There are a variety of funding opportunities available to women preparing to pursue an advance degree. Many of these aim to offset the costs associated with school, but many also celebrate some of the exceptional accomplishments of women through history and into modern day.
American Association of University Women (AAUW) Dissertation Fellowships
Graduate school funding for women preparing to complete dissertations, full-time post-doctorial research, and/or research for a publication project. The dissertation fellowship can cover any or all of the following: education and living expenses, including childcare; research assistants and equipment; travel for field research and conferences.
American Association of University Women (AAUW) Postdoctral Research Leave Fellowship
Postdoctoral funding for women engaged full-time in the completion of a dissertation, and post-doctoral institutional research or research for publication. The postdoctoral fellowship can be used to purchase equipment, hire research assistants, pay for publication costs, and cover living and childcare expenses.
American Association of University Women (AAUW) Summer/Short-Term Research Publication Grants
An 8-week grant for graduate scholars engaged in independent research for publication and preparing research for publication. Grant money can cover living expense, research assistants, clerical and non-technical support, office supplies, and journal fees.
American Association of University Women (AAUW) Career Development Grants
Provides educational and living expenses for women pursuing graduate work, professional development, and/or technical training to advance their careers. The grants are targeted at women of color and women in non-traditional disciplines, and women who do not yet have an advanced degree.
American Association of University Women (AAUW) Fellowships
Master’s, doctoral, and postdoctoral fellowships for women pursuing a degree in the United States who are not citizens or permanent residents, to cover education and living expenses, as well as travel to meetings and conferences.
Amount Master’s $18,000; Doctoral $20,000; Postdoctoral $30,000
Application Date December 1
Association of Insurance Compliance Professionals (AICP) Scholarships
Scholarships are offered by the AICP to students who are already enrolled in a graduate school program, based on merit and on need.
American Indian Graduate Center (AIGC) Fellowships
AIGC fellowships are offered only to those of American Indian and Alaska Native descent who are pursuing graduate or post-graduate work at the master’s or doctoral level.
Boren Fellowships
The NSEP aims to bolster national security infrastructure through a program of fellowships provided to graduate students interested in studying less commonly taught language abroad, in regions of Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East. In return, Boren Fellows are pledged to work for the federal government for one year after graduation.
Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) Scholarships
The CHCI offers graduate scholarships to Latino students based on leadership qualities and financial need.
Emerging Voices Scholarship
These scholarships are funded by the Ford Motor Company in partnership with the AWMF to encourage women pursuing journalism and media studies at the undergraduates and at the graduate-school level. The scholarship includes the opportunity to contribute content to the AWMF website.
Ethnic Minority and Women's Enhancement Postgraduate Scholarship for Careers in Athletics
The NCAA awards these scholarships to 13 ethnic minority graduates and 13 women graduates annually, in order to cover the costs of the first year of graduate study in a sports administration-related field. Applicants must be preparing to enroll in a sports administration or other graduate program aimed at pursing a career in intercollegiate athletics.
Jeannette Rankin Women’s Scholarship Fund
The Jeannette Rankin Women’s Scholarship Fund provides educational aid and scholarships to low-income women who are 35 or older, primarily for technical and vocational degrees, but also for qualifying women who are aiming to pursue degrees in business-related fields.
The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans
The PD Soros Fellowships for New Americans are targeted at helping 30 immigrants and/or the children of immigrants to the US pursue graduate degrees in the U.S. Candidates must be naturalized US citizens or be granted deferred action under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
Amount Up $25,000 in stipend support, plus up to $20,000 for tuition
Application Due Date November 1
Philanthropic Educational Organization (PEO) Scholar Awards
These scholarships are reserved for women who are nominated by a local chapter of the Philanthropic Educational Organization, who are citizens of the U.S. or Canada, and who are within two years of completing a doctoral degree.
Philanthropic Educational Organization (PEO) Peace Scholarships
The International Peace Scholarship provides educational grants for graduate-level study in the U.S. and Canada to women from countries outside of the U.S. and Canada.
