Eligibility for most scholarships is not restricted by the gender of the recipient. However, there are some scholarships specifically targeted at women in fields where women are under-represented, especially at the graduate school level.
Based on data from the 2011-2012 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS), women are more likely than men to win private scholarships, but the average award amount is lower by $300 to $400. Of undergraduate students, 7.2% of men and 8.4% of women win private scholarships, with average scholarship amounts of $3,610 and $3,314, respectively. Among undergraduate students enrolled in Bachelor’s degree programs, 10.6% of men and 13.1% of women win private scholarships, with average scholarship amounts of $4,244 and $3,829, respectively. Women represent 57.0% of all undergraduate students and 60.6% of undergraduate scholarship recipients.
The most generous and prestigious national scholarships for female students include:
- Alice T. Schafer Mathematics Prize
- American Physical Society (APS) M. Hildred Blewett Fellowship
- Army Women’s Foundation Legacy Scholarship Program
- Brookhaven Women in Science Scholarships
- Educational Foundation for Women in Accounting Scholarships
- Gertrude M. Cox Scholarship for Women in Statistics
- GirlFriend Factor Go Girl! Grants
- Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship
- Influenster Code Like a Girl Scholarship
- Jeannette Rankin Women’s Scholarship Fund
- LPGA Foundation Scholarships
- Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund
- NOAA Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program
- P.E.O. Program for Continuing Education (PCE)
- Patsy Takemoto Mink Scholarship
- Science Ambassador Scholarship
- Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
- Soroptimist Live Your Dream Awards
- Women in Aviation International (WIA) Scholarships
- Women Marines Association (WMA) Scholarship Program
- Women’s Independence Scholarship Program
- Zonta International Scholarships
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