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How to Write the “Why Computer Science?” Essay

What’s covered:, what is the purpose of the “why computer science” essay, elements of a good computer science essay, computer science essay example, where to get your essay edited.

You will encounter many essay prompts as you start applying to schools, but if you are intent on majoring in computer science or a related field, you will come across the “ Why Computer Science? ” essay archetype. It’s important that you know the importance behind this prompt and what constitutes a good response in order to make your essay stand out.

For more information on writing essays, check out CollegeVine’s extensive essay guides that include everything from general tips, to essay examples, to essay breakdowns that will help you write the essays for over 100 schools.

Colleges ask you to write a “ Why Computer Science? ” essay so you may communicate your passion for computer science, and demonstrate how it aligns with your personal and professional goals. Admissions committees want to see that you have a deep interest and commitment to the field, and that you have a vision for how a degree in computer science will propel your future aspirations.

The essay provides an opportunity to distinguish yourself from other applicants. It’s your chance to showcase your understanding of the discipline, your experiences that sparked or deepened your interest in the field, and your ambitions for future study and career. You can detail how a computer science degree will equip you with the skills and knowledge you need to make a meaningful contribution in this rapidly evolving field.

A well-crafted “ Why Computer Science? ” essay not only convinces the admissions committee of your enthusiasm and commitment to computer science, but also provides a glimpse of your ability to think critically, solve problems, and communicate effectively—essential skills for a  computer scientist.

The essay also gives you an opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of the specific computer science program at the college or university you are applying to. You can discuss how the program’s resources, faculty, curriculum, and culture align with your academic interests and career goals. A strong “ Why Computer Science? ” essay shows that you have done your research, and that you are applying to the program not just because you want to study computer science, but because you believe that this particular program is the best fit for you.

Writing an effective “ Why Computer Science ?” essay often requires a blend of two popular college essay archetypes: “ Why This Major? ” and “ Why This College? “.

Explain “Why This Major?”

The “ Why This Major? ” essay is an opportunity for you to dig deep into your motivations and passions for studying Computer Science. It’s about sharing your ‘origin story’ of how your interest in Computer Science took root and blossomed. This part of your essay could recount an early experience with coding, a compelling Computer Science class you took, or a personal project that sparked your fascination.

What was the journey that led you to this major? Was it a particular incident, or did your interest evolve over time? Did you participate in related activities, like coding clubs, online courses, hackathons, or internships?

Importantly, this essay should also shed light on your future aspirations. How does your interest in Computer Science connect to your career goals? What kind of problems do you hope to solve with your degree?

The key for a strong “ Why This Major? ” essay is to make the reader understand your connection to the subject. This is done through explaining your fascination and love for computer science. What emotions do you feel when you are coding? How does it make you feel when you figure out the solution after hours of trying? What aspects of your personality shine when you are coding? 

By addressing these questions, you can effectively demonstrate a deep, personal, and genuine connection with the major.

Emphasize “Why This College?”

The “ Why This College? ” component of the essay demonstrates your understanding of the specific university and its Computer Science program. This is where you show that you’ve done your homework about the college, and you know what resources it has to support your academic journey.

What unique opportunities does the university offer for Computer Science students? Are there particular courses, professors, research opportunities, or clubs that align with your interests? Perhaps there’s a study abroad program or an industry partnership that could give you a unique learning experience. Maybe the university has a particular teaching methodology that resonates with you.

Also, think about the larger university community. What aspects of the campus culture, community, location, or extracurricular opportunities enhance your interest in this college? Remember, this is not about general praises but about specific features that align with your goals. How will these resources and opportunities help you explore your interests further and achieve your career goals? How does the university’s vision and mission resonate with your own values and career aspirations?

It’s important when discussing the school’s resources that you always draw a connection between the opportunity and yourself. For example, don’t tell us you want to work with X professor because of their work pioneering regenerative AI. Go a step further and say because of your goal to develop AI surgeons for remote communities, learning how to strengthen AI feedback loops from X professor would bring you one step closer to achieving your dream.

By articulating your thoughts on these aspects, you demonstrate a strong alignment between the college and your academic goals, enhancing your appeal as a prospective student.

Demonstrate a Deep Understanding of Computer Science

As with a traditional “ Why This Major? ” essay, you must exhibit a deep and clear understanding of computer science. Discuss specific areas within the field that pique your interest and why. This could range from artificial intelligence to software development, or from data science to cybersecurity. 

What’s important is to not just boast and say “ I have a strong grasp on cybersecurity ”, but instead use your knowledge to show your readers your passion: “ After being bombarded with cyber attack after cyber attack, I explained to my grandparents the concept of end-to-end encryption and how phishing was not the same as a peaceful afternoon on a lake. ”

Make it Fun!

Students make the mistake of thinking their college essays have to be serious and hyper-professional. While you don’t want to be throwing around slang and want to present yourself in a positive light, you shouldn’t feel like you’re not allowed to have fun with your essay. Let your personality shine and crack a few jokes.

You can, and should, also get creative with your essay. A great way to do this in a computer science essay is to incorporate lines of code or write the essay like you are writing out code. 

Now we will go over a real “ Why Computer Science? ” essay a student submitted and explore what the essay did well, and where there is room for improvement.

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized.

I held my breath and hit RUN. Yes! A plump white cat jumped out and began to catch the falling pizzas. Although my Fat Cat project seems simple now, it was the beginning of an enthusiastic passion for computer science. Four years and thousands of hours of programming later, that passion has grown into an intense desire to explore how computer science can serve society. Every day, surrounded by technology that can recognize my face and recommend scarily-specific ads, I’m reminded of Uncle Ben’s advice to a young Spiderman: “with great power comes great responsibility”. Likewise, the need to ensure digital equality has skyrocketed with AI’s far-reaching presence in society; and I believe that digital fairness starts with equality in education.

The unique use of threads at the College of Computing perfectly matches my interests in AI and its potential use in education; the path of combined threads on Intelligence and People gives me the rare opportunity to delve deep into both areas. I’m particularly intrigued by the rich sets of both knowledge-based and data-driven intelligence courses, as I believe AI should not only show correlation of events, but also provide insight for why they occur.

In my four years as an enthusiastic online English tutor, I’ve worked hard to help students overcome both financial and technological obstacles in hopes of bringing quality education to people from diverse backgrounds. For this reason, I’m extremely excited by the many courses in the People thread that focus on education and human-centered technology. I’d love to explore how to integrate AI technology into the teaching process to make education more available, affordable, and effective for people everywhere. And with the innumerable opportunities that Georgia Tech has to offer, I know that I will be able to go further here than anywhere else.

What the Essay Did Well 

This essay perfectly accomplishes the two key parts of a “ Why Computer Science? ” essay: answering “ Why This Major? ” and “ Why This College? ”. Not to mention, we get a lot of insight into this student and what they care about beyond computer science, and a fun hook at the beginning.

Starting with the “ Why This Major? ” aspect of the response, this essay demonstrates what got the student into computer science, why they are passionate about the subject, and what their goals are. They show us their introduction to the world of CS with an engaging hook: “I held my breath and hit RUN. Yes! A plump white cat jumped out and began to catch the falling pizzas. ” We then see this is a core passion because they spent “ Four years and thousands of hours ,” coding.

The student shows us why they care about AI with the sentence, “ Every day, surrounded by technology that can recognize my face and recommend scarily-specific ads ,” which makes the topic personal by demonstrating their fear at AI’s capabilities. But, rather than let panic overwhelm them, the student calls upon Spiderman and tells us their goal of establishing digital equality through education. This provides a great basis for the rest of the essay, as it thoroughly explains the students motivations and goals, and demonstrates their appreciation for interdisciplinary topics.

Then, the essay shifts into answering “ Why This College? ”, which it does very well by honing in on a unique facet of Georgia Tech’s College of Computing: threads. This is a great example of how to provide depth to the school resources you mention. The student describes the two threads and not only why the combination is important to them, but how their previous experiences (i.e. online English tutor) correlate to the values of the thread: “ For this reason, I’m extremely excited by the many courses in the People thread that focus on education and human-centered technology. ”

What Could Be Improved

This essay does a good job covering the basics of the prompt, but it could be elevated with more nuance and detail. The biggest thing missing from this essay is a strong core to tie everything together. What do we mean by that? We want to see a common theme, anecdote, or motivation that is weaved throughout the entire essay to connect everything. Take the Spiderman quote for example. If this was expanded, it could have been the perfect core for this essay.

Underlying this student’s interest in AI is a passion for social justice, so they could have used the quote about power and responsibility to talk about existing injustices with AI and how once they have the power to create AI they will act responsibly and help affected communities. They are clearly passionate about equality of education, but there is a disconnect between education and AI that comes from a lack of detail. To strengthen the core of the essay, this student needs to include real-world examples of how AI is fostering inequities in education. This takes their essay from theoretical to practical.

Whether you’re a seasoned writer or a novice trying your hand at college application essays, the review and editing process is crucial. A fresh set of eyes can provide valuable insights into the clarity, coherence, and impact of your writing. Our free Peer Essay Review tool offers a unique platform to get your essay reviewed by another student. Peer reviews can often uncover gaps, provide new insights or enhance the clarity of your essay, making your arguments more compelling. The best part? You can return the favor by reviewing other students’ essays, which is a great way to hone your own writing and critical thinking skills.

For a more professional touch, consider getting your essay reviewed by a college admissions expert . CollegeVine advisors have years of experience helping students refine their writing and successfully apply to top-tier schools. They can provide specific advice on how to showcase your strengths, address any weaknesses, and generally present yourself in the best possible light.

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Scholarship Essay Writing

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Winning Scholarship Essay Examples for Students: Tips Included

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Published on: Mar 14, 2021

Last updated on: Jan 31, 2024

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Many students face financial barriers when it comes to pursuing higher education. The rising costs of tuition, books, and other educational expenses can be overwhelming. 

This is why the scholarships offer a lifeline by providing financial aid to students, but the competition is fierce. 

That's where CollegeEssay.org comes in. 

In this blog post, we are providing scholarship essay examples that will inspire and guide you in creating your own exceptional essay. 

These examples serve as beacons of success, offering valuable insights into the art of scholarship essay writing. 

So, without further ado, let’s get started. 

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Scholarship Essay Examples Financial Need

Why this scholarship essay worked.

This scholarship essay example effectively conveys the applicant's financial need and their determination to overcome the challenges associated with it. Here's why this essay worked:

• Personal Storytelling: The essay begins with a personal anecdote that establishes a connection between the applicant's background and financial constraints. This helps create empathy and demonstrates the genuine impact of financial challenges on their educational journey.
• Resilience and Resourcefulness: The applicant showcases their resilience and resourcefulness in navigating financial hardships. They highlight their proactive approach to seeking part-time employment and actively pursuing scholarships.
• Academic Commitment: Despite the financial strain, the applicant emphasizes their commitment to academic excellence by maintaining a high GPA. This showcases their dedication and ability to prioritize their studies amidst challenging circumstances.
• Community Involvement : The essay also highlights the applicant's involvement in community service. This demonstrates their desire to give back and make a positive impact.
• Connection to Scholarship: The applicant clearly articulates how receiving the scholarship would benefit them. This demonstrates a strong alignment between their goals and the purpose of the scholarship.

Want more examples, check out these winning scholarship essay examples.

Financial Aid Scholarship Essay

Scholarship Essay for Financial Need

Scholarship Essay Examples About Yourself

Why this essay worked.

