Seeking financial help for computer science programs? There is money out there, ranging from financial aid for computer degrees, computer scholarships, and more. You just need to know where to look.
Where Do I Start?
As with any discipline, the place to start your computer science financial aid search is with the federal government. Whether you are preparing for an undergraduate or graduate computer science program, you’ll need to complete the FAFSA, which will determine the types and amount of federal aid for which you qualify. Federal aid includes grants, work-study awards, and loans, and believe it or not, it’s the largest single source of available aid, and the best source of financial help for computer science degrees. To get your share, complete the FAFSA as soon as possible after January 1 of the year in which you intend to enroll.
What About Grants and Scholarships?
Beyond federal aid, we enter into the terrain of grants and computer scholarships, a potentially lucrative, though often competitive, source of aid for computer science students. Use your computer skills and start searching. . . now! A bevy of online scholarship search engines are literally at your fingertips; use them. Also try entering terms such as “computer science scholarships” or “computer science awards” into a search engine. If you are looking to study in a particular state, use that information in your search as well. You never know what you might find.
At the national level, many corporations, including Microsoft, award scholarships to bright young computer science students. In fact, Microsoft earmarked half-a-million dollars for 2006-07! Local and national businesses are also good scholarship sources. Check with your parents or the guidance office of your high school or college to learn more about corporate or workplace-based sources of funding for computer degrees.
In a field of study still perceived as male dominated, unique financial aid opportunities also abound for women eager to flex their tech-savvy in a computer science or IT program at a postsecondary institution. CRAW, or the Committee on the Status of Women in Computing Research, provides a good list of awards and computer scholarships, from multiple sources, that are earmarked for women in computer science.
When seeking financial aid, don’t overlook your school as a potential source. Many computer science, IT, and computer engineering programs award merit-based scholarships to their most promising undergraduate and graduate students. (Some of these awards are underwritten by organizations such as the National Science Foundation.) Need-based awards are often available as well.
Financial Aid and Grad School
If you’re heading off to graduate school, look into potential fellowship opportunities as a source of financial help for computer science degrees. Research or teaching assistantships may also be an option. To find out what’s available, check with your target schools, and be aware that you may need to complete a separate application for award consideration.
When it comes to securing computer science financial aid, keep one thing in mind. It’s essential to start early and pay heed to all application deadlines! Plenty of financial aid for computer degrees is out there, but it goes to the students who make a concerted effort to find it. Good luck!