Wells Fargo American Indian Scholarship
Open to men and women of American Indian and Alaska Native decent for undergraduate or graduate school. Must have a Tribal Eligibility Certificate to apply.
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics academic programs and job opportunities are increasing for women with an aptitude for mechanics or demonstrate a healthy curiosity about how the world around them works.
Ada I. Pressman Memorial Scholarships
Open to women undergraduate and graduate students who are pursuing degrees in all areas of engineering, including construction, chemical, computer, mechanical, and marine/oceanographic engineering. This scholarship is renewable for up to five years.
AAUW Selected Professional Fellowships, Science and Technology Group
Aimed at supporting women entering graduate work in disciplines in which women have traditionally been underrepresented, including master’s programs in architecture, computer science, engineering, mathematics, and statistics. Covers education and living expenses, including travel to professional meetings and conferences.
Amelia Earhart Fellowships
The 35 Amelia Earhart Fellowships overseen by Zonta International are awarded annually to women pursuing doctoral degrees in aerospace science and aerospace engineering fields. Applicants must be enrolled full-time in a qualifying PhD program, and the fellowships do not cover post-doctoral research.
Betty Lou Bailey SWE Region F Scholarships
These academic scholarships are targeted at both undergraduate-and graduate-level women in computer-related engineering fields who are attending a university in the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Students from these states who may not be attending an institution in the proscribed areas may be considers, and the scholarships are renewable for up to five years.
Chyrsalis Scholarships
This award is intended to provide funding toward graduate degree completion and thesis completion for women studying in the geosciences whose careers and education have been interrupted in some way. The scholarship can cover everything from drafting expenses and late-stage research, to child care and professional travel.
Dr. Gerald A. Soffen Memorial Fund
The Soffen Fund was set up by NASA to help aid graduate student in science and engineering pay for travel to professional and academic conferences at which they are presenting research.
Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship
Named for a former director of the National Ocean Service, this NOAA-funded scholarship aims to encourage women and minorities earning advanced degrees in oceanography, marine biology, and maritime archaeology, as well as in other scientific, engineering, and social science involving resource management in ocean and coastal areas. Applications are handled by online by the federal government’s Grants.gov.
Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarships
Named for the founder of the Institute for Women and Technology, Google’s Anita Borg Memorial Scholarships are awarded annually to women pursuing in graduate degrees in computer science, computer engineering, information technology fields. Applicants must be enrolled or accepted as full-time student in an accredited graduate program through a university in the U.S. or internationally.
Lydia I. Pickup Memorial Scholarship
An SWE scholarship program that provides academic awards to women in graduate programs studying in a range of engineering fields, from civil and mechanical engineering, to computer and construction and engineering. Applicants must be full-time students at an accredited graduate school in engineering.
M. Hildred Blewett Fellowship
A fellowship award designed to help women return to research careers in physics through graduate study. Applicants must have completed some work toward a PhD.
National Physical Sciences Consortium (NPSC) Graduate Fellowships in Science and Engineering
A non-profit consortium of research universities, national laboratories, technology companies, and government agencies, the NPSC awards fellowships for graduate work in science, with preference given to women and minority candidates. These awards are tracked through participating universities and sponsored by research companies and laboratories.
NASA Graduates Aeronautics Scholarships
NASA’s comprehensive scholarship program to promote graduate studies in aeronautical research and related fields, includes covering graduate school tuition costs for up to $11,000; up to $35,000 in graduate students’ stipends per academic year; and summer internship opportunities that pay up to $10,000.
Amount Up to $56,000, including tuition, stipend, and summer internships
Application Due Date March 31
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Earth and Space Science Fellowships
NASA’s Earth and Space Science Fellowship is aimed to assisting and supporting master’s degree and PhD students who are pursuing work in an array of applied physical sciences, including Earth systems research, heliophysics, planetary science, and astrophysics.