This scholarship essay worked for several reasons, such as:

• It effectively showcases the applicant's passion for mathematics, community engagement, and resilience.
• It compellingly conveyed the applicant's dedication, ambition, and potential for making a positive impact. This makes them a deserving candidate for the scholarship.
• Clear connection to the scholarship's goals and how it would further the applicant's educational journey and impact.

Here are some scholarship essay examples about yourself; get an idea from them, and create a successful essay.

Scholarship Essay Example About Yourself

Scholarship Essay About Yourself

Scholarship Essay Examples for Nursing

Why this essay worked.

This essay worked due to its compelling portrayal of the applicant's genuine passion for nursing, coupled with their unwavering dedication to making a positive impact in patient care.

The essay effectively demonstrates the applicant's well-rounded preparation for a nursing career and their clear alignment with the goals and mission of the scholarship, making them a strong candidate for consideration.

Below are some more examples of scholarship essays for nursing.

Nursing Scholarship Essay

Scholarship Essay for Nursing

Scholarship Essay Examples About Career Goals

This essay worked for the following reasons:

• Clear and Specific Career Goals: The essay effectively outlines the applicant's career goal of becoming a clinical psychologist specializing in mental health support. The clarity and specificity of the goal demonstrate a well-defined path and a strong sense of purpose.
• Demonstrated Preparation and Commitment: The essay showcases the applicant's comprehensive preparation for their career goals. It also demonstrates their readiness and dedication to excel in the field.
• Alignment with Scholarship Objectives: The essay effectively highlights how the scholarship will contribute to the applicant's career aspirations. This includes attending conferences, workshops, and advanced training programs.

If you find difficulty writing the scholarship essay about career goals, get help from the below-mentioned examples, and submit a well-written essay.

Scholarship Essay Examples About Leadership

Three reasons why this essay worked are:

• Demonstrated Leadership Experience : This essay effectively highlights the applicant's practical experience in leadership roles, showcasing their ability to lead teams, organize events, and coordinate volunteers.
• Commitment to Personal Growth : The essay demonstrates the applicant's proactive approach to leadership development by seeking formal training and participating in workshops focused on honing their skills. 
• Emphasis on Collaboration and Empowerment: The essay emphasizes the applicant's belief in collaborative leadership. It promotes inclusivity and empowers team members to contribute their unique perspectives. 

Here we gather some good scholarship essay examples about leadership that help in your writing.

Leadership Scholarship Essay Example

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Scholarship Essay Examples About Community Service

Here are the reasons:

• Genuine Passion and Commitment: The essay effectively conveys the applicant's genuine passion for community service, highlighting their long-standing involvement and the transformative impact it has had on their life. 
• Integration of Service with Education: The essay demonstrates the applicant's proactive approach to integrating their passion for community service with their educational pursuits.
• Aspiration for Social Change: The essay goes beyond personal experiences and highlights the applicant's aspirations for broader social change.

Here is an excellent community service scholarship essa y that can help you write for community college.

Scholarship Essay Example about Community Service

High School Scholarship Essay Examples

• Clear and Convincing Goals: The essay effectively communicates the applicant's strong desire to pursue higher education despite financial constraints.
• Demonstrated Leadership and Well-Roundedness: The essay showcases the applicant's involvement in extracurricular activities. It highlights their ability to balance academic responsibilities with active participation in clubs, sports teams, and community service initiatives.
• Emphasis on Giving Back and Community Engagement: The essay not only focuses on the applicant's personal aspirations but also highlights their commitment to giving back to their community.

The following are the best high school scholarship essay examples, use this for your help, and write an attention-grabbing essay.

Scholarship Essay Example for High School

Scholarship Essay for High School

Scholarship Essay Examples for University

Why this essay works.

Three reasons why this essay works are:

• Strong Personal Motivation: The essay effectively communicates the applicant's unwavering commitment and determination to pursue a university education.
• Articulation of Long-Term Goals and Social Impact: The essay goes beyond highlighting the applicant's academic achievements and financial needs. It emphasizes the applicant's desire to contribute to their community and make a positive impact on society.
• The connection between Scholarship and Applicant's Potential: The essay effectively illustrates how receiving the scholarship would directly address the financial burden. Plus, it will enable the applicant to fully embrace the university experience.

Here are some excellent scholarship essay examples for university students that help you in writing the essay.

Scholarship Essay Example for University Students

Scholarship Essay Examples for Engineering

This essay worked because of the following reasons:

• Passion and Commitment: The essay effectively conveys the applicant's deep passion for engineering. It also shows their genuine commitment to making a positive impact in this field.
• Alignment with Scholarship Objectives: It clearly establishes the connection between the scholarship and the applicant's goals in engineering.
• Future Impact and Growth: It also communicates the applicant's aspiration to contribute to the field of engineering and make a positive difference in the world.

The following is another scholarship essay example that can help you in creating the perfect essay on your own.

Scholarship Essay Examples for Masters

This essay worked for several reasons:

• Clear Purpose and Goal: The essay effectively conveys the applicant's clear purpose and goal of pursuing a master's degree. It highlights the transformative impact that a master's degree can have on personal and professional growth.
• Financial Need and Scholarship Alignment : The essay addresses the financial challenges associated with pursuing a master's degree. It demonstrates the direct alignment between the scholarship and the applicant's needs.
• Impact and Giving Back : The essay goes beyond personal aspirations and emphasizes the applicant's intention to make a broader impact on their community and society.

Here is an example that you can use as a guide and write a perfect scholarship essay.

Why Should You Receive this Scholarship Essay Examples

Three brief reasons why this essay worked are:

• Clear and Convincing Arguments : The essay presents concise and compelling arguments to support the applicant's case for receiving the scholarship.
• Personal Connection : It demonstrates how receiving the scholarship would directly impact the applicant's academic journey
• Gratitude and Future Commitment : It expresses sincere gratitude for the opportunity and emphasizes the applicant's commitment to making the most of the scholarship.

Here is an example, take help from them for your scholarship essay.

Why Should You Receive this Scholarship Essay Example

Why I Deserve This Scholarship Essay Examples

• Compelling Personal Story: The essay effectively presents the applicant's personal story and highlights their dedication and commitment to their education
• Addressing Academic Excellence and Financial Need : The essay successfully addresses both academic excellence and financial need, which are two crucial aspects considered by scholarship committees.
• Commitment to Making an Impact: The essay goes beyond the applicant's personal goals and emphasizes their dedication to making a positive impact in their community. 

Here’s another example for this scholarship essay below:

Why I Deserve This Scholarship Essay Example

Tips for Writing the Effective Scholarship Essay

When it comes to writing an effective scholarship essay, there are several key tips to keep in mind. 

By following these guidelines, you can maximize your chances of standing out and impressing scholarship selection committees. 

Here are some essential tips to help you craft a compelling scholarship essay:

• Understand the Prompt

Take the time to thoroughly understand the essay prompt or topic provided by the scholarship provider. Pay attention to any specific instructions or guidelines given.

• Research the Scholarship

Familiarize yourself with the organization or institution offering the scholarship. Understand their values, mission, and objectives. This knowledge will help you align your essay with their goals and demonstrate your fit for the scholarship.

• Tell Your Unique Story

Use the essay as an opportunity to showcase your personal experiences, like obstacles you might encounter, achievements, and aspirations. Highlight what sets you apart from other applicants. Be authentic and genuine in conveying your story, like overcoming personal failures.

• Start with a Compelling Introduction

Grab the reader's attention from the beginning with a strong and captivating introduction. Consider starting with a compelling anecdote, a thought-provoking question, or a powerful statement.

• Structure Your Essay

Organize your essay into a clear and logical structure. Start with an introduction, followed by body paragraphs that support your main points, and end with a concise and impactful conclusion.

• Be Concise and Specific

Scholarship essays often have a word or character limits, so make every word count. Be concise in your writing and avoid unnecessary fluff. Focus on providing specific examples and details that support your claims.

• Showcase Your Achievements

Highlight your academic accomplishments, extracurricular involvements, community service, leadership roles, or any other relevant achievements. Link them to the values and goals of the scholarship.

• Address the Selection Criteria

Ensure that your essay addresses the selection criteria specified by the scholarship provider. If they are looking for specific qualities or skills, tailor your essay to showcase how you possess those attributes.

In conclusion, writing an effective scholarship essay is a crucial step in securing the financial aid you need for your education. 

By following the tips outlined here, you can enhance your essay-writing skills and create a compelling narrative that captivates scholarship selection committees.

Be authentic, concise, and specific in your writing. Tailor your essay to align with the values and objectives of the scholarship provider. And above all, believe in yourself and your potential to make a difference through education.

If you're seeking further guidance and support in your scholarship essay writing journey, consider partnering with our AI essay writing tools !

We also have a team of experienced and professional essay writers who can provide personal essay writing service with valuable insights. 

Hire our college paper writing service  today and take the next step towards securing the financial aid you deserve.

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Barbara is a highly educated and qualified author with a Ph.D. in public health from an Ivy League university. She has spent a significant amount of time working in the medical field, conducting a thorough study on a variety of health issues. Her work has been published in several major publications.

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A passion for Computer Science - scholarship - Why choose Computer Science?

50 Amazing Computer Science Scholarships

Computer science scholarships can make the difference when it comes to successfully graduating.

Tuition prices are rising, but it’s possible to get a degree without going hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. Scholarships are a good choice to help off-set the cost of a college education. Students working toward a degree in computer science have a long list of scholarship options ranging from private groups to government agencies. These 50 scholarships will give you a place to start your search, but don’t stop here. Companies across the world are looking for people with degrees in computer science and other related technologies. The industry is growing fast and shows no signs of slowing down.

Computer science will continue to grow as new technology is developed. There are more scholarships and grants offered each year to support the need for increased numbers of skilled workers, creators and designers. If by chance, you don’t see a scholarship on this list that works for you, keep searching. There are many more scholarships available for qualified computer science students. 1. AACE International Competitive Scholarships

This scholarship is available to full-time students pursuing a degree in computer science, engineering, information technology and other degrees directly related to the field of cost engineering and cost management. Students must be in good academic standing and attending an accredited college of university.

AACE International Competitive Scholarships

2. ExCEL Computing Scholarships

Academically talented students who demonstrate a financial need are eligible for this scholarship. Applicants must be enrolled full-time in an approved computer science degree program. Students interested in applying for this scholarship should talk to their school counselor to obtained an application at the applicants high school or college of choice. An example of the requirements for the scholarship can be found at Loyola University’s website.

ExCel Scholarship

3. The CyberCorps Scholarship for Service Program (SFS)

Through a partnership between the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), this program provides scholarships to students who attend a full-time, approved computer science degree program at a participating university. To be eligible for the scholarship, the student must agree to serve a 10 week summer internship as well as commit to holding a state, federal or local government position for a time period matching the period in which the applicant received the scholarship. So if the recipient is given three years of scholarship support, that student must agree to work three years for the Department of Homeland Security. Stipends are of $20,000 to $30,000 are also available to scholarship recipients. Recipients who do not work after graduation will be required to pay back the total cost of their scholarship and stipend money. More information about this scholarship can be found at the CyberCorps website.

CyberCorps Security Scholarship

4. Xerox Technical Minority Scholarship

Xerox offers this scholarship to any minority student enrolled in a technical science discipline. Applicants must be a full-time student at an accredited four year institution, have a B average or better and be working toward a bachelor’s degree, masters degree or PhD. Scholarship amounts range from $1,000 to $10,000.

