$6,000 Scholarship

For Black Women in STEM

Dates to Remember:

Application deadline

July 15, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. EST

Winner announcements

August 15, 2024

Scholarship Overview

On average, Black women in STEM earn salaries that are 45% lower than their highest-paid peers. BestColleges is committed to breaking down barriers for students in underrepresented communities, who desire careers in the most competitive fields. This year, we'll be giving away five $6,000 scholarships to Black women who are currently pursuing careers in STEM.

Eligibility Requirements

This Scholarship Contest is open only to individuals who are legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia.
You must intend to enroll or be enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student in an accredited college or university in the United States for the 2024-25 academic year.
You must be at least 17 years of age.
This scholarship is for individuals who identify as a cisgender, transgender, or gender non-conforming Black woman, and who are pursuing a STEM-related field.

How to Enter

Limit one entry per person. The Scholarship Contest begins on March 15, 2024 at 12:01 a.m. EST. All entries must be received by July 15, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. EST.

Write an original essay with a maximum of 500 words on why you are pursuing a STEM degree and how you will impact the world through your contemplated STEM career.
Essays must:
- Be original to you and not previously published or submitted to any other contest, sweepstakes or promotion.
- Be suitable for general audiences and not offensive, obscene, defamatory or illegal.
- Not contain any personally-identifiable information of any person other than yourself nor violate the rights of others or any applicable law.
Submit your application through the online form.

Read full rules, terms, and conditions here.

Apply Now

Once you’ve filled out the form, press “Submit” to complete your scholarship submission.

First and Last Name(Required)

Email Address(Required)

School Name(Required)

School Address(Required)

Phone Number

Upload Letter of Recommendation(Required)

Please upload a letter of recommendation from someone who played a role in your academic or professional development.

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, Max. file size: 50 MB.

Write an essay with a maximum of 500 words on why you are pursuing a STEM degree and how you will impact the world through your contemplated STEM career.(Required)

Please tell us where you heard about this scholarship opportunity.(Required)

Social Media (Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn)

College/University or STEM-related organization

Google Search

The University Network

Word of mouth

Previous scholarship applicant

Last Year's Scholarship Winners

Meet last year's scholarship recipients!

Learn more about each of the winners

Ashley Petgrave

Computer science major at Howard University and future tech entrepreneur

Athena Muhammad

Bioengineering major at Stanford University and future medical practitioner

Oleisia Johnson

Computer science major at Spelman College and future UX/UI designer

Kihana Wilson

Astrophysics major at the University of Chicago and future astrophysics researcher

Rim Bozo

Behavior and neurobiology major at Dartmouth College and future neurodegenerative disease researcher

Frequently Asked Questions

As many people know, one of the best reasons to pursue a STEM career is the expected salary. On average, STEM jobs net over $100,000 a year, compared to $55,000 a year for non-STEM occupations. Not only do STEM industries often include lucrative paychecks, but these jobs frequently offer cutting-edge skills and career growth. Not surprisingly, some of most common STEM degree paths include computer science information technology and software engineering.

However, these degrees are also top STEM picks:

All participants and entries are subject to verification. After the application deadline, the scholarship administrator will review all eligible entries. On or about August 15, 2024, the administrator will select five winning entries in accordance with the following criteria:

Category 1: Thoughtfulness of response – Fifty percent (50%)
Category 2: Relevance to question – Thirty percent (30%)
Category 3: Quality of composition – Fifteen percent (15%)
Category 4: Grammatical accuracy – Five percent (5%)
Odds of Winning: The odds of winning depend on the quality and number of eligible entries received.

In the case of a tie, winner entries will be selected based on their thoughtfulness of response and relevance to the question, as compared to the other finalists.

The winning participants will be notified by email to the email address provided in the submission form. Potential winners may be required, within five days of the winner notification being sent, to provide to the administrator further contact and residence information and to execute and deliver a written affidavit of eligibility, acceptance of these official rules, release of liability/publicity, scholarship disbursement forms, and other reasonable documentation. In the event that a potential winner does not timely comply, the winner may be disqualified and an alternate winner may be selected based on the criteria listed above.

Yes! While this scholarship is specific to Black women in STEM, there are alternative scholarships available that you may be eligible for. We've put together a list of additional opportunities here.

Send us and email at scholarships@bestcolleges.com for any other questions and concerns.