College Scholarships For Women

While women have made great strides over the past few decades toward equality with men in the U.S., they still face a significant income gap in the workplace. Census data showed in 2009 that on average, women earned only 77 cents to every dollar earned by a man, revealing that women still face barriers to equality. Many believe this is because sex discrimination is still prevalent in society. Scholarship-granting entities recognize that educational attainment is one of many factors that will give women a leg up. Scholarships help give women more financial resources to attend college and gain the education they need.

While women now earn more bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees than men overall, women are still significantly less likely than men to enter certain fields, such as engineering, mathematics, and the hard sciences; therefore, many scholarships are targeted toward encouraging women to enter these traditionally male-dominated areas. One of the best-known providers of scholarships for women is the Society of Women Engineers. Since women are underrepresented in the field of engineering, the goal of the society is to entice more women to join their cause by offering scholarships for study in the fields of engineering, engineering technology, and computer science.

To maintain a diverse student body, a number of public and private colleges also offer undergraduate and graduate scholarships for women. In addition, women's colleges reach out to women with scholarships. Many scholarships, while not limited to women, are based on a course of study related to women's studies. For example, the National Women's Studies Association offers two scholarships to graduate students -- one to students pursuing research in women's studies that promotes the mission of the NWSA, and another to a graduate student pursuing research that resonates with the NWSA and the Lesbian Caucus. Other scholarships target women of a minority race or even women of a certain age. For example, the Charlotte W. Newcomb Foundation provides scholarships for mature women, or women over the age of 25, who have already made significant progress toward a bachelor's degree.

List of Scholarships For Women

• AAUW Harrisburg Scholarships — Two scholarships available for women, including the Beverly J. Smith Memorial Scholarship (two at $2,500), and the Martha M. Dohner Memorial Scholarship (one at $1,000). Each scholarship has different eligibility requirements, including the completion of a certain amount of credits, being a permanent resident of certain counties in Pennsylvania, and attending Pennsylvania colleges.


• American Legion Auxiliary Department of Michigan Memorial Scholarship — $500 awarded each year to female students 21 and under from Michigan who are daughters, granddaughters, and great granddaughters of veterans. Scholarships open to graduating seniors and college freshmen/sophomores attending college in Michigan.


• Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund — Scholarships are awarded at the county level to economically disadvantaged single parent undergraduate students who are Arkansas residents.


• Association for Women Geoscientists Scholarships — The AWG offers multiple scholarships in amounts varying from $500 to $6,000 to female undergraduate and graduate students whose studies are in the geosciences. Includes scholarships for minority women and for women attending college in certain states.


• Daughters of the Cincinnati Scholarship — $4,000 per year awarded to female graduating high school seniors who are daughters of career commissioned officers in military service.


• Ford Opportunity Program — The Ford Family Foundation designed this scholarship for undergraduate students pursuing a bachelor's degree who are single heads of households and do not have the financial support of a domestic partner. Program is offered in Oregon and Siskiyou County, California.


• Jewish Foundation for Education of Women Grants — The foundation partners with a number of universities and organizations to offer multiple grants to female undergraduate and graduate students who meet the criteria for individual scholarships.


• National Society of Women Engineers Scholarships — $1,000 to $20,000 awarded each year to female undergraduate and graduate students majoring in engineering, engineering technology, or computer science.


• Wilmington Women in Business Fresh Start Scholarship — Scholarships awarded each year to approximately 30 female undergraduate students attending Delaware colleges.


• Women in Defense Horizons Scholarship — Scholarships of varying amounts awarded each year to female undergraduate or graduate students pursuing careers in national defense or national security (undergraduate students must be at the junior level). Applicable majors must directly relate to defense or security.


• Women's Independence Scholarship Program — Undergraduate scholarships awarded each year to women who are survivors of intimate partner abuse, demonstrate financial need, and have sought services from a domestic violence agency. Scholarships for graduate study are limited.

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Paying for school is not easy, but we are here to help. OEDb's student finance section will help you find the money you need to pay your tuition and other college expenses. We cover scholarships, college grants, and student loans. Scholarships and grants are both forms of "free money", meaning they don't need to be paid back. Scholarships are typically awarded by businesses or individuals, with the money being earmarked specifically for tuition. They can be awarded based on a student's location or by religious affiliation, such as Catholicism or Islam. Grants are typically awarded by governments or non-profit organizations and the money often can be applied to several different expenses a student may incur, not solely tuition. They can be awarded based on location or ethnicity, for instance African American or Hispanic. Loans are not considered "free money", because unlike scholarships and grants, they do need to be paid back after graduation. Common federal loans include Perkins and Stafford. Loans are also available by location.