Xerox Minority Scholarship

5. Sarder Scholarship

This scholarship is specific to taking classes through Netcom learning. To be eligible, applicants must be 18 years old or older. Scholarships can be applied to both public and online classes. The maximum scholarship amount is $2500 and can only be applied toward tuition expenses.

Sarder Scholarship

6. SMART Scholarship

Sponsored by the Department of Defense to support students in both undergraduate and graduate computer, science, math, technology and engineering programs. Scholarship recipients receive full scholarships and gainful employment upon completion of their designated program. Applicants must be enrolled in an approved university, have a 3.0 GPA. All applicants must be available for summer internships and willing to work for the Department of Defense once they have graduated.

SMART Scholarship

7. AFCEA Cyber Security

Undergraduate and graduate students who majoring in cyber security, cyber attack, computer science, digital forensics or electronic engineering at an accredited two or four year college are eligible for this scholarship. Applicants must be 18 or older, in at least their second year and have a GPA of 3.0 or higher. The scholarship can be applied to both traditional campus classes and distance learning programs.

AFCEA Cyber Security Scholarship

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9. The Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship

Supporting women in technology, the Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship is offered by Google. This scholarship awards $10,000 to female undergraduate and graduate students who demonstrate strong academic and leadership qualities. Applicants must be enrolled, or intend to be enrolled, in a program at an accredited university. Accepted degree programs include computer science, computer engineering or another closely related field of study.

Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship Sponsored by Google

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11. Ford Motor Company Tribal Scholarship

American Indian, Alaskan Native, or Native Hawaiian applicants are eligible for this scholarship. Students must show leadership qualities and demonstrate financial need. This $3,000 scholarship is awarded to students majoring in math, science, business, teaching, engineering and environmental science. Applicants must be full-time students who have a GPA of 3.0 or better. Preference is given to students who are attending a tribal college in Michigan.

Ford Motor Tribal Scholarship

12. Catching The Dream

This scholarship recognizes students who are members of a U.S. tribe and show good leadership skills within their community. Awards are given based on academic achievement, commitment to the American Indian community and financial need. The minimum scholarship amount is $500 and the maximum amount is $5,000.

Catching The Dream Scholarship

13. ESA Foundation Scholarship Program

This scholarship is available to female and minority students working toward a degree in computer and video game arts. Applicants must be attending or planning to attend full-time at an accredited four year college or university. High school seniors must have been accepted into an approved program to be eligible. Scholarships of up to $3,000 are available.

ESA Foundation

14. Betty Stevens Frecknall Scholarship

AITP student members who are full-time students pursuing a degree in computer science, information technology, computer information systems or management information systems are eligible for this scholarship. Students must have successfully completed one semester at an accredited college or university and maintained a GPA of 3.0 or better and be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

Betty Stevens Frecknall Scholarship

15. National Security Agency Mathematics and Computer Science Student Scholarship

The National Security Agency offers scholarships to students who are currently enrolled in an accredited college or university program. Applicants must be at least 18 years old, be U.S. citizens and have a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Accepted degree programs include any degree level of computer science, computer engineering or math.

National Security Agency Scholarship

16. Dell Computer Corporation Scholarship

To be eligible for this scholarship, applicants must have completed an approved college readiness program and be graduating from an accredited high school. Applicants must have a 2.75 or better GPA, demonstrate financial need and plan to attend a full-time bachelor’s degree program at an accredited college or university. Scholarships are given based on a student’s goals, accomplishments and ability to overcome hardship on the road to academic success.

Dell Scholarship

17. SWE-GGS Scholarship

Girls who are graduating from a Bay Area high school and planning to enroll in engineering and computer science programs are eligible for this scholarship. Applicants must have a high GPA, reside in the Golden Gate Section and plan to attend a four year university full-time. Scholarship awards are determined by financial need, academic achievement, at least two teacher references and an essay submission.

SWE-GGS Scholarship

18. Wayne V. Black Scholarship

This scholarship is open to students pursuing a degree in computer science, engineering, information technology, pre-law, political science and telecommunications. Topics for submission are released in October of each year along with updated application criteria.

Wayne V. Black Scholarship

19. Stokes Educational Scholarship Program

This scholarship program is offered by the National Security Agency. High school seniors planning to pursue a degree in computer science, computer engineering and electrical engineering are encouraged to apply. Applicants receive up to $30,000 per year toward their academic expenses. If awarded the scholarship, students must attend school full-time, maintain a 3.0 or better GPA and agree to work in their area of study for the NSA for a length of one and one half the length of time they were granted scholarship funds.

Stokes Educational Scholarship

20. HORIZONS Foundation Scholarship

The Horizons Foundation Scholarship is open to women pursuing careers related to national security and defense in the United States. Applicants must be current students at an accredited four year university working toward a degree in computer science, cyber security, political science and other related fields of study. Applicants must have completed 60 credit hours, maintain a GPA of 3.25 or higher and demonstrate financial need.

Horizons Scholarship

21. AFCEA Ralph W. Shrader Diversity Scholarships

This scholarship is for post graduate students currently enrolled in an accredited four year institution. Applicants must be working toward a master’s degree in computer science, engineering, physics, information management or math. Scholarships are determined by academic excellence and at least one scholarship is given to a woman or minority who demonstrates financial need.

Ralph W. Shrader Scholarship

22. IEEE President’s Scholarship

This scholarship is awarded to students who have completed a project that shows outstanding understanding of computer science, engineering or closely related IEEE fields. The scholarship awards $10,000 to be paid out over four years of undergraduate study and a student IEEE membership.

IEEE Scholarship

23. Lockheed Martin/HENAAC Scholars Program

Full-time students majoring in computer science or engineering who have maintained a GPA of 3.0 or higher are eligible for this scholarship. Applicants do not have to be of Hispanic heritage, but they do need to show leadership within the Hispanic community to qualify. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

Lockheed Martin Scholarship

24. Microsoft Tuition Scholarships

This scholarship requires that applicants be enrolled full-time at a four year college or university in the United States, Canada or Mexico. Applicants must be working toward a degree in computer science, computer engineering or another closely related field. The Microsoft Tuition Scholarship is academic based, which means applicants must have a 3.0 or better GPA on a 4.0 scale. The award may cover all or part of the academic expenses for one year.

Microsoft Scholarship

25. Banatao Filipino American Education Fund

Applicants that are of Filipino heritage, planning to attend an accredited four year college or university and show financial need are eligible for this scholarship. Applicants must enroll in computer science, engineering, math, environmental science or physical science. Students should have a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale and live in an approved California county.

Banatao Scholarship

26. Dr. Robert W. Sims Memorial Scholarship

This scholarship is awarded to post secondary students attending an accredited college or university in Florida. Applicants must have a GPA of 2.5 or better and planning to major in computer science or information technology. The scholarship awards $3,000 per academic year.

Dr. Robert W. Sims Scholarship

27. GET-IT Student Scholarship

This scholarship is awarded to members of the Girls Exploring Together: Information Technology program in Michigan. Applicants must be high school seniors entering college or taking college level courses. Students must be female, reside in Michigan and be pursuing a degree in technology.

GET-IT Scholarship

28. Henry Beckman Memorial Scholarship High school seniors in the top 25 percent of their class are eligible to apply for this scholarship. Applicants must work toward a degree in computer science, engineering or natural sciences at The University of Texas at Austin.

Henry Beckman Scholarship

29. Hoku Scholarship Fund

Supported by the Hawaii Community Foundation, this scholarship is available to residents of the state of Hawaii who demonstrate financial need. Applicants must be full-time undergraduate or graduate students at a two or four year accredited institution and maintain a GPA of 3.0 or better. Students must be pursuing a degree in computer science, engineering, physics, mathematics, astronomy or technology sciences.

Hoku Scholarship

30. Lambeth Family Scholarship

This $3,000 scholarship is awarded to post secondary students pursuing degrees in computer science, business, engineering, mathematics, or the natural sciences.

Lambeth Family Scholarship

31. Admiral Grace Murray Hopper Memorial Scholarships

The Society of Women Engineers offers this scholarship to women who are attending their freshman year of college. Applicants must be working toward a degree in computer science or engineering and have a minimum GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale. Scholarship recipients are awarded $1,500 to help with their academic expenses.

Admiral Grace Murray Hopper Scholarship

32. AISES Intel Scholarship

Members of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society who are also Alaska or Hawaiian natives or members of an American Indian tribe can apply for this scholarship. Applicants must be undergraduate or graduate students enrolled at an accredited two year or four year institution and working toward a degree in computer science or computer engineering. Applicants must have a GPA of 3.0 or better.

Intel Scholarship

33. Citigroup Fellows Program United Negro College Fund (UNCF)

The Citigroup Fellows Program is offered by the United Negro college fund. To be eligible for this scholarship, students must be in their junior or senior year at an accredited institution. Several degree programs are eligible for this scholarship; including computer science.

Citigroup Scholarship

34. General Mills Technology Scholars Award United Negro College Fund (UNCF)

This scholarship is available to undergraduate and graduate students pursuing a degree in computer science, information systems, engineering, management information systems and food service. Recipients are selected based on good academic performance, leadership, career goals and achievements.

General Mills Scholarship

35. Honeywell International Inc. Scholarships Society of Women Engineers

The Society of Female Engineers offers this scholarship to women who are full-time undergraduate or graduate students at an accredited college or university. Applicants should be freshman females who are pursuing a degree in computer science, computer engineering or another approved engineering program. Applicants must demonstrate financial need and be in good academic standing.

Honeywell International Scholarship

36. Hispanic Scholarship Fund/Marathon Oil Corporation College Scholarship Program

Applicants for this scholarship must be African American, Native American, Hispanic, Asian or Pacific Islanders who are sophomores or seniors. Sophomores must be working toward a degree in computer science, computer engineering or information technology to qualify. Seniors must be working toward a graduate degree in geology or geophysics to qualify. Applicants must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher to be eligible.

Marathon Oil Scholarship

37. IBM Corporation Scholarship

This scholarship is offered by the Society of Female Engineers to female undergraduate students. Applicants must be sophomores or juniors and enrolled full-time in an approved computer science or computer engineering program. Students must have a GPA of 3.5 or better to qualify.

IBM Scholarship

38. Lucy Kasparian Aharonian Scholarship

This scholarship is available to female scholars of Armenian descent. Applicants must be full-time students at an accredited college or university. Students must show good academic achievement and be working toward a degree in computer science, engineering, science, technology or architecture.

Lucy Kasparian Aharonian Scholarship

39. Northrop Grumman/HENAAC Scholars Program

This scholarship is sponsored by the Hispanics in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) program. Applicants must contribute to the Hispanic community, have a GPA of 3.0 or better and be working toward a degree in science, computer science, engineering or another approved technology field.

HENAAC Scholars Program

40. Northrop Grumman Foundation Scholarship

This scholarship is available to sophomore, junior and senior undergraduate students pursuing a degree in computer science or engineering at an accredited college or university. Students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 to be eligible.

Northrop Grumman Scholarship

41. American Foundation for the Blind Paul and Ellen Ruckes Scholarship

The Paul and Ellen Ruckes scholarship is available to students who visually impaired or legally blind. Students must be attending an undergraduate or graduate program. Applicants must be working toward a degree in computer science, engineering, life science or physical science.

Paul and Ellen Ruckes Scholarship

42. Accredo’s Hemophilia Health Services Scott Tarbell Scholarship

Undergraduate students who have been diagnosed with hemophilia and are working toward a degree in computer science or math are eligible for this scholarship. Students must be in good academic standing, demonstrate a financial need and show leadership qualities by taking part in extracurricular activities.

