- 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 fieldApplication Deadline: July 31, 2025Scholarship 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 2025Scholarship 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 institutionApplication Deadline: TBAScholarship 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: TBAScholarship 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+ communityApplication Deadline: TBAScholarship 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 WashingtonApplication Deadline: TBAScholarship 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 identityApplication Deadline: March 2026Scholarship 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 2025Scholarship 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.
