So, you’ve decided you want to study computer science, and you’ve chosen your program after narrowing it down from the best online CS programs available. But how are you paying for it? Take a look at 30 different scholarships and grants meant to help fund (if not entirely pay for!) your online computer science degree. This list includes need-based scholarships and scholarships based on gender and ethnicity ranging in offered amounts from hundreds to thousands of dollars. Once you’ve scoured this massive list of scholarships, you’ll then find five important tips on how to improve your scholarship application and stand out from other applicants.
Ready to get started applying for scholarships? Let’s dive in.
30 Scholarships and Grants for Computer Science Students
Researching ways to pay for your online computer science degree may seem like a daunting task, but we’re making it easy with this comprehensive resource. As an online student, you’ll have abundant financial aid options available to you — from student loans to employer assistance and beyond. But the best options are the types of financial aid you won’t have to pay back: scholarships and grants.
You’ll notice the list below is organized into three different sections: general scholarships, school-based scholarships, and grants. This will help you explore the many different categories of options you should explore as you research your scholarship opportunities.
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General Scholarships for Online Computer Science Students
AFCEA STEM Majors Scholarships
- Amount: $2,500-$5,000
- Description & eligibility: To qualify for one of AEFCEA’s four scholarships, candidates must be at least a second-year, full-time STEM student enrolled as a sophomore or junior at a four-year college or university with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
- Deadline: TBD 2024
AISES Intel Growing The Legacy Scholarship Program
- Amount: $5,000-$10,000
- Description & eligibility: Advancing Indigenous Students in STEM is partnering with Intel Corporation to offer scholarships for Native American students (or dependents of Native Americans) pursuing STEM degrees. Apart from financial support, recipients of this award also receive access to Intel mentors, training and workshops, and mental health and wellness support.
- Deadline: TBD 2024
Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship
- Amount: Up to $40,000
- Description & eligibility: This is an opportunity for prospective computer science students with at least a 2.3 high school GPA. Recipients can receive up to $10,000 per year for a four-year degree as well as get access to paid internships and mentors.
- Deadline: TBD 2024
Betty Stevens Frecknall Scholarship
- Amount: Varies
- Description & eligibility: This scholarship honors the legacy of Betty Stevens Frecknall, an early advocate for gender equality in computer science. To qualify, students must be U.S. residents, be declared computer science majors, and have a high school GPA of at least 3.0.
- Deadline: TBD 2024
BHW Scholarship
- Amount: $3000
- Description & eligibility: This scholarship is available for women pursuing an undergraduate or master’s degree in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics at a U.S.-based college or university.
- Deadline: April 15, 2024
Blacks at Microsoft (BAM) Scholarships
- Amount: $2,500 or $20,000
- Description & eligibility: The BAM scholarship was created for Black and African-American students who wish to pursue a career in technology. Candidates must be of African descent as well as have a 3.0 GPA with the intent of attending a four-year college or university.
- Deadline: TBD 2024
Colonel Kathleen Swacina Scholarship
- Amount: $1,500
- Description & eligibility: This scholarship honors Col. Kathleen Swacina as well as her accomplishments and association with AEFCEA. Recipients of this award must be a female enrolled in an ROTC program with a minimum 2.8 GPA and intent to study in a STEM field.
- Deadline: TBD 2024
Generation Google Scholarship (North America)
- Amount: $10,000
- Description & eligibility: Google offers this scholarship for students currently pursuing a degree in computer science. To qualify, recipients need to demonstrate a strong academic record and the need for financial support.
- Deadline: TBD 2024
Google Lime Scholarship
- Amount: $10,000
- Description & eligibility: The Google Lime Scholarship is designed to provide support for students with disabilities studying computer science. Recipients of this award also receive an invitation to the Google Scholars Retreat at the Googleplex and internship opportunities.
- Deadline: TBD 2024
IEEE Presidents’ Scholarship
- Amount: $400-$10,000
- Description & eligibility: This award recognizes students with a great understanding of electrical engineering, electronics engineering, computer science, or other technology fields. For eligibility, students must be finalists at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair.