Scott Tarbell Scholarship

43. AFCEA ROTC Scholarships

Students enrolled in the ROTC program who are majoring in computer science, physics, security and intelligence, global security, technology management or international studies are eligible for this scholarship. Other courses of study may also be approved. Applicants must be nominated by a Commanding Officer, be U.S. citizens and demonstrate academic excellence. Students must be attending an accredited college or university and provide two letters of recommendation from faculty members in their field of study.

AFCEA ROTC Scholarship

44. AWC Scholarship Fund for Women in Computing

This scholarship is offered by the Ann Arbor chapter of the Association for Women in Computing. Qualified applicants must be attending an accredited institution in Washtenaw County. Applicants must be pursuing a computer or technology related career. All applicants are required to submit an essay answering three questions, which can be found on the association’s website.

AWC Scholarship

45. Upsilon Pi Epsilon Student Award for Academic Excellence

The Executive Council of Upsilon Pi Epsilon (UPE) offers this scholarship to both undergraduate and graduate IEEE Computer Society members. Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 out of 4.0. This scholarship is awarded based on academic excellence, extracurricular activities in the applicants field of study and three letters of recommendation, which are required when applying.

Upsilon Pi Epsilon Scholarship

46. Richard E. Merwin Student Scholarship

Graduate students and students completing the last two years of a computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering or another well defined computer degree may be eligible for this scholarship. Applicants must be members of the IEEE Computer Society, have a GPA of 2.5 and be full-time students at an accredited institution.

Richard E. Merwin Scholarship

47. Lance Stafford Larson Student Scholarship

To qualify for this scholarship, the student must write a paper regarding a topic of interest in the computer or technology industry. The student who is chosen for the best paper is awarded the scholarship. The applicant must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and submit a paper that is 20 pages or less.

Lance Stafford Larson Scholarship

48. PHD ARA Scholarship

Applicants who are members of the Midwest Division of the Amateur Radio Association may be eligible for this scholarship. Members of any license level are encouraged to apply, but must be studying computer science, journalism, or electronic engineering.

ARA Scholarship

49. Los Alamos National Laboratory Foundation Leadership Scholarship

This scholarship is available to students from Northern New Mexico. Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.25, an SAT score of 1350 or better or an ACT score of at least 19. Students must also submit an essay, and two letters of recommendation are required as well.

National Laboratory Scholarship

50. West Virginia Engineering Science and Technology Scholarship Program

This scholarship is offered by the state of West Virginia to support students pursuing a degree in either technology, engineering or science. Eligible students must have a GPA of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale, have completed two semesters at an approved college or university and be working toward a certificate or bachelors degree. The student must agree to work full-time in their field of study in West Virginia for the same amount of time they received the scholarship funds.

West Virginia Scholarship

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The best computer science scholarships: Get help paying for college

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Looking to jumpstart a career as a software engineer or computer scientist? These jobs often require a potentially costly computer science degree. Computer science scholarships are one safeguard against excessive debt.

According to the Education Data Initiative , the national student loan debt balance climbed to 1.76 trillion dollars in 2022. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that as of May 2021, the median salary for all computer science and information technology professions is $97,430.  

However, computer science majors can still end up in debt. Enter computer science scholarships, which make it easier for learners of all backgrounds, races, and genders to join this highly-qualified and paid field.

Read on for our list of the top general, identity-based, and women's computer science scholarships, along with how they can help you.

Cheap online computer sciences degrees: Finding the best

Join the rapidly growing technology field by earning a cheap online computer science degree. Learn how to advance your career at an affordable cost.

General computer science scholarships

General computer science scholarships like those listed below serve all populations. They are usually merit-based and come from sources as diverse as Google and Lockheed Martin.

• (ISC)^2 Foundation Undergraduate Cybersecurity Scholarship
• Betty Stevens Frecknall Scholarship
• Google Student Veterans of America Scholarship
• IEEE Presidents' Scholarship
• Lockheed Martin STEM Scholarship
• Microsoft Tuition Scholarship
• NSHSS STEM Scholarship
• National Society of High School Scholars STEAM Scholarship
• Palantir Future Scholarship
• Richard E. Merwin Student Scholarship
• SMART Scholarship For Service
• The Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation Scholarships
• UPE/Association for Computing Machinery Scholarship Award
• Upsilon Pi Epsilon Scholarship Award
• Wayne V. Black Memorial Scholarship Award

Identity-based computer science scholarships

Identity-based computer science scholarships tailor to people of color and LGBTQ+ learners to increase their representation in STEM. Take advantage of these scholarships if you belong to a qualifying group.

• AFCEA Undergraduate Diversity Scholarship
• American Indian Science and Engineering Society Intel Scholarship
• Blacks at Microsoft Scholarship
• EPP/MSI Undergraduate Scholarship Program
• ESA Foundation Scholarship
• GMiS STEM Scholarships
• Gates Millennium Scholars Program
• Generation Google Scholarship (North America)
• Hispanic Scholarship Fund
• NACME Minority Scholarships and Engineering Scholarships for Minorities
• Ralph W. Shrader Graduate Diversity Scholarship
• The Accenture American Indian Scholarship Fund

SEE: Scholarships for minorities in STEM

Computer science scholarships for women

Because men have historically dominated computer science, there are now many computer science scholarships for women majoring in computer science. Today, these scholarships help thousands of women pay for STEM education annually.

• Adobe Research Women-in-Technology Scholarship
• Buildium Women in Technology Scholarship
• Generation Google Scholarship for Women in Gaming
• Honeywell Scholarship
• Michigan Council of Women in Technology Undergraduate Scholarship
• Palantir Scholarship for Women in Engineering
• SWE Scholarship Program
• AWC Scholarship Fund for Women in Computing
• Women Techmakers Scholars Program
• Women in Defense Scholarship

READ THIS: Scholarships for women in STEM

How do you apply for computer science scholarships?

A variety of organizations offer computer science scholarships, including nonprofits, foundations, and businesses. You can find scholarships through online search engines, state and government agencies, and your college's departmental resources. Many scholarship search engines allow you to quickly apply to various scholarships with a single application by connecting to the Common App service.

If you need help applying for scholarships, you can reach out to guidance counselors, admissions officers, and university recruiters to get suggestions.

What are the typical scholarship requirements?

Scholarships differ from grants in that they can set their own requirements for receiving scholarship money. Though scholarship guidelines can vary widely, most computer science scholarships share some typical requirements in common:

• Minimum GPA : Students typically need to maintain a baseline GPA, e.g. 3.0, to qualify for scholarship money.
• US Citizen or permanent residen t: Most scholarships require candidates to be US citizens or permanent residents.
• Majoring in computer scie nce: Computer science scholarships only accept computer science or IT-related majors.

What are the typical scholarship application components?

Scholarship applications can ask candidates for widely differing documents to go along with the basics, including resumes, standardized test scores, and references. On most computer science scholarships, you can expect to include the following list of documents with your application:

• Personal essay
• Two or more letters of recommendation from professors or employers
• High school or college academic transcripts
• Application fee

Four tips for applying to computer scholarships

When applying for computer science scholarships, it helps to keep some key tips in mind. Most of the tips listed below are simple, powerful tools toward crafting a solid scholarship application.

1. Start early and stay ahead of deadlines

Remember to keep ahead of deadlines and manage your time carefully. The different scholarship application elements, such as writing essays, getting approval for letters of recommendation, and collecting documentation, take up time. Use time strategically. Don't let things come down to the wire.

2. Stay organized

Keep organized. Don't forget to use useful tools such as spreadsheets, planners, and calendars when keeping abreast of various application deadlines or things you need to include. A spreadsheet, for example, can sort information instantly and present it in a clearer format.

3. Choose which scholarships to prioritize

Prioritize scholarships based on sum amount and deadline. You want to spend all your available time up to application deadlines crafting a perfect application for the largest award possible. You can put smaller scholarships on the back burner.

4. Get feedback

Get feedback for your application, especially your personal statement/essay. A second pair of eyes can help clean up grammar, mechanics, and concision in your application whether or not writing is your strong suit. Extra feedback will always offer new tips for refining your application.

Are there other financial aid options for STEM students?

STEM learners can access various other computer science financial aid options. Unlike scholarships, federal and state grants are need-based, but they do not need to be repaid. Fellowships provide funding for students interested in research. Enlisted military students and their families can also get military aid. Work-study programs allow you to pay off tuition with part-time work.

As a final resort, students can access loans. Keep in mind that all loans -- even subsidized ones -- need to be repaid, unlike scholarships. To recap, alternate financial aid options include:

• Federal grants
• State grants
• Fellowships
• Work-study programs
• Military aid

How can computer science students spend scholarship money?

Scholarships usually give learners limited options for how to spend scholarship funds, and only allow computer science students to spend money on tuition, on-campus living expenses, and computer science course materials.

Though scholarship committees cannot realistically track how students spend scholarship money, it pays to follow these guidelines. Spending money irresponsibly on non-academic items such as new clothes can add up, and cause your scholarship funds to quickly run out. Observe scholarship guidelines to stay self-accountable.

Can you use scholarship money for computer science certifications?

Some scholarships only allow students to spend scholarship money through their school. Other scholarships observe lighter guidelines and may not mind learners spending scholarship money externally on professional certifications, such as coding bootcamps. When in doubt, check up on your scholarship's guidelines. Remember that it is important to stay accountable.

In conclusion

Finding viable computer science scholarships can seem intimidating at first, but taking things step-by-step helps. 

Remember that filling out the FAFSA can make applying to scholarships, grants, and other forms of aid easier and is often required. The number of online colleges that accept the FAFSA has increased in recent years, also.

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Career Goals Essay For Scholarships (With Examples)

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Scholarship programs often want you to write a career goals essay to see that you have a clear plan for how you’ll apply your education to a specific career path. This helps show a scholarship committee why you’re seeking funds for the next step on the path toward your success.

Answering “what are your career goals” effectively can help increase your odds of impressing landing a scholarship opportunity. If you’re a prospective student applying for scholarships, this article will provide tips on how to write a career goals essay, along with essays on career goals examples to help you get an idea of what scholarship committees are looking for.

Key Takeaways:

When you’re writing a career goals essay, make sure to write about the goals that are relevant to the scholarship.

Be honest and use your own voice to stand out in your scholarship essay.

Go into detail about how the scholarship will help you achieve your goals.

What is a career goals essay?

Why scholarship essays ask about career goals, example career goals essay prompts, career goals essay examples, tips for writing a scholarship essay about career goals, what to write in a career goals essay if your goals have changed, career goals essay for a scholarship faq.

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A career goals essay is a personal written explanation that discusses your background, why you’re interested in participating in the program, and what career you’d like this degree to lead into. A scholarship essay functions to explain why you want to achieve your professional goals and how you intend to get there.

In almost every application process, a portion asks the candidate to answer an essay question. When applying to an educational program, like an MBA, the essay prompt usually relates to your career goals .

Scholarship essays ask about career goals to assess your enthusiasm for the program, learn more about how the scholarship will help you, and ensure that you’ve considered how the program will help you achieve your goals for the future:

Assess your enthusiasm. Passion is important for scholarship administrators, and if you’re able to articulate your enthusiasm for a specific career path , it will show that you’re determined to meet the requirements to reach that goal. The most specific and well-thought-out your essay is, the easier it will be for a reader to understand your devotion and commitment to the program and the field it will allow you to enter.

