There are plenty of scholarships for engineering students to offer these future leaders assistance in building the educational foundations they need for success. As many readers probably infer, these types of scholarships are no-loan awards given to college students majoring or planning to major in the field of engineering. Scholarships are of particular importance for engineering students because the overwhelmingly time consuming nature of their studies may prevent students from holding a job through college.
Engineering scholarships can be subdivided into two non-exclusive criteria: Scholarships for the differing engineering applications and concentrations, such as chemical engineering; and scholarships for certain demographics of people who are entering any engineering field, such as women planning to study engineering. In addition to specifically engineering scholarships, engineering students may also apply for several other types of scholarships, such as math, science, demographic-based, contest-based, etc. Though scholarships are more traditionally thought to only help undergraduate students, there are many scholarships and fellowships for graduate students as well, including those working on their doctorate degrees.
The American Society for Engineering Education/National Science Foundation Corporate Research Postdoctoral Fellowships in Engineering program offers 40 recent PhDs in engineering the opportunity to conduct research in a corporate setting. Recipients are granted a stipend of at least $75,000 and are even offered health care benefits. This scholarship is limited to those United States citizens, nationals, or permanent residents who have received his or her PhDs in the past three years. For more information on this opportunity, please visit the online application.
The American Council of Engineering Companies of Michigan offers annual scholarships for engineering students at the undergraduate sophomore level and above. Students must be enrolled in an engineering program but do not have to be currently attending school in Michigan. Scholarship award amounts range from under $1,500 up to $10,000. Specific guidelines include the following: Applicants must have worked in the past two years at a consulting engineering, surveying, or architectural/engineering firm. The student must also be attending an ABET-accredited engineering or surveying program. The criteria for winning the scholarship include impressive work experience, references, essay response, extra-curricular activities, community service, and grade point average.
Scholarships for engineering students are also offered by the Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering International. This annual scholarship consists of cash awards ranging from $2,000 to $8,000. Students must be enrolled full-time in any engineering program relating to cost engineering. These programs include but are not limited to agricultural engineering, chemical engineering, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and more. Undergraduate seniors or students in their last year of undergraduate school must demonstrate acceptance to a full-time graduate program the next year in order to receive a scholarship. Applicants will be evaluated on the basis of academic performance, extracurricular involvement, and a written essay on the topic of the value of studying cost engineering or cost management.
In conclusion, scholarships for engineering students can be extremely vital. Luckily these resources are readily available for many, and the next step is merely beginning the application process.
