The Best Scholarships for Women You Need to Know About
Updated: June 19, 2024
Published: March 11, 2019
Here are some of the best scholarships for women you need to know about as a female pursuing your higher education.
The ability to afford college should not stop anyone from applying, and if you’re a woman pursuing higher education, these are the best scholarships for women you need to know about! Scholarships provide students with essentially free money to afford their education, as opposed to a loan that needs to be paid back, often with interest.
Did you know that around the world there are more women applying to university than men? For example, in the UK, women are 36% more likely to apply to college than their male counterparts. This trend is being seen in other countries like Argentina, Cuba, and Panama, to name a few. Additionally, in the United States, women are more likely to earn their bachelor’s degree than men. While there is no single reason why this trend is occuring, it’s providing valuable benefits for individuals and countries alike.
A woman’s education is important for herself, as well as for her country and the world. On the whole, countries that support and prioritize women’s education experience more safety, higher GDP and lower poverty rates. These are just a few reasons why female-specific scholarships exist.
Let’s begin by taking a look at some of the best scholarships that are specifically dedicated to advance women’s education, and then we can explore alternative solutions for affordable higher education.
Source: Unsplash
The Best Scholarships for Women
GoGirl Grant
To date, the GoGirl grant has supported over 147 local women with more than $500,000 in awarded grants.
| University | Any institution in the Coachella Valley, CA |
| Award Amount | Varies based on need |
| Eligibility | Applicants must be at least 25 years old, show financial need, and be pursuing a four-year degree or occupational certificate. Must currently be enrolled in at least two classes and live in the Coachella Valley, CA. |
| Requirements |
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| Deadline | Applications are reviewed and processed in January and July. They are due by the 15th of December and June, respectively. |
Jeanette Rankin Women’s Scholarship Fund
| University | Any accredited, non-profit, regional institution |
| Award Amount | Varies based on need |
| Eligibility | Female ages 35 or older, low-income, U.S. citizen or permanent resident, pursuing a vocational/technical education, associate degree or first bachelor’s, enrolled in or accepted to a non-profit accredited institution |
| Requirements |
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| Deadline | March 1, 2019 |
Patsy Takemoto Mink Education Foundation
| University | Any accredited, non-profit institution in the U.S. |
| Award Amount | Up to $5,000 to women with children pursuing their education |
| Eligibility | Female at least 17 years old, enrolled or accepted to a non-profit, accredited institution, pursuing a vocational/technical degree, associate degree, first bachelor’s degree, or master’s/doctoral degree, must be low-income |
| Requirements: Awards are based on: |
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| Deadline | Information for 2019 available in late spring |
Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship
| University | Institutions where a Zonta International Club is located |
| Award Amount | Offers 32 scholarships at $2,000 US for regional level and 6 international scholarships for $8,000 US |
| Eligibility | Women of any age, must be pursuing a business or business-related degree, and living or studying in a Zonta region, must be enrolled in at least the second term of their undergraduate degree |
| Requirements |
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| Deadline | Applications open in January and are due in July |
AAUW International Fellowships
| University | Accredited American graduate and undergraduate institutions |
| Award Amount | $18,000 (Master’s/first professional degree), $20,000 (Doctoral degree), $30,000 (Postdoctoral) |
| Eligibility | Women who are not U.S. residents, pursuing graduate or postgraduate studies at an accredited U.S. institution |
| Requirements |
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| Deadline | Application is open August 1 – November 15 |
Adobe Research Women-in-Technology Scholarship
| University | Undergraduate and graduate programs around the world |
| Award Amount | $10,000, 1-year Creative Cloud subscription, Adobe Research mentor, Interview at Adobe |
| Eligibility | Currently enrolled female student in an undergraduate or master’s program, majoring in Computer Science, Engineering or related field, not have a relative working for Adobe, demonstrate academic excellence |
| Requirements |
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| Deadline | November |
Botari Women’s Scholarship Fund
| University | University of the People |
| Award Amount | Cost of 10 assessment fees |
| Eligibility | Must be a Brazilian woman pursuing an associate degree at University of the People |
| Requirements |
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| Deadline | Rolling |
Whether you’ve found a scholarship that meets your needs and eligibility requirements above or not, here’s an extended list of more scholarships geared towards women.
Source: Unsplash
Additional Considerations
Scholarships are by nature competitive. As thousands of applicants pursue the award of “free money,” scholarships are not the only way to afford a university education.
Affording college shouldn’t stop anyone from being able to go. This is true for all people, regardless of race, sex, gender, political affiliation, etc. If affording college feels like a barrier, especially since the cost of education continues to rise, there are options like tuition-free universities.
For example, University of the People believes in providing education that is accessible, affordable and high quality — and it is able to do so through a tuition-free model. University of the People offers 100% online and US accredited degree programs for people all around the world, as long as an internet connection is possible.
With four degree offerings, including Computer Science, Health Science, Education and Business Administration, UoPeople programs are offered at a fraction of the cost from traditional universities. To demonstrate, it’s possible to earn your Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science for just about $4,000 total. With tuition-free education, the only fees that are required are the one time $60 application fee and assessment fees of $100 per course. If applicants are unable to afford these fees, the application fee can be waived and there are many scholarships available to cover assessment fees including female specific scholarships such as the Botari Women’s Scholarship Fund.
Like the global trends depict, UoPeople has a majority of female students enrolled as well, at about 54%. With students representing over 200 countries and territories, the diversity of the degree programs’ student body is just one unparalleled factor in setting the institution apart.
Knowledge is power, and with more education comes innovation, tolerance and new solutions to old problems. By empowering women to enroll in university, scholarships for women and tuition-free universities alike are quite literally helping to change the world for the better!
Thinking about pursuing your degree? Take a look at UoPeople’s degree programs and apply today!