Learn how the scholarship will help you. Having a firm grasp of your career goals is great, but it’s equally important that you express exactly how the specific program relates to those goals. This shows that you’ve researched the merits of the program and understand exactly how it fits into your professional goals.

Show you’ve considered your future. This goes along with the first two points — show that you know how to set goals and consider the path toward achieving those goals, and you’ll have an easier time convincing the reader that you’ll know how to set goals while participating in the program. They’ll see that you know how to prioritize education because you have a clear vision for navigating your career path.

While some scholarships might come right out and simply ask, “What are your career goals?” most will rework the question into something different that still accomplishes the same goal.

Below are some examples of career goals essay prompts that a scholarship program could pose to its applicants:

Discuss your career goals. Many scholarships prefer the most direct approach when giving an essay prompt to their applicants. This type of question gives the candidate a lot of wiggle room to discuss their passions, motivations, and career goals.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years ? This question is often used as a prompt for a career goals essay because it gives the applicant a timeline to describe their aspirations. It forces them to be realistic about where their career will be and how they will accomplish this within the next ten years.

How will this scholarship contribute to your professional success? A scholarship committee wants to be sure that the money they’re giving will contribute to a student’s overall professional success. This question asks about the applicant’s game plan in the long-term and evaluates how this program is going to assist in their future.

What is your dream job ? Since a dream job is often categorized as a person’s career goals, this is a common question phrasing in scholarship essays. Asking about a candidate’s dream job answers whether this program aligns with the student’s long-term career goals.

What matters most to you and why? Sometimes, a scholarship essay prompt won’t ask about your career or future at all. Instead, they’ll ask a question like this that assesses your motivations , values, and character.

Use these examples of career goals essays for scholarships to help write your own. Pay special attention to how they’re organized, rather than the content, to inspire your own career goals essay:

Career goals essay example 1 – Discuss your career goals

When I was six years old, I was riding bikes with my older sister around our neighborhood. She had just taught me how to ride, and I was excited to have to freedom to explore with her. When she was rounding a particularly difficult bend to see around, a car happened to be coming along at the same time. It struck her. That bike ride changed our lives forever. Over the next year, I went with my sister every Tuesday and Thursday to her physical therapist ’s appointments to help her regain walking strength. Watching her physical therapist patiently assist my sister back to becoming herself awoken something in me. A passion for helping others in the same way eventually turned into a career goal of becoming a physical therapist myself. I decided to get my bachelor’s degree in exercise science. After graduating in 2019, I knew that the next step for me was to attend a graduate program in physical therapy. I was accepted to Lassell University Master of Science in Rehabilitation Services. This presented me with my latest goal along my career path, and I’m eagerly waiting to start. This scholarship would help me afford the wonderful opportunity to be a part of the Lassell University class of 2023, allowing me to continue working towards my ultimate career goal of becoming a physical therapist and helping others to become themselves again.

Career goals essay example 2 – Where do you see yourself in ten years?

In ten years, I will have been successfully running my own construction business for about five years. I’m currently a second-year student at the University of Texas, pursuing a master’s degree in business administration. I decided to get my MBA because I knew it would be a positive asset toward my long-term career goal of owning a construction business. In my high school years, I worked as a construction apprentice for a local business. I loved many aspects of the business, such as building something from nothing. I knew that I wanted to incorporate this work into my long-term career, but I didn’t want to work as an apprentice . This led me to pursue business. In ten years and with the help of this scholarship, I will have graduated with my MBA almost a decade prior . After graduation, I plan to take a business administration internship with a carpentry business to help myself get a footing in the field. After about two years of this, I will have started my own construction business.

Career goals essay example 3 – What matters most to you and why?

The people I surround myself with matter most to me. Whether it be my relatives, friends, or professional acquaintances, I always care the most about the happiness of the people around me. Making the people around me happy matters the most to me because I truly because we find our happiness through others. I believe that this drive to make a positive impression on the people around me is what drove me towards a career as a nurse . I always thought of hospitals as places where people need someone to support them and make their day a little happier. I wanted to be one of those who spend their careers positively impacting people in need. This scholarship will enable me to finally afford nursing school and go after my dream job full force.

Career goals essay example 4 – What are your short- and long-term career goals, and how will earning this degree contribute to achieving those goals? Please provide a minimum of 200 words.

My short-term career goals involve working directly with underprivileged young people to increase the literacy rate in my community. As a student of an underfunded and understaffed school, I’ve seen firsthand how much of an impact early literacy education makes on long-term achievement. It broke my heart to see my peers embarrassed at their struggle with reading at an advanced age, and this shame added another dimension to their lack of opportunity. Being a literacy educator for young people would allow me to serve this community directly to show them not only the necessity of strong written communication skills, but the joy of reading for pleasure. This program focuses specifically on early literacy, and would provide me a direct route to a career in serving the community I hope to serve. As for long-term career goals, I hope to one day create a program where socioeconomically parents can bring their children for literacy education, not only to increase their ability to navigate the world of language, but also to instill confidence and joy in the written word. What drew me to this program was that it also has administrative, legal, and business dimensions that would set me on the path toward achieving this goal.

Here are some tips to keep in mind for writing a career goals scholarship essay:

Write about goals relevant to the scholarship. Although you may have many different kinds of goals for your personal and professional future, a scholarship essay only discusses objectives that are relevant to the program you’re applying for.

Be honest. Applying for a scholarship is stressful because the applicant’s education is usually reliant on receiving these funds in one way or another. Even though it’s tempting to exaggerate your skills or pretend you’re more passionate about something than you are to make yourself a more competitive applicant, it’s a bad move.

Use your own, unique voice. The essay portion of a scholarship application is your chance to stand out by using your voice. Nobody else, regardless of their academic or professional achievements, is you. Make this clear in your career goals scholarship essay by keeping your unique written voice engrained in the words you produce.

Be specific. A big reason that scholarship committees ask applicants to write a career goals essay is to determine how prepared they are in planning their long-term professional goals. They aren’t interested in providing a scholarship to students who aren’t going to follow through with their career plans.

Explain long and short-term goals . Even if the essay prompt asks you to describe where you see yourself in ten years, you still need to tell them the steps leading towards this picture of success.

Include the short-term goals that add up to your larger career objectives in your essay response. Explain how accomplishing the smaller goals gives you an advantage when tackling long-term ones.

Explain how the program and scholarship will help you. Before writing your career goals essay, consider how this program and scholarship will help you in your career. The answer to this question is essential.

Follow the essay formatting guidelines. This may sound obvious, but it’s surprisingly easy to forget this step when your essay is finally flowing and when you’re scrambling to get it submitted on time.

Check, double-check , and triple-check the essay guidelines for content, word count, and formatting requirements. If you miss any of these steps, your essay may be immediately disqualified no matter how good it or the rest of your application is.

Many times career goals essays are written by students who have already completed at least some college or are applying to a post-graduate program and need more money to continue.

There’s a good chance that your career goals have changed since you started or graduated college. For example, say you wanted to be an engineer , so you got your undergraduate degree in engineering but realized you didn’t like it after working in the industry for a few years.

You decided that nursing would be more up your alley, and now you’re applying for a scholarship for a nursing program. While this isn’t unusual, it can make it more difficult to write a career goals essay since your past work doesn’t necessarily match your future goals.

In this case, you’ll simply need to explain why you changed your career path and why this next one is the best choice for you. Share your decision-making process to show that you haven’t taken the switch lightly, and talk about what you’ve already done to try to pursue this path.

How do you write a career goal for a scholarship essay?

You write a career goal for a scholarship essay by sharing your passion, explaining both your long- and short-term goals, and relating your goals to the scholarship.

Explain why you want to pursue the career you’re pursuing, where you hope to be in the future and how you plan to get there, and how the scholarship will help you do this.

How do you describe your career goals in an essay?

You describe your career goals in an essay by explaining what you want to do in your career, why you decided on this career path, and what you’ve done so far to make that a reality.

You can usually work these factors into any prompt you receive, so think through them before you start writing so that you can use them as an outline of sorts.

What are career goals examples?

Examples of career goals include:

Working as a grant writer for a nonprofit organization.

Becoming a department manager and eventually an executive in your field.

Owning your own plumbing company.

Caring for underserved communities as a nurse practitioner .

What are some goals for success?

Some goals for success include growing in your role, building your network, and finding joy in the job. Most careers don’t just happen overnight and require you to set the right milestones that work best for you. Not everyone will have the same goals for success.

How do you start a career goals essay for a scholarship?

You can start a career goals essay for a scholarship by directly answering the prompt. Most scholarship prompts include a word count of between 200 and 500 words, so it’s essential that you immediately respond to the prompt. Attention-grabbing sentences and narratives can be helpful for setting the scene, but an efficient and direct answer will show a clarity of mind that helps enhance the quality of your answer.

BLS – Career planning for high schoolers

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Sky Ariella is a professional freelance writer, originally from New York. She has been featured on websites and online magazines covering topics in career, travel, and lifestyle. She received her BA in psychology from Hunter College.

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Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, and information theory) to practical disciplines (including the design and implementation of hardware and software).

The four areas of computer science are: theory of computation, algorithms and data structures, programming methodology and languages, and computer elements and architecture. CSAB also identifies fields such as software engineering, artificial intelligence, computer networking and communication, database systems, parallel computation, distributed computation, human-computer interaction, computer graphics, operating systems, and numerical and symbolic computation as being important areas of computer science.

Alan Turing (the “father of modern computing”), Tim Berners-Lee (inventor of the World Wide Web), John McCarthy, Grace Hopper, Julian Assange, Steve Wozniak, etc.

Relevant topics

• Digital Era
• Artificial Intelligence

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30 Fully-funded Computer Science Scholarships (All Levels)

In this article, we will be going through the 30 best fully-funded computer science scholarships. As always, we want our readers to be able to achieve their dreams without fear of financial cost.

If you’re a female interested in studying Computer Science, you may want to check out our article on 20 computer science scholarships for females .

However, in this article, we bring you fully-funded computer science scholarships for all levels of study, from undergraduate studies down to post-graduate levels.

Because computer science technology and systems are becoming pervasive in all aspects of modern life, graduates in this field are in great demand.

Do you want to get a degree in computer science? We have some fully-funded computer science scholarships that will help you with your finances while you focus on your education.

If you’re also interested in getting a computer science degree in the shortest possible time and with the least possible effort, you can check out our article on 2 years computer science degrees online .

We have taken the liberty to divide the fully-funded scholarships in this post into all levels of study. Without wasting much of your time, let’s get started!

