Engineering is a diverse and exciting major that offers extraordinary career possibilities for graduates – if you belong to a minority and you are interested in pursuing a career in this fascinating field, but the high costs of college studies seem to be a show stopper, you must know that there are numerous minority engineering scholarships to provide you the financial help to follow your dream.
The sources you can apply to for financial help are as varied as the discipline of engineering. Minority engineering scholarships are offered by public institutions as well as by private organizations. There are scholarship programs offered for those studying a specific field of engineering, while others are available to all minority students majoring in this area, regardless of the specific field. Here are some of the major scholarship types
- Federal programs and programs offered by federal agencies – the official website of the Department of Education is an excellent resource to find out about available scholarships and it is a good idea to check out the programs offered by independent agencies, such as NASA
- Programs provided by the private sector – industry groups and corporations are continuously monitoring the results achieved by students majoring in
engineering, looking for young talents and they also offer valuable incentive scholarships - Minority foundations and associations also provide financial aid for prospective students of engineering belonging to specific groups such as Native Americans, African Americans, single mothers or people with disabilities
- Institutions of higher education – the college you are planning to attend might also have minority scholarships you can apply for.
The financial opportunities offered to minority students majoring in engineering are diverse in terms of eligibility conditions as well. Some are offered to people who are planning to enroll or are freshman students, others are available to students in their second year or higher. The eligibility conditions for some programs available to freshman students include GPA-related requirements, while others require prospective engineers to demonstrate financial need. There are programs available based on academic merit, too – these are usually offered for students in higher years.
One of the most important things you must know about is that most scholarships are not exclusive. You must read the information regarding eligibility conditions and the application instructions, but usually there is no condition saying that you can apply to only one specific scholarship. The other important thing you must pay attention to while in the process of applying for minority engineering scholarships is to follow the instructions to the letter – make sure you submit all the documents required, answer the essay question as accurately as you can and send your application before or by the specified deadline.