Paying for College with Engineering Grants and Scholarships
Since engineering is an area where the United States is in need of well-trained individuals, the U.S. government sponsors special grants and scholarships in addition to the Pell Grant. High school students should also check with their high-school counselor for grant and scholarship opportunities in their local area.
College Grants for Engineering Students
The first grants are called the American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI) Grants, which are part of a federal program to raise the education standards in math, science, and foreign languages. These grants are given to low-income freshmen and sophomore college students in a “rigorous” program of study. It helps to have completed at least two Advanced Placement courses during high school.
The second grant is called the National SMART Grant. What is a SMART Grant? It is the “Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent” Grant. SMART Grants are available to juniors and seniors in college for majors in the sciences and high-priority foreign languages.
SMART Scholarships Help Pay for an Engineering Degree
In additional to the U.S. Department of Education’s SMART Grants, there are also the SMART Scholarships through the U.S. Department of Defense. In this case, the acronym SMART stands for The Science, Mathematics And Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship for Service Program. The American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) administers the SMART Scholarship. In addition the ASEE is a great resource to find other college grants, scholarships, and fellowships for engineering students.
Additional Ideas to Help Engineers Pay for College and Graduate School
The Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) awards scholarships to seniors majoring in civil engineering or a field related to the design, construction, and maintenance of dams. The deadline falls annually in March. For more information, please contact info@damsafety.org or by telephone: 859-257-5140.
In addition to public funding for engineering grants, it is a good idea to look into corporations and foundations that sponsor engineering grants and fellowships. This is especially the case for graduate students.
The National Science Foundation sponsors the Graduate Research Fellowship Program. They award research-based grants for students pursuing a master’s or doctoral degree. They encourage applications for women, ethnic minorities, and those with disabilities as a way of increasing diversity in the fields of science, mathematics, technology and engineering.
The Hertz Foundation has grants for Ph.D. students in the field of engineering. To see the eligibility requirements, check out their website.
Engineering students should remember to apply in early January for grants to pay for college and to look for scholarship and fellowship opportunities about a year or two prior to entering their degree program.