Table of Contents

List of 30 best Fully-funded Computer Science Scholarships

Below is a list of fully-funded Computer Science scholarships for any level:

• Google Rise Award
• Stokes Educational Scholarship Program
• Google Lime Scholarship
• Adobe – Research Women in Technology Scholarship
• American Association of University Women
• Society of Women Engineers
• Bob Doran Undergraduate Scholarship in Computer Science
• Trudon Bursary for South African Undergraduate Students
• The University of Queensland Engineering and Computer Science Scholarships
• NIH-NIAID Emerging Leaders in Data Science Fellowship
• Mastercard Foundation/Arizona State University scholarship program For Young Africans
• Fully Funded Victoria University of Wellington Fuji Xerox Masters Scholarships in New Zealand
• Helmut Veith Stipend for Masters Students (Austria)
• Fully-Funded Industrial Ph.D. Scholarship in Computer Science at the University of Southern Denmark
• Fully Funded Women in Computer Science Scholarship in Austria
• The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Centres for Doctoral Training 4-Year Ph.D. Studentships
• Fully-funded Ph.D. Studentships in Computer Science at the University of Surrey
• Ph.D. Studentship in User-Centred Systems’ Security/Privacy at the Imperial College London
• UKRI Centre for Doctoral Training in Artificial Intelligence for Medical Diagnosis and Care at the University of Leeds
• UCL / EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Cybersecurity at the Heriot-Watt University
• Analysis and Design of Bio-Inspired Computation at the University of Sheffield
• Probabilistic Machine Learning in Climate Science at Queen Mary University of London
• HTTP version 3 for unicast delivery of video services over the Internet at the Lancaster University
• Interpretable data-driven building energy analytics at the University of Southampton
• Next-Generation Converged Digital Infrastructure (NG-CDI) at the Lancaster University
• AI4ME (BBC Prosperity Partnership) at the Lancaster University
• Coalgebraic modal logic and games at the University of Sheffield
• Design and Verification of Fault-Tolerant Distributed Systems at the University of Birmingham
• Fully Funded Ph.D. Scholarships in Computer Science at the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Italy
• Stellenbosch University DeepMind Postgraduate Scholarships for African Students .

Fully-funded Computer Science Scholarships for Any Level

#1. google rise award.

This is a fully-funded scholarship for computer science students that comes with no tuition costs. It now accepts qualified computer science students, and applicants can come from all over the world.

However, to receive the Google Rise Award, you must fulfill the prerequisites. The scholarship seeks to aid nonprofit groups all over the world.

The field of study or academic standing are not factors in the scholarship selection process. Instead, the emphasis is on supporting the teaching of computer science.

The computer science scholarship is also open to applicants from different nations. The recipients receive financial support in the range of $10,000 to $25,000.

#2. Stokes Educational Scholarship Program

The National Security Agency administers this scholarship program (NSA).

Applications for this grant are encouraged by high school students who intend to major in computer science, computer engineering, or electrical engineering.

The winning applicant will get at least $30,000 a year to help with academic costs.

Students who are given the scholarship are required to enroll full-time, keep their GPA at 3.0 or higher, and pledge to work for the NSA.

#3. Google Lime Scholarship

The main objective of the scholarship is to motivate students to pursue careers as future leaders in computing and technology.

Graduates and undergraduates of computer science can also apply for the Google Lime Scholarship.

You may apply for the Google Lime Scholarship if you plan to enroll full-time at a school in the United States or the United Kingdom.

Students studying computer science in the United States receive a $10,000 award, while Canadian students receive a $5,000 award.

Fully-funded Computer Science Scholarships for Undergraduates

#4. adobe – research women in technology scholarship.

Undergraduate female students majoring in computer science are helped by the Research Women in Technology Scholarship.

You have a chance to win $10,000 in funding as well as a one-year subscription to Adobe Cloud if you are a full-time student at any university.

Additionally, a research mentor will help you prepare for an internship at Adobe.

#5. American Association of University Women

The American Association of Universities is one of the sought-after institutions promoting equality for women and girls in education at all levels, including local, regional, and national, as a result of the concept.

Recent data shows that they have over 170,000 members and supporters outside of the continental United States, and the scholarship grant ranges from $2,000 to $20,000.

#6. Society of Women Engineers

Numerous scholarships are awarded each year to deserving candidates or students. You are eligible for the scholarship if you have completed high school or are a first-year student studying computer science.

Recipients are selected based on a variety of factors which includes:

• Very high CGPA
• leadership abilities, volunteerism, extracurricular activities, and work experience
• Essay for scholarships
• Two recommendation letters, etc.

#7. Bob Doran Undergraduate Scholarship in Computer Science

This fellowship supports undergraduate students in their finals who want to continue their postgraduate studies in computer science.

It was exclusively founded by the University of Auckland.

To be eligible for a $5,000 financial reward, you must have exceptional academic performance.

The applicant must be a final-year computer science student.

#8. Trudon Bursary for South African Undergraduate Students 

This fully-funded scholarship is only open to second and third-year undergraduate students from South Africa and India.

The scholarship provides job opportunities to help students who are studying computer science.

If you’re fortunate enough to receive one of their scholarships, you’ll have access to a book allowance, free housing, and money for tuition.

#9. The University of Queensland Engineering and Computer Science Scholarships

Applications for the University of Queensland Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Scholarships are now being accepted for qualified individuals.

Both local applicants who have passed Year 12 and international applicants with an equivalent level of education are eligible to apply to the program.

Both local and foreign students are eligible for the University of Queensland Electrical and Computer Science Scholarships if they wish to enroll in a degree program at the University.

Fully-funded Computer Science Scholarships for Graduates

#10. nih-niaid emerging leaders in data science fellowship.

Only Americans who have earned their master’s degrees within five years of the appointment start date are eligible for the scholarship.

The scholarship was established to produce a wide pool of outstanding data scientists.

This is for you to have a respectable career in the field of bioinformatics and data science if you have a strong interest in those areas.

The various perks that beneficiaries often receive include a stipend that ranges from $67,500 to $85,000 per year, 100% health insurance, a travel allowance of $60,000, and a training allowance of $3,5000.

#11. Mastercard Foundation/Arizona State University 2021 scholarship program For Young Africans

Arizona State University and the Mastercard Foundation will collaborate to offer graduate scholarships for 25 Mastercard Foundation alumni to pursue master’s degrees in a variety of fields over the next three years (2022–2025).

There are 5 scholarships available to students, which will pay for their entire tuition, housing costs, and all other costs associated with their 2-year graduate program.

In addition to receiving financial aid, Scholars will take part in leadership training, one-on-one mentoring, and other activities as part of the larger Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at Arizona State University.

#12. Fully Funded Victoria University of Wellington Fuji Xerox Masters Scholarships in New Zealand

The University of Wellington is offering this scholarship, which has a Full Funding value of NZD 25,000 to cover tuition and stipend.

This scholarship is available to All citizens.

Fuji Xerox Masters Scholarships in New Zealand are being made available by Victoria University of Wellington to support master’s students in computer science if the suggested topic has commercial potential.

#13. Helmut Veith Stipend for Masters Students (Austria)

The Helmut Veith Stipend is given each year to deserving female computer science students who are enrolled in or intend to enroll in one of the English-taught master’s programs in computer science at TU Wien.

The Helmut Veith Stipend honours an exceptional computer scientist who worked in the areas of software engineering, computer-aided verification, logic in computer science, and computer security.

Fully-funded Computer Science Scholarships for Post Graduates

#14. fully-funded industrial ph.d. scholarship in computer science at the university of southern denmark.

Orifarm collaboration with the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) is offering an industrial Ph.D. grant in Computer Science.

The winner will be given a fulfilling and difficult position at an organization that strives for quality in collaboration with individuals who bring fresh concepts and perspectives.

The candidates will work with Orifarm while also enrolled as Ph.D. candidates at the Faculty of Engineering at SDU.

#15. Fully Funded Women in Computer Science Scholarship in Austria

The Helmut Veith stipend is provided each year for female students.

The purpose of the program is to encourage female applicants in the fields of computer science. Applicants who wish to study or aim to peruse their master’s degree in computer science and those who meet the requirements are highly encouraged to apply.

This program is fully funded and will be taught in English.

#16. The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Centres for Doctoral Training 4-Year Ph.D. Studentships

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) invests more than £800 million annually in a wide range of fields, from information technology to structural engineering and from mathematics to materials science.

Students complete a 4-year Ph.D. program, with the first year giving them the chance to learn about their research topic, establish significant expertise in their “home” subject, and get the abilities and knowledge necessary to successfully bridge disciplinary gaps.

#17. Fully-funded Ph.D. Studentships in Computer Science at the University of Surrey

To support its research, the Department of Computer Science at the University of Surrey is providing up to 20 fully supported Ph.D. studentships (at UK rates).

For 3.5 years (or 7 years at 50% time), studentships are offered in the following research fields: artificial intelligence, machine learning, distributed and concurrent systems, cybersecurity and encryption, etc.

Successful candidates will join a thriving Ph.D. community and profit from the Department’s robust research environment and high level of worldwide recognition.

#18. Ph.D. Studentship in User-Centred Systems’ Security/Privacy at the Imperial College London

This Ph.D. program is focused on user-centered systems research.

As a Ph.D. student, you will join the exciting new Imperial-X program and work with faculty members, postdoctoral researchers, and Ph.D. students in the Computing and I-X departments.

The best applicants for the Ph.D. studentship will be those who are interested in systems/networks research and already have experience in it, particularly in areas like the Internet of Things, mobile systems, systems privacy/security, applied machine learning, and/or trusted execution environments.

#19. UKRI Centre for Doctoral Training in Artificial Intelligence for Medical Diagnosis and Care at the University of Leeds

#20. ucl / epsrc centre for doctoral training (cdt) in cybersecurity at the heriot-watt university.

The next generation of cybersecurity experts in academia, business, and the government will be developed through the UCL EPSRC-sponsored Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Cybersecurity, which offers a four-year fully-funded Ph.D. program across disciplines.

These experts will be highly trained professionals who operate across fields and can bring together research and practice that crosses conventional boundaries.

#21. Analysis and Design of Bio-Inspired Computation at the University of Sheffield

Applications are being accepted for a fully-funded Ph.D. studentship that will focus on the analysis and design of widely used heuristic search techniques at the core of artificial intelligence, such as evolutionary algorithms, genetic algorithms, ant colony optimization, and artificial immune systems.

This studentship will pay for three and a half years’ worth of tuition at the UK rate as well as a tax-free stipend at the UK rate. Applications from international students are accepted.

#22. Probabilistic Machine Learning in Climate Science at Queen Mary University of London

Applications are being accepted for a complete Ph.D. grant to study probabilistic machine learning in the field of climatology.

This Ph.D. studentship is a component of a project that intends to deliver high-fidelity localized probabilistic climate projections that are essential for many societal activities, such as attribution and detection of climate change, management of the energy system, public health, and agricultural production.

The minimum requirements for applicants are a first-class honours degree, its equivalent, or an MSc in physics, applied mathematics, computer sciences, Earth sciences, or a closely connected discipline.

#23. Fully-funded Scholarship to study HTTP version 3 for unicast delivery of video services over the Internet at the Lancaster University

At Lancaster University’s School of Computing & Communications, a fully-funded Ph.D. iCASE studentship that covers tuition and an improved stipend is available.

British Telecom (BT) is funding the studentship, which will be co-supervised by Lancaster University and BT.

You will possess a first- or second-class (Hons) degree in computer science (or a closely connected topic), a master’s degree (or its equivalent) in an associated engineering or scientific field, or comparable specialized experience.

#24. Interpretable data-driven building energy analytics at the University of Southampton

Applications are being accepted for a fully-funded Ph.D. studentship focused on building energy analytics driven by data.

The Ph.D. candidate will join a top-tier research group housed at the Sustainable Energy Research Group (SERG) at the University of Southampton, which is ranked among the top 100 universities in the world.

The University of Southampton provides funding for the Ph.D. studentship.

#25. Next-Generation Converged Digital Infrastructure (NG-CDI) at the Lancaster University

Candidates interested in joining the BT partnership NG-CDI at Lancaster University’s School of Computing & Communications can apply for a fully supported Ph.D. studentship that covers tuition and an extra stipend. To be eligible for this scholarship, you must have a first-class, 2.1 (Hons), master’s, or equivalent degree in a relevant field.

