10 STEM Scholarships for LGBTQ+ Students
- STEM has long had diversity challenges, and scholarships can expand access for LGBTQ+ students.
- LGBTQ+ degree-seekers also take out student loans more often than cis, straight students.
- These STEM-centric scholarships are available to LGBTQ+ students.
LGBTQ+ students encounter many unique hurdles as they navigate college programs. For LGBTQ+ students in STEM — science, technology, engineering, and mathematics — these challenges can include a lack of representation and financial barriers.
Historically, STEM fields were predominantly male-dominated. While efforts to expand gender representation have drawn more female-identifying individuals to the STEM field, providing more financial resources to LGBTQ+ students can further diversify the discipline.
LGBTQ+ students also face greater financial roadblocks than their peers. Researchers from the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles, found that 35% of LGBTQ+ adults have federal student loans, compared to 23% of non-LGBTQ+ adults.
Many organizations offer scholarships to encourage more LGBTQ+ students to get into STEM. Read on to find the best scholarships for LGBTQ+ STEM students.
10 Scholarships for LGBTQ+ Students in STEM
BestColleges STEM Pathways Scholarship
Who Is Eligible: Undergraduate or graduate students pursuing a STEM-related field
Application Deadline: July 31, 2025
Scholarship Amount: $6,000
BestColleges offers scholarships to recognize students who have raised awareness of STEM in communities traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields. This year, up to five $6,000 scholarships are available.
Applicants must have secured admission to or be enrolled as undergraduate or graduate students in an accredited institution for the 2025-26 academic year and be pursuing a STEM-related field. They must also include an essay describing how they have raised — or plan to raise — awareness of STEM fields in underrepresented communities.
Out to Innovate Scholarship
Who Is Eligible: This group of scholarships is available to undergraduate students pursuing a degree in various STEM fields. Applicants must hold a minimum 2.75 GPA, identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community and participate in groups that advocate for LGBTQ+ inclusion.
Application Deadline: June 2025
Scholarship Amount: Up to $5,000
Out to Innovate offers annual scholarships for students who identify as LGBTQ+ community members. Applicants must be undergraduates, have at least two years of post-high school academic experience, and verify their active participation in groups and programs promoting LGBTQ+ causes.
The organization also offers a fellowship for trans, intersex, and nonbinary graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in STEM.
PG&E PrideNetwork Scholarship
Who Is Eligible: California high school and community college graduates enrolling at a postsecondary institution
Application Deadline: TBA
Scholarship Amount: $6,000
Pacific Gas & Electric’s Better Together PrideNetwork Scholarship offers a $6,000 award for students of any gender or sexual orientation. Applicants must demonstrate service to the LGBTQ+ community and high school completion or a GED equivalent. Ten awards are available annually, and applicants must be a resident of northern or central California.
Edie Windsor Coding Scholarship
Who Is Eligible: This award is open to LGBTQ+ women and nonbinary individuals wanting to complete a coding boot camp.
Application Deadline: TBA
Scholarship Amount: Up to 50% of coding bootcamp tuition
Edie Windsor, the plaintiff at the center of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2013 rejection of the Defense of Marriage Act and a computer programmer at IBM, inspired the name for this coding boot camp scholarship. Applicants should plan to enroll in a coding boot camp and must identify as LGBTQ+ women or nonbinary.
eQuality Scholarship for Medical Students
Who Is Eligible: Future or currently enrolled medical students who demonstrate service to the LGBTQ+ community
Application Deadline: TBA
Scholarship Amount: $6,000
The eQuality Scholarship is for students enrolled in or pursuing a doctor of medicine (MD), doctor of osteopathic (DO), doctor of nursing practice (DNP), or master of physician assistant (MPA) degree at a northern or central California-based medical school. Award winners demonstrate a dedication to serving the LGBTQ+ community, are in good academic standing, and have not previously received an eQuality graduate student scholarship.
Pride Foundation Scholarships
Who Is Eligible: LGBTQ+ individuals living in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, or Washington
Application Deadline: TBA
Scholarship Amount: Varies
The Pride Foundation offers more than 60 student scholarships through a single application. Applicants must be LGBTQ+ and have Northwest residency. Certain scholarships may have additional requirements.
STEM scholarships offered through The Pride Foundation include:
- The Deloris Carter Hampton Scholarship for women of color with a history of activism and/or leadership in the LGBTQ+ community pursuing a degree in education, women’s health, or dance.
- Friends of Alan Turing Scholarship for students in STEM fields.
- Robert Browning Scholarship for health sciences studies.
Malyon Smith Scholarship Research Award
Who Is Eligible: Full-time psychology graduate students pursuing research involving sexual orientation and gender identity
Application Deadline: March 2026
Scholarship Amount: Up to $2,000
This annual scholarship is available to graduate psychology students who focus their academic research on various issues involving gender identity and sexual orientation. Applicants must include a cover sheet, a copy of their curriculum vitae, a copy of the project description, and a letter from their faculty supervisor to apply.
National Gay Pilots Association Scholarship
Who Is Eligible: Eligibility varies between scholarships, but applicants typically hold a student pilot certificate and must demonstrate their work on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community.
Application Deadline: July 2025
Scholarship Amount: Varies
The National Gay Pilots Association (NGPA) offers multiple scholarships and awards to future aviators and aerospace professionals. Scholarships range from $1,500 to over $80,000.
Applicants must be members of the NGPA and have a history of advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community. Those applying for flight training scholarships must submit their Federal Aviation Administration medical certificate and logbook records.
DISCLAIMER: The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, constitute professional financial advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this site are for general informational purposes only. Readers of this website should contact a professional advisor before making decisions about financial issues.
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