Scholarships for women include academic, military, sports, religious, and a variety of other kinds of college scholarships.
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Women can access scholarships and grants in many different fields, including for STEM degrees.
Many college students use scholarships to pay for school. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reports that undergraduates receive an average of $15,750 per year in grant and scholarship aid as of the 2021-2022 academic year.
Many organizations offer college scholarships for women to assist with the unique challenges they face in education. While they make up the majority of college students, women also take out more student loans, take longer to repay their loans, and earn less than men after college, on average.
This article introduces dozens of college scholarships for women, including scholarships for Black women, scholarships for single mothers, and scholarships for Hispanic women.
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Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
Balancing School With Personal Responsibilities: Women are more likely than men to attend college while working or tending to familial responsibilities. When women are pulled in multiple directions, they often have less energy for their degrees.
Lack of Representation: Certain majors enroll far fewer women than men. For example, in physics, engineering, and computer science, women make up 20% of students, with men outnumbering women four to one.
Fewer Women Mentors: College professors and administrators are primarily men. As a result, female students rarely have access to mentors who understand the unique challenges women face in higher education. Students of color find even fewer mentorship opportunities — under 20% of female professors are women of color.
Financial Barriers: Accessing funding for higher education can be more difficult for women for several reasons. On average, parents provide more financial support for sons earning college degrees than daughters. As of 2018, the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce reported that women make 81 cents on every dollar earned by men. This wage gap results in working women having less money to cover college costs.
Financial barriers can make it difficult for women to earn degrees, requiring them to take out more student loan debt than men. According to the American Association of University Women, women owe $929 billion of the country’s $1.5 trillion in student loan debt as of 2021. First-generation college students and Black women also owe a disproportionate amount.
Fortunately, college scholarships for women can help degree-seekers cover college costs and limit their student loan debts.
Scholarships for Women
Many organizations offer college scholarships for women, including professional organizations, private foundations, research institutions, and state governments. Students can find scholarships based on their major, state, college, and career interests.
This page provides a list of scholarships to help you get started, but you should also research additional opportunities based on your unique circumstances.
About: University of Colorado Boulder offers two scholarships for students pursuing arts or humanities majors: the merit scholarship for Colorado residents and the achievement scholarship for non-residents. Applicants must meet academic eligibility requirements, including a minimum 3.6 GPA, for the merit scholarship.
About: Offered by Central New Mexico Community College, this scholarship supports single parents majoring in liberal arts fields. The scholarship requires a minimum 3.0 GPA, a personal statement, and a letter of recommendation.
About: The Beinecke Scholarship supports students pursuing graduate degrees in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Recipients receive $5,000 before entering graduate school and $30,000 during their graduate career. They must attend participating institutions to qualify.
About: Cottey College offers a scholarship for women pursuing fine arts degrees at the school. Applicants must submit supporting documents for scholarship consideration.
About: This scholarship encourages women to enter statistics professions by awarding funds to individuals pursuing graduate degrees in the field. Each applicant must submit a CV, personal essay, three letters of recommendation, and academic transcripts. Candidates must also be full-time students in graduate statistics programs.
About: The AMWA grants four scholarships annually to women attending medical school. Each candidate must provide financial information, one letter of recommendation, and essay responses. The committee takes financial need into consideration. Recipients must be AMWA medical student members.
About: Women who graduated from Princeton Regional High School in New Jersey can apply for this scholarship if they plan to pursue a career in the allied healthcare field. The award supports students attending a four-year college or university, a two-year college, or a vocational school.
About: This scholarship for women supports individuals in STEM fields. Each applicant must submit an essay on their efforts to preserve biodiversity. Undergraduate and graduate students attending accredited schools may apply. Recipients can use the award for tuition, academic projects, living expenses, and other costs related to their education.
About: This award recognizes a woman who overcame hardship to pursue an undergraduate degree in chemistry. All applicants submit one letter of recommendation, school transcripts, and a letter of request explaining their hardships and current successes. The committee reviews candidates based on their improvement, initiative, successes, and grades from the prior two semesters.