This Ph.D. studentship includes a contribution toward travel expenses for presenting your research at national and international conferences, UK university tuition fees for 3.5 years, and an upgraded maintenance stipend that is tax-free up to £17,000 annually.

International students from the EU and elsewhere are eligible for student loans.

#26. AI4ME (BBC Prosperity Partnership) at the Lancaster University

Candidates interested in joining Lancaster University’s School of Computing & Communications’ BBC partnership “AI4ME” can apply for fully supported Ph.D. studentships that cover tuition and stipend.

To be eligible for this fully funded scholarship, you must have a first-class, 2.1 (Hons), master’s, or equivalent degree in a relevant field.

This Ph.D. studentship includes payment toward travel expenses for presenting your research at national and international conferences, a tax-free maintenance allowance of up to £15,609 per year, and UK university tuition for 3.5 years.

#14. Coalgebraic modal logic and games at the University of Sheffield

An entirely financed Ph.D. position is available at the University of Sheffield intersection of category theory, program semantics, and logic.

Strongly interested master’s students in mathematics or computer science are especially encouraged to apply.

The minimum requirement for applicants is an MSc (or comparable graduate degree) in computer science or mathematics.

If English is not your native tongue, you must have an overall IELTS score of 6.5 and a minimum of 6.0 in each section.

#15. Design and Verification of Fault-Tolerant Distributed Systems at the University of Birmingham

At the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom, the School of Computer Science has a vacant Ph.D. job that is completely supported.

The Ph.D. candidate’s research will focus on issues surrounding the formal verification and/or design of distributed systems, mainly fault-tolerant distributed systems like those found in blockchain technology.

Students who are generally interested in these subjects are urged to apply.

An undergraduate degree with First or Upper Second Class Honors and/or a postgraduate degree with Distinction (or an international equivalent).

#16. Fully Funded Ph.D. Scholarships in Computer Science at the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Italy

Fully financed Ph.D. scholarships in computer science are available to 21 persons at the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano.

They encompass a variety of computer science epistemologies, ideas, approaches, and applications.

Studies of theoretical AI, applications of data science and machine learning, all the way up to the creation of cutting-edge user interfaces, and important user research are among the topics covered.

#17. Stellenbosch University DeepMind Postgraduate Scholarships for African Students

Students from all over sub-Saharan Africa who want to study machine learning research can apply for this scholarship.

The DeepMind Scholarship program provides deserving students, particularly women and members of underrepresented groups in machine learning, with the financial aid they require to attend top colleges.

Fees are fully covered, and DeepMind mentors offer beneficiaries advice and assistance.

The scholarships pay students tuition, health insurance, housing, daily expenses, and the opportunity to attend international conferences.

Additionally, recipients will gain from the mentorship of DeepMind researchers.

Frequently Asked Questions on Fully-funded Computer Science Scholarships

Is it possible to get a fully funded computer science scholarship.

Of course, it is very possible to get a fully-funded computer science scholarship. Several opportunities have been given in this article.

What are the requirements for a fully-funded computer science Scholarship?

The requirements for a fully-funded computer science scholarship may differ from one scholarship to another. However, there are some requirements common among these types of scholarships: Curriculum Vitae Cover Letter Motivation letter outlining the student's goals for enrolling in the program. examination results summaries (transcripts) certificates and/or diplomas (first degree, bachelor's degree, or higher). Names and numbers of the referees (for letters of recommendation) English proficiency certification (TOEFL or similar) Photocopies of your Passport.

Are there fully-funded computer science scholarships available to African students?

Yes, there are a lot of fully-funded scholarships open to African students to study computer science. One popular fully-funded scholarship is the Stellenbosch University DeepMind Postgraduate Scholarships for African Students.

Are there fully-funded scholarships for Ph.D. students?

Yes, these types of scholarships exist. However, most of them require the student to pick an area of specialization in computer sciences.

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This brings us to the end of this interesting article, we hope you were able to find some value here. Why not also check out our article on some of the best universities in the world to study computer science .

If any of the scholarships above interest you, we have provided links to the official website for more information.

All the best, Scholars!

© World Scholars Hub 2023

25 Scholarships for Aspiring Computer Science Students

Tech and computer science scholarships are plentiful, and varied. If a well qualified student runs down the list of all applicable scholarship, he or she is bound to find some relief to today’s high price of education. Here are 25 computer science scholarships we found particularly interesting and relevant.

1. AFCEA Distance Learning Scholarship

This scholarship awards $2,000 to outstanding computer science majors enrolled full time at an online learning institution. The best applicants are selected for this award.

Link 2. Education-Portal.com Scholarship

This annual scholarship of $1,000 is awarded to an outstanding student with a minimum 3.0 high school grade point average seeking a degree in Computer Science or Computer Engineering.

3.AACE International Competitive Scholarships

This scholarship is open to freshmen students pursuing a degree in computer engineering and computer sciences. Must be in good academic standing with a minimum 3.0 grade point average.

4. VADM Samuel L. Gravely, Jr. Memorial Scholarship

This minority scholarship is open to full-time college students pursuing a degree in computer science. This $5000 award is for top achieving students at an accredited Historically Black College in the United States.

5. Intel International Science and Engineering Fair

Held annually in Washington, D.C., this fair is open to high school students in grades 9 through 12. Top students are invited to attend to compete for more than four million dollars in annual scholarships.

6. The HP Scholar Program

The HP Scholar Program is a partnership between UCLA, University of Washington, San Jose State, Morgan State, and North Carolina, A&T. This $4000 annual scholarship program is open to outstanding minority students pursuing a bachelor of science degree in computer science.

7. The Paul and Ellen Ruckes Scholarship

This $1,000 scholarship is awarded to a legally blind and academically gifted student majoring in computer science through the American Foundation for the Blind.

8. Northrop Grumman Foundation Scholarship

Open to high school seniors, this $5000 scholarship is awarded to students enrolling in computer science. Applicants must have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher.

9. $1,000 GPA isn’t Everything Scholarship

This scholarship is awarded to a well rounded student who may not have obtained a high grade point average in high school but wishes to enroll in college full time in a computer science field.

10. $2000 “No Essay” Scholarship

College Prowler offers this $2000 scholarship to students seeking to avoid completing an essay for a scholarship. It is available to computer science majors and anyone entering a four year college. Applicants are drawn at random.

11. Electronic Document Systems Foundation Scholarship Awards

Awards of up to $5,000 are given to students pursing a career in the production of documents. Scholarships are also awarded to freshman and transfer students in the United States and Canada.

12. Admiral Grace Murray Hopper Memorial Scholarships

This $1,500 scholarship is awarded to females enrolled at an accredited engineering or computer science college with a grade point average of 3.5 or higher.

13. Lambeth Family Scholarship

Students must be enrolled in a degree program in computer science or other science field. The strongest applicants are awarded $3,000 in scholarships.

14. Joseph P. and Helen T. Cribbins Scholarship

This $2000 scholarship is awarded to active duty military or honorably discharged enlisted soldiers in the U.S. Army. Applicants must be accepted at an accredited university for computer engineering. Top applicants are selected for scholarships.

15. $100,000 Intel Science Talent Search

This scholarship is awarded to entrants selected by a panel of professionals and determined to be the most promising applicant in a field of science, including computer science.

16. $15,000 UC Edison International Scholarship Program

Awarded to outstanding community college transfer students who intend to complete a four year degree in computer science at a university.

17. $10,000 SWE Scholarship Program

Awarded to promising female high school freshmen with a minimum 3.0 grade point average who plan to major in the computer science field.

18. $2,000 Alice L. Haltom Educational Fund.

This scholarship is awarded to the most deserving applicants enrolled in a two year or four year college to assist them in completing a four year degree.

19. $1,000 XEROX Technical Minority Scholarship

This scholarship is awarded to the best minority applicants in a field of technology. High school seniors with a 3.0 grade point average are encouraged to apply.

20. Pitney-Bowes Scholarship

Awarded to the top high school seniors entering college into the field of computer science. Applicants must demonstrate financial need.

21. GET-IT Student Scholarship

Awards of $1,000 are given to high school seniors with a 2.5 grade point average who plan to major in computer sciences.

22. $5,000 HSF/Qualcomm Q Awards Scholarship

Awarded to outstanding Hispanic students who are accepted to a California university and major in science and technology.

23. Free Textbooks for Freshman Scholarship $1,000

This cash for textbooks scholarship is awarded to the best four freshman applicants who demonstrate financial need.

24. $5,000 Verizon Scholarship

Verizon awards scholarships to top freshman applicants to study technology and computer science.

25. Rockwell Collins Scholarship $2,250

This scholarship is awarded to the most promising freshmen entering college in a field of science.

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The CS Professional Masters Diversity Scholarship was created to advance the Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science’s commitment to access, equity, justice, and inclusion, and to enhance the diversity of the Computer Science Master of Engineering Program’s student population. These scholarships are available on a competitive basis to nominated students applying for fall admission who are U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, or students holding DACA, TPS, refugee, or asylee status. Applicants for fall will be able to indicate they are interested in being considered for the scholarship on the application.

The "Personal Statement" required for all applicants will serve as the scholarship essay.

If you wish to be considered for the CS Professional Masters Diversity Scholarship, your essay should explain how your unique background and experiences influenced your decision and ability to pursue a graduate degree. Additionally, provide insights into your potential to contribute to Cornell University’s core value to provide a community of inclusion, belonging, and respect where scholars representing diverse backgrounds, perspectives, abilities, and experiences can learn and work productively and positively together. Within your statement, you may also include relevant information on any of the following:

• How your personal, academic, and/or professional experiences demonstrate your ability to be both persistent and resilient especially when navigating challenging circumstances.
• How you have engaged with others and facilitated and/or participated in productive teams.
• How you have come to understand the barriers faced by others whose experiences and backgrounds may differ from your own.
• If relevant, how your academic interests focus on issues related to diversity, inclusion, access, inequality, and/or equity.
• Details on your service and/or leadership in efforts to advance diversity, inclusion, access, and equity, especially for those from backgrounds historically underrepresented and/or marginalized.
• Additional context on any significant barriers you have navigated to make graduate education accessible to you.
• Contextual details on any perceived gaps or weaknesses in your academic record.

Within the personal statement, you may also provide details of lessons learned from any of your lived experiences including but not limited to:

• being a first-generation college student or graduate (no parent/guardian completed a baccalaureate degree)
• racial, ethnic, and/or cultural background(s)
• managing a disability or chronic health condition
• experiencing housing, food, economic, and/or other forms of significant insecurity
• being a solo parent
• gender identity and/or sexual orientation
• having served in the military
• holding DACA, refugee, TPS, or asylee status

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Free Computer Science Essay Samples

157 samples on this topic

Nowadays, you can often hear that computer science is the science of the future – and it's extremely hard to disagree with that. This is probably the first argument that rings the bell when you are about to write a 'Why I chose computer science' essay for application or scholarship purposes.

Understanding that the aforementioned field is of great interest in terms of professional perspectives, as well as long-term life and career goals, is one thing. But ensuring consistent academic performance while you study this sophisticated subject is totally another. Besides robust tech skills, it also requires a lot of writing, including extended essays on computer science. This is where WowEssays.com directory of free college sample papers can come in handy.

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Universities Have a Computer-Science Problem

The case for teaching coders to speak French

Listen to this article

Produced by ElevenLabs and News Over Audio (NOA) using AI narration.