- Deadline: TBD 2024
IL-AAAEA Scholarship
- Amount: Varies
- Description & eligibility: The Arab American Association of Engineers & Architects offers this scholarship to members of its Illinois chapter. This is available to student members of AAAEA-IL who are attending a four-year college or university in the state of Illinois or are a resident of Illinois attending college out of state.
- Deadline: TBD 2024
ISC2 Undergraduate/Associate Scholarships
- Amount: $1,000-$5,000
- Description & eligibility: The International Information Systems Security Certifications Consortium (ISC2) offers up to 20 scholarships to students studying in a computer science-related field. Recipients of this award must be U.S. citizens with a 3.3 GPA or higher.
- Deadline: Feb. 29, 2024
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago Scholarship Program
- Amount: Up to $4,000
- Description & eligibility: This scholarship is designated for Jewish students facing financial burdens. To qualify, students must be from the Chicago Metropolitan area or have held a year of full-time employment in the area.
- Deadline: Feb. 1, 2024
Michigan Council of Women in Technology Scholarship Program
- Amount: $1,000-$5,000
- Description & eligibility: This program is designed to help women in Michigan pursue a degree in computer science. Recipients of this award must be a female resident of Michigan with a 2.75 or higher GPA currently pursuing a tech-related degree.
- Deadline: Jan. 1, 2024
Palantir Future Scholarship
- Amount: $7,000
- Description & eligibility: Palantir created this scholarship to support STEM students from racial and ethnic communities. To receive this award, students must have an ethnic heritage and be studying at a North American college or university.
- Deadline: TBD 2024
Richard E. Merwin Student Scholarship
- Amount: Up to $1,000
- Description & eligibility: The IEEE Computer Society offers this scholarship to its student volunteers who show promise in their academic and professional pursuits. Recipients must be active IEEE members studying in a computer-related field with a 2.5 or higher GPA.
- Deadline: Sept. 30, 2024
ScholarSHPE
- Amount: Varies
- Description & eligibility: The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers offers this scholarship to students studying a STEM field at a four-year college or university. The recipient must also be of Hispanic descent.
- Deadline: TBD 2024
Steel Intern Scholarship
- Amount: $7,500
- Description & eligibility: Association for Iron and Steel Technology offers this scholarship and internship opportunity to students studying a number of STEM-related fields, including computer science. Students must also maintain a GPA of 2.5 or higher.
- Deadline: Oct. 14, 2024
UPE Scholarship Award
- Amount: $1,000-$3,000
- Description & eligibility: To receive a scholarship from Upsilon Pi Epsilon, recipients must be full-time students pursuing a computer-related field and be active members of the Association for Computing Machinery.
- Deadline: TBD 2024
Women at Microsoft Scholarship
- Amount: Up to $5,000
- Description & eligibility: Microsoft offers this scholarship to encourage women and non-binary students to pursue tech-related careers. For eligibility, a recipient must demonstrate a strong academic record while pursuing a STEAM-related field at a two- or four-year college or university.
- Deadline: TBD 2024
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School-Based Scholarships for Computer Science Students
Florida State University – CS Department NSF S-STEM Scholarship
- Amount: Up to $10,000 per year
- Description & eligibility: FSU offers this scholarship to talented computer science students who demonstrate financial need. To qualify, recipients must be U.S. citizens as well as first-year undergraduates with the desire to take early course sequences in computer science.
- Deadline: June 1, 2024
Kansas State University – CySP Scholarship
- Amount: $25,000+
- Description & eligibility: This Department of Defense (DoD) Cyber Scholarship Program offers this award to students with a minimum 3.2 GPA studying cybersecurity-related fields at designated National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity institutions (K-State included). Recipients receive a cash award of $25,000-$30,000 per year, full tuition coverage, and academic/professional opportunities. Students must complete a service obligation upon graduation, working one year for the Department of Defense for each year of scholarship that was received. While receiving the scholarship, students must also obtain a summer internship at the DoD.
- Deadline: June 30, 2024
Lewis University – STEM Synergy Scholarship
- Amount: Up to $10,000
- Description & eligibility: LU offers this scholarship to freshmen who wish to take a common curriculum of STEM courses and partake in professional research. Qualifying students will have a minimum 3.0 high school GPA with either an ACT Math score of 24 or an SAT Math score of 600.
