The New York Times reported on a survey conducted by the Cornell Higher Education Research Institute that students studying engineering, business and nursing paid more in tuition in the 2010-11 academic year than those of other majors. The report was mainly about the differential rates among colleges in the US. That may not negatively affect engineering college graduates too much since they do have one of the highest starting salaries out of any other major (a possible reason colleges charge so high). Even so, locating Engineering Scholarships is definitely a wise move financially as there are many available, plus employers look favorably to applicants who’ve won awards in the past.
Engineering Scholarships
A major source of Engineering Scholarships come from organizations and foundations dedicated to the engineering field. And although it’s wise to stay away from scholarships that require an upfront fee, a lot of these organizations require membership fees in order to be eligible for their awards. But don’t worry, the ones listed in this article are all reputable and nationally, and sometimes internationally, known so no need to worry about being scammed. Plus they provide other benefits like engineering-related publications, career development programs, discounts on textbooks and other material and valuable networking opportunities. Joining nationally recognized organizations in your field can often open up new opportunities that you wouldn’t have found on your own.
SAE International
This organization has Engineering Scholarships for students who fall in four categories: high school seniors, college sophomores, college juniors and graduate and Ph.D students. SAE offers a number of University-Sponsored scholarships which are set aside for students attending a certain institution. You first have to be accepted into the college in order to receive any funds which can range from $400 to full tuition. You can find a list of participating colleges here . Just be sure that the engineering program is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). Scholarships funded directly from SAE (non university-sponsored) for high school seniors include the SAE Detroit Section Technical Scholarship which awards eligible students $5,000 per academic year (for four years) as long as you maintain at least a 2.5 GPA. Another one is the Edward D. Hendrickson Scholarship for students who are ranked in the 90th percentile in both math and critical reading on the SAT I or ACT. It awards $1,000 per academic year. Lastly, the SAE Women Engineers Committee Scholarship awards female students who maintain at least a 3.0 GPA $2,000 for their freshmen year. You can find more information concerning all their Engineering Scholarships by visiting their website .
The Society of Petroleum Engineers
This organization offers to have your student membership dues paid by a Professional member, otherwise, the annual membership fee is 14 dollars for US students. A few of the scholarships offered by this organization are as follows:
- The Gus Archie Scholarship Program: awards $6,000 per year (up to four) to students pursuing petroleum engineering.
- Star Scholarship and Fellowship: student must take oil and gas industry related classes and be an SPE member. Depending on which region you reside will determine how much you receive.
- SPE Section and University Scholarships: these scholarships are specific toward various sections of the SPE organization. Whether you live in Texas, Scotland or Calgary, there are funds set aside for high school and college students pursuing petroleum engineering if they live within the region. The money awarded by the different sections can be used for travel, books or software and other educational material.
More Professional Organizations
There are other organizations for minority engineering students as well. Great Minds in STEM aims to assist under-represented groups, mainly Hispanics, to engineering fields with programs, resources and, of course, scholarships. They were formerly known as the Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Corporation (HENAAC) but had since changed their name to encompass a wider scope of people they now represent. They’ve also substituted terms from Hispanic only to under-represented and under-served to acquiesce to Federal rules. Also, the Society of Women Engineers and the National Society of Black Engineers all offer scholarships to members of those groups.
