Popular college grants for women in the US
Love to go to college but can’t afford to? Here are some of the most popular college grants for women in the US.
Women should be presented with an equal opportunity to earn a college degree, compete for industry-specific careers, and advance up the ladder of their chosen field. Unfortunately though, this hasn’t been the case for many aspiring female scholars.
Even today, women continue to be underrepresented in student populations, due to sky-high tuition, fees, and expenses. Additional expenses such as transportation, boarding rooms, and books make it even more challenging for minority groups to afford a college education.
Fortunately, there are several organizations, primarily funded by government and private entities, that offer a wide variety of college grant opportunities to help women enroll in college and achieve their educational and career goals.
The most incentivizing quality of college grant programs designed for women is that, just like scholarships, they’re free money. This makes them an ideal financial aid option for women of all education levels and ages. It’s important to use reputable platforms like CollegeData to learn more about college grants.
In conjunction with services offered by these grant platforms, you can refer to this list, which highlights the grants made available for women in the United States.
AAUW Career Development Grant
The AAUW (American Association of University Women) grant is for women who have a bachelor’s degree and intend to advance in their education, re-enter the workforce, or change careers.
This grant provides special consideration to women of color, AAUW members, and women seeking their first credentials in nontraditional fields or advanced degrees.
- Qualifications: reserved for legal permanent residents or U.S citizens
- Application: Create an account with the AAUW Development Grant, and complete the required fields that include eligibility, academics, narratives, budget, and CV or resume
- Funding: $12,000
Women Techmakers Scholars Program
This is an award sponsored by Google. It’s available for female graduate students and female undergraduates who are pursuing a career in computer engineering, computer science, or any other tech-related field.
Their selection process involves an evaluation of applicants’ academic strength, their letter of recommendation, and their responses to short essay questions.
- Qualifications: a record of academic excellence
- Application: Visit the Google website and complete the application form, which requests academic transcripts, current resume, proof of coding certification, general background information, and responses to three short questions
- Funding: $10,000
Patsy Takemoto Mink Education Foundation
This award is available for U.S women of 17 years and above with children who are minors. Applicants must be preparing to enroll in skill training, GED, or ESL programs.
These mothers’ long-term career goals should include pursuing a vocational or a technical degree, a first bachelor’s degree, a master’s or doctoral degree, or even an associate’s degree.
- Qualifications: An applicant must come from a low-income family earning of at least $17,500 for two people. A family of three should earn less than $22,000 and less than $26,500 for a four-person family.
- Applications: An applicant should visit the Patsy Takemoto Mink Education Foundation website, and complete the application form. Additionally, the student is required to submit recent transcripts and other essential information/documentation.
- Funding: $5,000
Go Girl! Grant
The Go Girl! Grant was founded to support women who are underprivileged but unwaveringly passionate in the educational field, despite these financial barriers. The ideal applicant should have identified an interest or niche that can lead them to an industry-specific career.
All potential applicants should have attended one or more of the following institutions: Loma Linda School of Dentistry, College of the Desert, California Desert Trial Academy, Brandman University and International School of Beauty, and CSUSB.
- Qualifications: Women applying must be 25 years and above, and they must exhibit a special enthusiasm for a particular occupational certification that can leads to a specific career goal, thereby demonstrating a financial need.
- Application: The application will be sent to interested candidates via email. All applicants need to print and fill out the grant application form. They should also write an autobiography that is one-page long. Submit information regarding the course of interest and total expenses, along with three references. Finally, applicants should prepare for an interview before receiving funding.
- Funding: $500,000
Young Women in Public Affairs Award
This award is available for women between the ages of 16 and 19 years old who demonstrate exceptional leadership skills and dedication to civic causes and public service.
The program is designed to encourage women to remain politically-active and consciously engage with the community. Women from all around the globe are eligible for the Young Women in Public Affairs Award.
- Qualifications: An applicant must be a female in secondary school or pre-university
- Application: Applicants should visit the Young Women in Public Affairs Award website, complete the application form, and provide pertinent documentation.
- Funding: $4,000
Schlumberger Foundation Faculty for the Future Fellowships for Women
The Schlumberger Foundation Faculty for the Future Fellowships for Women is an international program that recognizes women from emerging and developing countries who are interested in pursuing a post-doctoral degree or Ph.D. in technology, engineering, science, and mathematics disciplines in top-tier universities across the world.
- Qualifications: Applicants must be female students in pursuit of a Ph.D. or post-doctoral degree.
- Application: Students should visit the Schlumberger Foundation Faculty for the Future Fellowships for Women’s website, complete the application form, and provide their general information.
- Funding: $40,000 for post-doctorate and $50,000 for Ph.D.
Are you eligible fora grant?
If you’re a woman who intends to further your education, but you aren’t sure of the way forward, it’s important to educate yourself on the thousands of grant opportunities available to women of all backgrounds.
Note that the grant opportunities mentioned above are only a fraction of the financial-aid packages that are available in your local and global community. Review this list, expand your research horizons, and choose the grant opportunity that fits your needs and qualifications.
If you don’t familiarize yourself with the grant opportunities you qualify for, you may unknowingly sabotage your personal education and career goals.