- Deadline: TBD 2024
Oregon State University – CyberCorps Scholarship for Service
- Amount: $31,000+
- Description & eligibility: OSU offers scholarship packages to undergraduate students pursuing a career in cyber security. The recipients of this degree must be U.S. citizens pursuing a degree in computer science with a strong academic record. Recipients must agree to work after graduation for the U.S. government in a position related to cybersecurity for a period equal to the length of the scholarship.
- Deadline: TBD 2024
Purdue University – National Center for Women & Information Technology Award for Aspirations in Computing
- Amount: Up to $500
- Description & eligibility: PU’s Department of Computer Science offers this NCWIT award to female students studying computer science who demonstrate promise in the field and a strong academic record.
- Deadline: TBD 2024
University of Florida – CISE Scholarship & Grants
- Amount: $1,000-$5,105
- Description & eligibility: These awards are made up of multiple scholarships and grants given to outstanding Computer, Information Science and Engineering students. To qualify, recipients must be full-time students and maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher.
- Deadline: TBD 2024
Western Governors University – Tech is Everywhere Scholarship
- Amount: Up to $2,500
- Description & eligibility: WGU created this scholarship to help students succeed in their IT degree path. Students who receive this award must be pursuing a degree in WGU’s College of Information Technology.
- Deadline: June 30, 2024
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Grants for Computer Science Students
Arthur L. Norberg Travel Fund
- Amount: $1,000
- Description & eligibility: This grant provides travel expenses to visit the archival collections at the Charles Babbage Institute located at the University of Minnesota for academic research. Recipients must live outside of the Twin Cities metropolitan area.
- Deadline: TBD 2024
BWF’s Career Awards at the Scientific Interface
- Amount: $5,000
- Description & eligibility: BFW’s Career Awards are meant for undergraduates looking to take the next step in their education. To qualify, students must study in a STEM field.
- Deadline: TBD 2024
John Riddick Student Grant
- Amount: $600
- Description & eligibility: This grant honors John F. Riddick, co-founder of NASIG. Recipients of this award receive a $600 stipend as well as an invitation to NASIG conference and a one-year membership. Candidates for the grant must be currently pursuing a STEM degree.
- Deadline: TBD 2024
Key Ways to Increase Your Chances of Earning a Computer Science Scholarship
Now that you’re acquainted with the many different computer science scholarships available to students just like you (but wait, there’s more: Here’s another list of 50 scholarships you can apply to right now), it’s time to up your application game. Below, find five tips to help distinguish you from the pack of applicants and earn that valuable scholarship award.
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Highlight Community Involvement & Extracurriculars
While academics and essays are a big part of earning scholarships, revealing how you are a productive member of your community can be impactful in proving you are the right candidate. Demonstrate how you were involved in and gave back to your community — everything from volunteer work and community service to civic initiatives you may have contributed over the course of your lifetime.
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Write an Impactful Essay or Personal Statement
Essays can often make or break an application. Be sure to craft a well-written, thoughtful essay that addresses the essay prompt directly and gets to the heart of who you are as a computer science student. Use vivid descriptions and examples to illustrate your points as well as personal anecdotes to make your essay colorful and memorable.
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Showcase What Makes You Unique
Members of the scholarship committee who determine award recipients will see a good number of well-crafted essays and strong academic records. However, they will only see one of you. Make you sure stand out by shining a spotlight on what is unique about you, as a student and individual. Are you really into hockey? Do you want to revolutionize code? Tell them all about it! The more you stick out, the more they will remember you when it comes time to pick a recipient.
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Source Solid Letters of Recommendation
Getting a good letter of recommendation is harder than it sounds. Anyone can say you are a good person and should get money for your degree (especially your mom!). But it’s letters from esteemed individuals who speak highly of your character in a personal and professional context that really help to improve your application. Find professionals in your life who know who you are, what you have accomplished, and what you are capable of to write you strong letters of recommendation.
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Follow Directions and Submit Early
When it comes to applying for a scholarship, it’s all in the details. Follow the application instructions thoroughly and do everything that is requested throughout the application process. One little mistake can undermine your application’s integrity and sometimes lead to it being thrown out altogether. It’s also a great idea to submit as early as you can. The earlier your application gets in front of their eyes, the more time they have to consider you as a recipient.
