Many scholarships are open to all genders, but some specifically support women, especially in underrepresented fields or graduate programs.
According to data from the 2011-2012 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS), women have a higher likelihood than men of receiving private scholarships, although the average award amount is slightly lower by $300 to $400. Among undergraduate students, 7.2% of men and 8.4% of women secure private scholarships, with average amounts of $3,610 and $3,314, respectively. In Bachelor's degree programs, 10.6% of men and 13.1% of women earn private scholarships, with average amounts of $4,244 and $3,829, respectively. Women make up 57.0% of all undergraduate students and account for 60.6% of undergraduate scholarship recipients.
The most generous and prestigious national scholarships for female students include:
- American Physical Society (APS) M. Hildred Blewett Fellowship
- Army Women’s Foundation Legacy Scholarship Program
- Brookhaven Women in Science Scholarships
- Educational Foundation for Women in Accounting Scholarships
- Gertrude M. Cox Scholarship for Women in Statistics
- GirlFriend Factor Go Girl! Grants
- Jeannette Rankin Women’s Scholarship Fund
- Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund
- NOAA Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program
- P.E.O. Program for Continuing Education (PCE)
- Patsy Takemoto Mink Scholarship
- Science Ambassador Scholarship
- Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
- Soroptimist Live Your Dream Awards
- Women in Aviation International (WAI) Scholarships
- Women Marines Association (WMA) Scholarship Program
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