Yes, there are several scholarships for master’s programs. These are awarded to students who have already earned a bachelor’s degree and are applying to graduate school or professional school. The goal of these scholarships is to offer funding to undergrads wishing to earn a master’s or professional degree.
How Master’s Program Scholarships Work
Tuition for graduate school and professional school typically costs much more than undergrad tuition. This sometimes acts as a deterrent to undergrads, most of whom have likely already taken on thousands of dollars in student loans. Attending graduate school could mean taking on even more student loan debt and taking longer to be completely debt-free.
Scholarships for master’s programs reduce the amount of loans that graduate students need to take. The biggest benefit of master’s program scholarships is that they offer free money. Students do not have to return any money they win through scholarship awards. It’s theirs to keep.
If you’re planning on applying to a master’s program or professional degree program, it’s worth looking for scholarships for a master’s program immediately after graduating. Starting early gives you plenty of time to look for and apply for more scholarship opportunities. The best part about master’s program scholarships is there is no limit to the number of awards you can apply to or the amount of money you can win. This can help reduce the amount of student loans you take on.
Scholarships for Master’s Programs
There are several scholarships available for students pursuing a master’s degree. Every master’s program scholarship has its own unique eligibility criteria, application requirements, and award amount. Some are available only to those students enrolled in a specific major or aiming to pursue a specific career path.
This list of 6 scholarships for masters programs is a great place to start.
1. Advanced Energy’s STEM Diversity Scholarship
The Advanced Energy STEM Diversity Scholarship offers a $20,000 award to students preparing for careers in physics, electrical and computer engineering, material science, or mechanical engineering. Students at all academic levels are eligible to apply including undergraduate students (rising sophomores), first-year Master’s students, and Ph.D. students. The scholarship is open to all racially diverse and gender-diverse students who are pursuing the careers specified above. Applicants must maintain a 3.25 or better GPA.
In addition to the $20,000 scholarship grant toward tuition, award winners will also get the opportunity to intern with Advanced Energy, which is the funding organization. The scholarship and internship aim to help promising students succeed in their educational and career goals.
The application to this scholarship must be accompanied by a recommendation letter from a professor and a short 500-word personal essay. The essay must highlight two main aspects. The first is what influenced the student’s career decision. The second is what interests them the most about Advanced Energy’s technology.
Advanced Energy recommends that eligible students submit their applications at least one year prior to graduation. This gives students the opportunity to participate in a one-semester or summer full-time internship.
2. Georgia Engineering Foundation Scholarships
The Georgia Engineering Foundation Scholarship was established over 50 years ago to fund eligible students pursuing careers in engineering or engineering technology. Every year, 50 students receive scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 each. Winners are chosen based on demonstrated competence in academics, demonstrated interest in developing a career in engineering, and financial need.
The Georgia Engineering Foundation Scholarship is open only to students who are residents of Georgia or US permanent residents living in Georgia. Applicants must also be enrolled in a collegiate program accredited by ABET: Engineering programs or ACCE: Construction program.
3. Heartfelt Dreams Foundation Nursing Scholarship
Qualifying to practice as a nurse takes a tremendous amount of time, money, and commitment. Specializing as a cardiac nurse requires an even bigger investment of time, money, and commitment. The Heartfelt Dreams Foundation recognizes this and offers a scholarship that aims to help deserving applicants advance their nursing careers.
The $5,000 scholarship is awarded every year to one nursing student preparing for a career in cardiac care or to one hospital-based cardiac care nurse. The award winner is determined by a competitive application process.
Eligible applicants can submit an online application found on the foundation’s website and must be accompanied by the candidate’s updated resume.
4. Kate Neal Kinley Memorial Fellowship
The Kate Neal Kinley Memorial Fellowship is funded by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It is awarded to students who show outstanding skills and promise in the fine arts.
The Kate Neal Kinley Memorial Fellowship awards three major fellowships, 2 of up to $20,000 each and one of up to $9,000. In addition, it may also grant up to three Fellowships of smaller amounts based on recommendations by the committee.
The fellowships are not limited to students enrolled in the University of Illinois. Graduates of any college can apply, provided the institution meets certain standards. Only those who have earned a Bachelor’s degree in Art, Music, Dance, Architecture, Urban or Regional Planning, Theater, or Landscape Architecture and are applying to grad school qualify for the Fellowship award. Recipients can use the award money toward the cost of advanced study in the US or abroad
5. Veterans United Foundation Scholarships
The Veterans United Foundation Scholarship is one of many projects aimed at improving the lives of America’s military community. The scholarship program is funded by contributions from Veterans United Home Loans and its employees. It aims to create opportunities for Veterans and families of service members and ensures that the ever-increasing cost of a post-secondary degree doesn’t threaten their long-term goals of pursuing higher education.
The Veterans United Foundation Scholarship has very strict eligibility criteria. Only veterans with a 100% service-connected disability and surviving spouses and children of a deceased servicemember qualify to apply. Applicants must provide necessary documentation showing that they are currently enrolled or planning to enroll in an accredited college or university. The award money varies every year.
6. NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship program
The NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) awards up to 126 scholarships every year to student-athletes who show excellence in both academics and athletics. Award winners receive a one-time non-renewable scholarship of $10,000. This can be used to cover the cost of an accredited graduate program.
To be considered for an NCAA graduate degree scholarship, you must be nominated by the faculty athletics representative (FAR) or by a FAR designee. The FAR or FAR designee is responsible for identifying promising student-athletes who qualify for the award and ensuring that they submit the nomination within the deadline. You are eligible to be nominated for the scholarship if you earned your Bachelor’s degree from an NCAA member college. This is regardless of when you graduated.
Applicants must have already received their undergrad degree or be in their final year and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.20. They must also have completed NCAA athletic eligibility or be in the final season of NCAA athletics eligibility. In addition, applicants must enroll in a graduate program at an accredited graduate or degree-granting professional school. Award winners must use the funds within the same academic year and only toward expenses associated with their graduate degree program.
Scholarships for master’s programs are a way to lower your overall tuition cost while earning a master’s degree. In College Raptor’s scholarship finder database, you’ll find millions in FREE scholarship money.
