How to Help Pay for a Chemistry Degree
Chemistry students can find many opportunities for college grants and scholarships to help pay for an undergraduate degree or graduate studies. A logical start is to begin by applying for the Pell Grant.
In addition to the Pell Grant, there are other grant opportunities, especially because chemistry is recognized as an important area of study along with other branches of science. Therefore the US government issues special grants to chemistry students and other science students every year.
American Competitiveness Initiative Grants / SMART Grants & Scholarships
American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI) Grants 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 also helps if the student has finished at least two Advanced Placement courses during high school. SMART Grants are available to juniors and seniors in college for majors in the sciences.
There are also the SMART Scholarships from the name Science, Mathematics And Research for Transformation. The American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) administers the SMART Scholarship with the U.S. Department of Defense. The ASEE is also an excellent resource for chemistry students to find other college grants, scholarships, and fellowships to help them pay for college.
Grants, Scholarships, and Fellowships for Graduate Students of Chemistry
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.
After completing a Ph.D. in chemistry or chemical engineering, if you become a university professor, you may be interested in applying for a fellowship in the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
Chemistry Scholarships from Colleges and Universities
A university may offer a chemistry scholarship. For example, the Chemistry Department of the University of Tennessee in Chatanooga has several scholarships for chemistry every year. It is worthwhile to investigate with the college of your choice to find out if their chemistry department offers any scholarships.
In the case of Oregon State University, the Chemistry Department does not award the scholarships directly. Rather, potential chemistry students can apply for scholarships such as the Presidential Scholarship, the Provost Scholarship, and the Diversity Achievement Scholarship along with their application for undergraduate admission.
Foundations that Help Chemistry Students Pay for College
There are also organizations that can help students to find a scholarship in chemistry. For example the American Chemical Society (ACS) has the Scholars Program, which awards renewable scholarships for chemistry and related fields. Applications are accepted from high school seniors, as well as undergraduate students in their first years of study.
Another organization awarding scholarships forchemistry students is the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation.
If you intend to study meteorology or oceanography, you will want to check out the scholarships and fellowships by the American Meteorological Society
.The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship is for undergraduate students in mathematics, sciences, and engineering.
The website whatisascholarship.org has information on scholarships for women in science.
For residents of the state of New York, interested in teaching math or science, there is free money for college available to help students pay for an undergraduate or master’s degree, known as the NYS Math and Science Teaching Incentive Scholarships. The scholarship would potentially pay for all of a candidate’s undergraduate studies or up to one full year of graduate studies. See the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation for more details or call 1-888-697-4372.
You may be interested in applying chemistry as a chemical engineer. There are also several chemical engineering scholarships for college students. The American Institute of Chemical Engineers awards several chemical engineering scholarships. The American Institute of Chemical Engineers presents the John J. McKetta Undergraduate Scholarship to students in the junior or senior year of undergraduate studies. The scholarship is valid for students of Accreditation Board For Engineering And Technology (ABET) accredited schools in North America.
The Donald F. & Mildred Topp Othmer National Scholarship of $1,000 is worth a look, from aiche.org.
The Southwest Chemical Association also issues college scholarships for chemical engineering students. A further list of college scholarships in chemical engineering is available at collegescholarships.org.
Overall, chemistry students will find many ways to help them pay for college, thanks to the variety of college grants, scholarships, and fellowships available.
