship – $1,750
Grand Circus is also using scholarships to help diversify the program and the tech industry in general. Here are a couple of options they offer:
- NCWIT Full and Partial Scholarships for Women and Gender Non-Conforming: Anyone who identifies as female, non-binary or genderqueer and resides in Michigan are eligible. Recipients may be awarded a full or parietal scholarship and will need to apply through both Grand Circus and the NCWIT scholarship program.
- The Grand Circus Diversity Scholarship is given to students from underrepresented groups who want to enter the tech industry. Anyone who identifies as a woman, Latinx, LGBTQ+, Native American, Black, or Veteran is eligible and recipients will be awarded $1,750.
Hackbright Academy Scholarships – 50% off Tuition
Hackbright Academy is another coding program that is actively working to support women in the tech industry. In particular, the Hackbright Phenomenal Women Scholarship gives out two 50% scholarships to women who are able to demonstrate a talent for technical abilities and are looking to become a software engineer.
Scholarships in Computer Science
A degree in computer science can open the door to a variety of careers, including business analyst, research and development scientist, information security analyst, and software tester. For those women in tech who are more interested in a computer science degree, there are also a lot of scholarship options. Here are a couple of options to consider:
LoadView Women in Computing Scholarship – $1,000
Dotcom-Monitor works to support women who want to pursue an undergraduate degree in computer science. They offer a $1,000 scholarship to one applicant. Women must be enrolled full-time at a university in the US or Canada. They will also need to have declared their major or spent two semesters studying computer science or a similar field.
Women in Technology Scholarship (WITS) – $2,500
Visionary Integration Professionals (VIP) launched their scholarship program in 2007 and over the years, the organization has helped women establish careers in the technology field. VIP provides clients with technology deployment solutions, management consulting services, and system integration and uses the WITS program to help support the industry and encourage diversity and inclusion.
The WITS program awards $2,500 to women who want to work in management information, information technology, computer science, and other related fields. In order to be eligible, applicants must be currently enrolled or accepted to a 2 or 4-year program at a US college. Applicants will be evaluated based on their academic performance, community service, extracurricular activities, leadership experience, and essay responses.
General Women in STEM Scholarships
Science, Technology Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) covers a wide range of different fields and can lead to lucrative careers. STEM jobs include geographer, environmental engineer, forensic scientist, accountant, and computer network architect. The professional opportunities for women in STEM are truly expansive. Fortunately, there are some generous scholarships available to help women pursue these careers.
Aysen Tunca Memorial Scholarship – $2,000
This scholarship is awarded to female undergraduate students who are majoring in STEM fields. Applicants must be in their sophomore or junior year of college, a US citizen, and a member of the Society of Physics Students national organization. While the scholarship is merit-based, preference will be given to students who are the first in their families to study STEM, are facing an economic disadvantage, or had to overcome obstacles to pursue their studies.
BHW Scholarship – $3,000
The BHW Group is a tech firm based in Austin, Texas, that offers a scholarship to a female college student who is working on an undergraduate or graduate degree in mathematics, engineering, technology, or science.
Virginia Heinlein Memorial Scholarship – $3,000
Female candidates from any country can apply for this $3,000 scholarship as long as they are enrolled as an undergraduate at an accredited four-year college or university and majoring in engineering, math, or physical or biological sciences.
Science Ambassador Scholarship – Up to Full Tuition
Not only could this scholarship cover the full cost of tuition, but there is also no essay requirement to deal with. Applicants are asked to submit a three-minute video and upload it to YouTube. The video should cover the STEM topic of their choice. The scholarship was created by the Cards Against Humanity makers for women in science, technology, engineering or math; they also offer partial scholarships.
Palantir Women in Technology Scholarship – $7,000
This scholarship was founded in 2010 with the goal of supporting women who are pursuing a career in technology. Palantir is a software development company and wants to help cultivate female leaders who can contribute to STEM fields. For the 2022-2023 school year, they will be awarding 10 scholarships of $7,000 and the opportunity to attend a virtual workshop where recipients can meet with the company’s engineers and take advantage of breakout discussions and professional development sessions.
Applicants must live in North America and be enrolled in an undergraduate program, identify as a woman, and be majoring in software engineering, computer science, or a related field. Of note, previous recipients are ineligible. While the 2021 scholarship period has been closed, stay tuned for more details about the 2022 scholarship.
Society of Women Engineers Scholarship
This program offers scholarships to those who identify as female and are studying computer science, engineering, or engineering technology. Applicants can be enrolled in an ABET-accredited program at a community college, four-year university, or graduate school. In addition, you will be asked to submit transcripts in English and plan on attending school full-time. Finally, you won’t be eligible if you have already been fully funded for tuition, books, and other fees.
Once you have confirmed your eligibility, you can visit the scholarships’ online portal and complete your profile, verify your contact information and fill out the application. Keep in mind that you will have to provide one faculty and one personal reference.
While the cost of living continues to rise, organizations and companies are recognizing the importance of funding students based on merit and need. Women looking to earn an education in STEM-related subjects are encouraged to take advantage of these scholarship opportunities available to help them earn a degree, enter the workforce, and hopefully take on a leadership role in the industry. If you or someone you know are interested in pursuing a career in the STEM field, visit the websites linked above to confirm your eligibility and to apply. Feel free to reach out to the scholarship’s coordinator or support email with any questions you may have, remember they’re there to help navigate you through the application process. and
FAQs
Why are women in tech scholarships important?
Women earning computer science degrees have dropped by 8% since 1990. Part of the problem may be the rising cost of education. Women in tech scholarships can help to close this gap and get more women into the industry.
What are some scholarships for female coders?
Claim Academy Scholarship, Coding Dojo Scholarships, DigitalCrafts Scholarship, Flatiron School Scholarships, Grand Circus Scholarships, Makers Academy Scholarship and Hackbright Academy Scholarship.
What scholarships are available for women in computer science?
LoadView Women in Computing Scholarships and Women in Technology Scholarships (WITS).
What are some examples of women in STEM scholarships?
Aysen Tunca Memorial Scholarship, Virginia Heinlein Memorial Scholarship, BHW scholarship, Scholarship America’s Dream Award, Drone Technology College Scholarship, Science Ambassador Scholarship, and SMART Scholarship.
What is the Palantir Women in Technology Scholarship?
This program awards 10 scholarships of $7,000 each. Students should be enrolled in an undergraduate program in North America and be planning to major in software engineering, computer science, or a similar technical subject. They must also identify as women and be a first-time recipient.
What is the Society of Women Engineers scholarship?
This organization awarded around 260 scholarships to women in engineering, computer science, engineering technology, at a community college, college, or graduate school. The scholarships added up to over one million dollars.
How do you get a SWE scholarship?
You will need to confirm your eligibility and then create a profile and finalize the application.