Updated at 5:37 p.m. ET on March 22, 2024

Last year, 18 percent of Stanford University seniors graduated with a degree in computer science, more than double the proportion of just a decade earlier. Over the same period at MIT, that rate went up from 23 percent to 42 percent . These increases are common everywhere: The average number of undergraduate CS majors at universities in the U.S. and Canada tripled in the decade after 2005, and it keeps growing . Students’ interest in CS is intellectual—culture moves through computation these days—but it is also professional. Young people hope to access the wealth, power, and influence of the technology sector.

That ambition has created both enormous administrative strain and a competition for prestige. At Washington University in St. Louis, where I serve on the faculty of the Computer Science & Engineering department, each semester brings another set of waitlists for enrollment in CS classes. On many campuses, students may choose to study computer science at any of several different academic outposts, strewn throughout various departments. At MIT, for example, they might get a degree in “Urban Studies and Planning With Computer Science” from the School of Architecture, or one in “Mathematics With Computer Science” from the School of Science, or they might choose from among four CS-related fields within the School of Engineering. This seepage of computing throughout the university has helped address students’ booming interest, but it also serves to bolster their demand.

Another approach has gained in popularity. Universities are consolidating the formal study of CS into a new administrative structure: the college of computing. MIT opened one in 2019. Cornell set one up in 2020. And just last year, UC Berkeley announced that its own would be that university’s first new college in more than half a century. The importance of this trend—its significance for the practice of education, and also of technology—must not be overlooked. Universities are conservative institutions, steeped in tradition. When they elevate computing to the status of a college, with departments and a budget, they are declaring it a higher-order domain of knowledge and practice, akin to law or engineering. That decision will inform a fundamental question: whether computing ought to be seen as a superfield that lords over all others, or just a servant of other domains, subordinated to their interests and control. This is, by no happenstance, also the basic question about computing in our society writ large.

When I was an undergraduate at the University of Southern California in the 1990s, students interested in computer science could choose between two different majors: one offered by the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, and one from the School of Engineering. The two degrees were similar, but many students picked the latter because it didn’t require three semesters’ worth of study of a (human) language, such as French. I chose the former, because I like French.

An American university is organized like this, into divisions that are sometimes called colleges , and sometimes schools . These typically enjoy a good deal of independence to define their courses of study and requirements as well as research practices for their constituent disciplines. Included in this purview: whether a CS student really needs to learn French.

The positioning of computer science at USC was not uncommon at the time. The first academic departments of CS had arisen in the early 1960s, and they typically evolved in one of two ways: as an offshoot of electrical engineering (where transistors got their start), housed in a college of engineering; or as an offshoot of mathematics (where formal logic lived), housed in a college of the arts and sciences. At some universities, including USC, CS found its way into both places at once.

The contexts in which CS matured had an impact on its nature, values, and aspirations. Engineering schools are traditionally the venue for a family of professional disciplines, regulated with licensure requirements for practice. Civil engineers, mechanical engineers, nuclear engineers, and others are tasked to build infrastructure that humankind relies on, and they are expected to solve problems. The liberal-arts field of mathematics, by contrast, is concerned with theory and abstraction. The relationship between the theoretical computer scientists in mathematics and the applied ones in engineers is a little like the relationship between biologists and doctors, or physicists and bridge builders. Keeping applied and pure versions of a discipline separate allows each to focus on its expertise, but limits the degree to which one can learn from the other.

Read: Programmers, stop calling yourself engineers

By the time I arrived at USC, some universities had already started down a different path. In 1988, Carnegie Mellon University created what it says was one of the first dedicated schools of computer science. Georgia Institute of Technology followed two years later. “Computing was going to be a big deal,” says Charles Isbell, a former dean of Georgia Tech’s college of computing and now the provost at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Emancipating the field from its prior home within the college of engineering gave it room to grow, he told me. Within a decade, Georgia Tech had used this structure to establish new research and teaching efforts in computer graphics, human-computer interaction, and robotics. (I spent 17 years on the faculty there, working for Isbell and his predecessors, and teaching computational media.)

Kavita Bala, Cornell University’s dean of computing, told me that the autonomy and scale of a college allows her to avoid jockeying for influence and resources. MIT’s computing dean, Daniel Huttenlocher, says that the speed at which computing evolves justifies the new structure.

But the computing industry isn’t just fast-moving. It’s also reckless. Technology tycoons say they need space for growth, and warn that too much oversight will stifle innovation. Yet we might all be better off, in certain ways, if their ambitions were held back even just a little. Instead of operating with a deep understanding or respect for law, policy, justice, health, or cohesion, tech firms tend to do whatever they want . Facebook sought growth at all costs, even if its take on connecting people tore society apart . If colleges of computing serve to isolate young, future tech professionals from any classrooms where they might imbibe another school’s culture and values—engineering’s studied prudence, for example, or the humanities’ focus on deliberation—this tendency might only worsen.

Read: The moral failure of computer scientists

When I raised this concern with Isbell, he said that the same reasoning could apply to any influential discipline, including medicine and business. He’s probably right, but that’s cold comfort. The mere fact that universities allow some other powerful fiefdoms to exist doesn’t make computing’s centralization less concerning. Isbell admitted that setting up colleges of computing “absolutely runs the risk” of empowering a generation of professionals who may already be disengaged from consequences to train the next one in their image. Inside a computing college, there may be fewer critics around who can slow down bad ideas. Disengagement might redouble. But he said that dedicated colleges could also have the opposite effect. A traditional CS department in a school of engineering would be populated entirely by computer scientists, while the faculty for a college of computing like the one he led at Georgia Tech might also house lawyers, ethnographers, psychologists, and even philosophers like me. Huttenlocher repeatedly emphasized that the role of the computing college is to foster collaboration between CS and other disciplines across the university. Bala told me that her college was established not to teach CS on its own but to incorporate policy, law, sociology, and other fields into its practice. “I think there are no downsides,” she said.

Mark Guzdial is a former faculty member in Georgia Tech’s computing college, and he now teaches computer science in the University of Michigan’s College of Engineering. At Michigan, CS wasn’t always housed in engineering—Guzdial says it started out inside the philosophy department, as part of the College of Literature, Science and the Arts. Now that college “wants it back,” as one administrator told Guzdial. Having been asked to start a program that teaches computing to liberal-arts students, Guzdial has a new perspective on these administrative structures. He learned that Michigan’s Computer Science and Engineering program and its faculty are “despised” by their counterparts in the humanities and social sciences. “They’re seen as arrogant, narrowly focused on machines rather than people, and unwilling to meet other programs’ needs,” he told me. “I had faculty refuse to talk to me because I was from CSE.”

In other words, there may be downsides just to placing CS within an engineering school, let alone making it an independent college. Left entirely to themselves, computer scientists can forget that computers are supposed to be tools that help people. Georgia Tech’s College of Computing worked “because the culture was always outward-looking. We sought to use computing to solve others’ problems,” Guzdial said. But that may have been a momentary success. Now, at Michigan, he is trying to rebuild computing education from scratch, for students in fields such as French and sociology. He wants them to understand it as a means of self-expression or achieving justice—and not just a way of making software, or money.

Early in my undergraduate career, I decided to abandon CS as a major. Even as an undergraduate, I already had a side job in what would become the internet industry, and computer science, as an academic field, felt theoretical and unnecessary. Reasoning that I could easily get a job as a computer professional no matter what it said on my degree, I decided to study other things while I had the chance.

I have a strong memory of processing the paperwork to drop my computer-science major in college, in favor of philosophy. I walked down a quiet, blue-tiled hallway of the engineering building. All the faculty doors were closed, although the click-click of mechanical keyboards could be heard behind many of them. I knocked on my adviser’s door; she opened it, silently signed my paperwork without inviting me in, and closed the door again. The keyboard tapping resumed.

The whole experience was a product of its time, when computer science was a field composed of oddball characters, working by themselves, and largely disconnected from what was happening in the world at large. Almost 30 years later, their projects have turned into the infrastructure of our daily lives. Want to find a job? That’s LinkedIn. Keep in touch? Gmail, or Instagram. Get news? A website like this one, we hope, but perhaps TikTok. My university uses a software service sold by a tech company to run its courses. Some things have been made easier with computing. Others have been changed to serve another end, like scaling up an online business.

Read: So much for ‘learn to code’

The struggle to figure out the best organizational structure for computing education is, in a way, a microcosm of the struggle under way in the computing sector at large. For decades, computers were tools used to accomplish tasks better and more efficiently. Then computing became the way we work and live. It became our culture, and we began doing what computers made possible, rather than using computers to solve problems defined outside their purview. Tech moguls became famous, wealthy, and powerful. So did CS academics (relatively speaking). The success of the latter—in terms of rising student enrollments, research output, and fundraising dollars—both sustains and justifies their growing influence on campus.

If computing colleges have erred, it may be in failing to exert their power with even greater zeal. For all their talk of growth and expansion within academia, the computing deans’ ambitions seem remarkably modest. Martial Hebert, the dean of Carnegie Mellon’s computing school, almost sounded like he was talking about the liberal arts when he told me that CS is “a rich tapestry of disciplines” that “goes far beyond computers and coding.” But the seven departments in his school correspond to the traditional, core aspects of computing plus computational biology. They do not include history, for example, or finance. Bala and Isbell talked about incorporating law, policy, and psychology into their programs of study, but only in the form of hiring individual professors into more traditional CS divisions. None of the deans I spoke with aspires to launch, say, a department of art within their college of computing, or one of politics, sociology, or film. Their vision does not reflect the idea that computing can or should be a superordinate realm of scholarship, on the order of the arts or engineering. Rather, they are proceeding as though it were a technical school for producing a certain variety of very well-paid professionals. A computing college deserving of the name wouldn’t just provide deeper coursework in CS and its closely adjacent fields; it would expand and reinvent other, seemingly remote disciplines for the age of computation.

Near the end of our conversation, Isbell mentioned the engineering fallacy, which he summarized like this: Someone asks you to solve a problem, and you solve it without asking if it’s a problem worth solving. I used to think computing education might be stuck in a nesting-doll version of the engineer’s fallacy, in which CS departments have been asked to train more software engineers without considering whether more software engineers are really what the world needs. Now I worry that they have a bigger problem to address: how to make computer people care about everything else as much as they care about computers.

This article originally mischaracterized the views of MIT’s computing dean, Daniel Huttenlocher. He did not say that computer science would be held back in an arts-and-science or engineering context, or that it needs to be independent.

Computer Science Awards And Scholarships

Thanks to our generous sponsors and supporters, every year the Department of Computer Science offers a collection of awards and scholarships to computer science undergraduates.

Jan 30, 2024

• Alumni Award
• Bhupinder Kaur Basran Memorial Scholarship
• J.P. Tremblay Book Prize
• Calian, Advanced Technologies Scholarships
• Women in Computer Science Scholarship
• zu Award in Leadership and Innovation in Technology
• Rahat Yasir Award for Diversity and Inclusion
• The Debra Lawrence Scholarship
• James E. Greer Teaching, Learning, and Technology Undergraduate Research Prize
• Linda Carmichael Recognition Award for Women in Computational Sciences
• Dr. Rick Bunt Prize in Computer Systems

These awards support students in various years of study and interest. All students are encouraged to apply to the Department to be considered for an award(s). The deadline to apply (where required) is Saturday, March 16, 2024 .

Please note that equity-based awards will require verification.

Complete details and application requirements are outlined our  website .

Upcoming Seminar: "Computational Agriculture: An Opportunity for Saskatchewan"

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