Sigma Delta Epsilon/Graduate Women in Science Fellowships
Sigma Delta Epsilon, also know as Graduate Women in Science is a longstanding non-profit organization, founded in 1921, that advocates for and promotes the cause of women studying and working in the sciences. Through its National Fellowships program, it awards year-long grants for research and scholarship to women with at least a bachelor’s degree who are working toward a master’s or PhD in the sciences.
Susan E. Stutz-McDonald Scholarship Foundation Scholarships
Designated for women pursuing a Master of Science in Engineering, with an emphasis on water and wastewater treatment, the Stutz-McDonald Foundation scholarships, of which there are two a year, includes a $250 stipend for travel to the Society of Women Engineers annual conference.
For women considering careers in entrepreneurship or leadership and need the skills to advance to an executive role, a Master in Business Administration (MBA) degree program can help students develop a comfort with numbers, risk-taking qualities and insights into various industries to launch them on their desired career paths.
AAUW Selected Professional Focus Professions Group Fellowships
Fellowship grants that provide education and living expense to minority women pursing graduate studies, specifically African-Americans, Mexican Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, and Asian Americans. Targeted at graduate-level study in fields in which these groups have been historically underrepresented, including MBA programs (second year of study only); JD in law (third year of study only); and MD or DO in medicine (third or fourth year of study).
C200 Scholar Awards
As part of its “Reachout Program,” which partners women business leaders and entrepreneurs with MBA programs at various universities, the Committee of 200 awards to students in these programs who display leadership and entrepreneurial spirit. The scholarships are based on merit and need.
Chicana/Latina Foundation Scholarship Program
The Chicana/Latina Foundation is a regional organization serving Northern California. It awards merit-based scholarships for undergraduate and graduate schooling for students of Chicana/Latina heritage in designated counties of California.
Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship
A scholarship for women who are pursuing undergraduate and master’s degree programs in business administration. The organization awards twelve $7,000 international scholarships each year, as well as additional regional scholarships of $1,000 through local affiliates.
Little Family Foundation MBA Fellowship
These awards are only available to college graduates who have previously been involved in teaching through Junior Achievement (JA) program and who have worked in business for at least two years. The Little Family Foundation contributes at matching grant of $2,500 toward tuition costs in conjunction with participating schools, for a total of $5,000 in tuition relief.
Military MBA Scholarships
Military MBA offers scholarships to U.S. residents who have served in the military and who are pursuing an MBA. These scholarships are only valid at participating institutions, including Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, Cornell University’s Johnson School of Management, and MIT’s Sloan School of Management.
Moss Adams Foundation Scholarships
This award is given annually to minority women pursing graduate degrees in accounting and business, including those attending master’s programs in business administration, banking and financial support services, and other related fields.
National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA) Graduate Scholarships
Open only to NBMBAA members, these scholarships are merit-based and open to African-Americans who are enrolled in an MBA program.
Toigo MBA Fellowship
Toigo Foundation MBA fellowships are open to any minority student, as defined by the U.S. Department of Labor, including those who are African-American, Asian-American/Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latino, Native American/Alaska Native, and/or South Asian American. In addition to MBA degrees, they can be applied to master’s degrees in real estate and finance.
Candidates with an appreciation for biology, anatomy and chemistry and want to apply concepts to a possible career path will find degrees in these areas valuable.
Nursing and Healthcare AACN Scholarships
AACN scholarships are targeted to further the continuing education and specialization goals of active registered nurses pursuing further graduate studies. They can cover up to $3,000 in tuition costs and other expenses, including up to $750 for travel.
AfterCollege/AACN Scholarships
A joint venture between the AACN and AfterCollege, this scholarship offers awards of $2,500 quarterly to graduate students in nursing programs, particularly those who are on track to become a nurse educator. Applicants must be members of the AACN.
Thompson Scholarship for Women in Safety
Awarded by the ASSE to women pursuing a graduate degree in fields related to occupational safety management and engineering, including occupational health nursing and medicine, fire and environmental safety, and industrial risk management.
