College Scholarships for Women

There was a time not too long ago when women were in the minority as far as college enrollment was concerned. That is no longer the case. Today the number of female college students surpasses their male counterparts. As more and more women decide on higher education as a way to improve their lives and career opportunities, the need for scholarships for women has increased. Thankfully there are a wide variety of foundations and scholarship funds set up specifically for women.

Each one of these programs comes with their own set of application requirements. Usually this will consist of letters of recommendation, an introductory cover letter, and a resume of your academic and extra curricular activities. Because of the competitive nature of scholarships, you are encouraged to apply to many different foundations. Here are some scholarships specifically targeted to women to help get you started:

The Girls Going Places Entrepreneurship Award Program was established to award girls ages 12-18 with scholarships. These awards are given to girls who have demonstrated an entrepreneurial spirit in order to encourage them to become qualified business leaders.

http://www.girlsgoingplaces.com/

Google has established a scholarship fund in honor of Dr. Anita Borg. Their goal is to give women a helping hand with their tuition to help them excel in the field of computers and technology. Dr. Borg founded the Institute for Women and Technology which provides resources and inspiration to women entering into this area of study.

http://www.google.com/anitaborg/

Jeannette Rankin was the first woman elected to the United States congress back in 1916. Established in 1978, the Jeannette Rankin Foundation has been awarding scholarships for women in low income brackets. The application for this scholarship relies upon the individual effectively describing her goals for an education, how she plans to achieve said goals, and what she will do with the degree.

http://www.rankinfoundation.org/

The Philanthropic Educational Organization (P.E.O.) was founded in 1869 by women students of Wesleyan College in Iowa. From that small group they currently have close to a quarter million members and pride themselves on the great contributions their scholarship recipients have given their communities. They have a wide variety of scholarships for women available. They also offer a great community of support for any women going into higher education.

http://www.peointernational.org/

At the Business and Professional Women's Foundation they have been helping disadvantage women pay for their college tuition since 1969. Since their founding, they have awarded over eight million dollars in scholarships for women.

http://www.bpwusa.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3381

Successful business woman Linda Lael Miller knows what it means to give back. She also appreciates the importance of encouragement. As a testament to her good will, Linda personally finances scholarships awarded to women 25 years or older who have decided to return to college.

http://www.lindalaelmiller.com/scholarships/scholarships.asp

The motto for the Society of Women Engineers is “aspire, advance, achieve.” The SWE scholarship program gave out four hundred thousand dollars in tuition funding in 2008 alone. The focus for their scholarships for women program is for the women who are entering into the field of engineering and computer science. Their website also provides valuable information regarding entering into engineering as a career.

For women who are considering enrolling in college to study chemical engineering you might consider applying to the Merck Index Women in Chemistry Awards . This program was established to foster women who want to pursue a career in medicinal or synthetic organic chemistry. There will always be a variety of opportunities for graduates who have earned a degree in this area.

http://www.merckbooks.com/mindex/scholarship.html

The following databases provide a comprehensive listing of scholarships for women. These scholarships are available for variety of graduate and undergraduate candidates in all fields of study.

Scholarships, Fellowships, and Postdoctoral Awards for Women
http://scholarships.fatomei.com/women.html
Women's Funding Alliance
http://www.wfalliance.org/Resources/scholarships%20for%20women.htm