About: This award supports women in their sophomore and junior years who are earning physics degrees, including geophysics and geoscience. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents attending U.S. colleges. Candidates should also hold membership in the Society of Physics Students.
About: Female undergraduate students earning STEM degrees may apply for this scholarship for women. The committee prefers first-generation college students, STEM majors, students who overcame obstacles in their lives, and those from disadvantaged economic backgrounds. Applicants must be members of the Society of Physics Students.
About: This fellowship supports female doctoral students returning to physics studies. The committee evaluates candidates based on their qualifications, the status of their previous doctoral work, and the scholarly significance of their research projects.
About: This scholarship supports graduate students in oceanography, marine biology, and maritime archaeology. Students must demonstrate academic excellence and financial need to qualify. Applicants can receive additional points on their application from exceptional letters of recommendation.
About: California residents attending college in California can apply for this scholarship, which supports women pursuing degrees in technology. Each applicant should hold a minimum 3.0 GPA and plan to major in the technology field. Students must attend four-year schools to qualify.
About: The ITWomen scholarship supports graduates from South Florida high schools who plan to earn degrees in information technology and engineering. The committee evaluates applicants based on their financial need, program of study, and personal statements about their educational goals.
About: This scholarship supports women planning careers in technology, including fields like computer science and engineering. Applicants must be full-time undergraduate STEM students enrolled in accredited colleges. Prior recipients cannot re-apply.
About: Career development grants help women with undergraduate degrees advance their careers by pursuing training in education, health and medical sciences, or social sciences. The grants prioritize women of color and women pursuing their first advanced degrees.
About: Residents of Oregon and Siskiyou County, California, qualify for this program, which supports single parents pursuing associate and bachelor’s degrees. Full-time students in these locations with at least one year left in their program can qualify. The scholarship award process takes financial need into account.
About: The Illinois Organization of Mothers of Twins Clubs, Inc. offers seven scholarships for college students who are twins or have twins. Each recipient must give a presentation at the Multiples Convention Luncheon.
About: This scholarship for women supports low-income students 35 years old and older. Citizens and permanent residents pursuing undergraduate degrees, including technical and vocational degrees, may apply. Applicants must attend accredited schools to qualify.
About: The Live Your Dream awards support women in higher education. Recipients can use the funds to pay for tuition, books, or childcare expenses. Each applicant submits two online reference forms and a personal statement about the obstacles they have faced.
About: Mothers with demonstrated financial need can apply for Patsy Takemoto Mink Education Foundation awards to help pay for education or training. Each applicant must be pursuing their first degree or certificate, such as a first professional, master’s, or doctoral degree. The committee evaluates each candidate based on their financial need, personal circumstances, educational path, and career goals.
About: The PEO Program offers need-based grants for women within 18 months of completing a degree. The grant can cover tuition, books and supplies, graduation fees, childcare, or other expenses related to education. Applicants must pursue educational programs that lead to employment or job advancement.
The financial aid in this guide offers a jumping-off point for your search, but there are many ways to find scholarships for women.
Sites like Fastweb.com and Scholarships.com are great resources, for example. Fastweb lists over 1.5 million scholarships, while Scholarships.com includes 3.7 million scholarships and grants. You can also check for scholarship opportunities through your college or university.
Finally, prospective applicants can search for scholarships through their state government or local organizations, especially professional societies. Learn more about how to find scholarships with our handy guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What percentage of women attend college?
According to the Postsecondary National Policy Institute, 36.1% of women over 25 earned a bachelor’s degree or higher. Proportionally, women earned more college degrees than men.
What women’s D1 scholarships are available?
Women can earn Division 1 scholarships in multiple sports, including soccer, track, and basketball. Athletic scholarships may vary, but they can offer funding for tuition, boarding, and textbooks.
When could women go to college?
Women started to gain greater access to college in the early 19th century. In the 1800s, select schools opened their doors to all students, and the first colleges specifically for women opened in the U.S.
