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- How to win engineering scholarships
- Resources for engineering students
- Frequently asked questions about engineering scholarships
- Explore these additional scholarship categories
Keep on reading to learn more about some of the top engineering scholarships for high school, college, and even grad students!
How to win engineering scholarships
As an engineering major, you know that high exam scores, tough classes, and being a competitive applicant for internships is all part of the territory. And when it comes to scholarships, that competition certainly doesn’t go away. This is why we want to help you write a winning scholarship essay!
Engineering majors tend to focus less on English and more on math, science and technology classes. So, if you need some extra help in the writing department, we’ve got you covered! It may help you to review some of the common scholarship essay prompts that are out there. As well as reviewing some of our articles about how to write a 250 word essay or how to write a 500 word essay.
In addition to writing, we can help you write your scholarship resume and find even more winning scholarships with our other guides!
Related: Top engineering summer programs for high school students
Resources for engineering students
National Society of Black Engineers
This is a national group that unites Black engineers and provides resources and opportunities to network. They host conventions and release information about the state of the profession. Joining an organization like this can plug you into a large network to help with your studies and with professional advancement.
Society of Women Engineers
Much like the previous listing, this organization provides a nationwide network for women in the engineering profession. As a member, you can meet new people, reach out for advice when you need it, and more. You might meet your mentor or future employer through the SWE.
Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
This organization serves a similar purpose to the previous two listings. It’s a good idea to join a society or organization for engineers who you share something in common with. Whether this be an interest, demographic information, or any other factor, it will bond its members and encourage them to create opportunities for one another.
Related: What are the four main types of engineering?
Frequently asked questions about engineering scholarships
Is engineering considered STEM?
Yes, engineering is considered a STEM field. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. So, engineering is in the name, verbatim. Of course, there is a lot of overlap between these categories, and most engineers utilize all four of these fields in their work.
So, what does this mean for engineering students? Well, one of the biggest advantages it provides you is that you gain all the benefits of a STEM student. That includes eligibility for STEM scholarships, which are a particularly well-funded field of scholarships.
What’s more, many colleges have begun to provide additional funding for STEM scholarships at their schools, as well as in their STEM departments. So, you will generally have more money available to you, both to fund your tuition and to fund study materials.
What are the subfields of engineering?
There are many different ways that you can divide up the field of engineering, and so there is no single answer to this question. However, one commonly used denomination breaks engineering down into four distinct fields. Those are:
Chemical engineering
Chemical engineers use knowledge of chemistry, mathematics, biology, and other sciences in order to create products and ensure safety throughout society. They may help design food production processes and help calculate the necessary inputs to create different products.
Civil engineering
Civil engineers focus on infrastructure. That includes our public water systems, our roads, highways, and bridges, our internet and phone lines, and more. All of those things that make our society function and that many people have come to take for granted, were probably designed by a civil engineer.
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineers specialize in the design of everything electrical; motors, circuits, and other pieces of electrical devices are their specialties. This could include designing computers, telephones, TV’s, and larger things such as power grids, medial equipment, and more.
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is an extremely broad subfield, and has significant overlap with electrical engineering. These engineers specialize in designing machines, which can take all sorts of shapes and sizes. They even design the machines that we use to build other machines. This field has huge breadth and students can take it in a host of different directions as a career.
Do I have to major in engineering to earn an engineering scholarship?
This question varies by scholarship. Most engineering scholarships for undergraduate students require that the student show an intent to major in engineering. However, they do not require that they do go on to major in the field. So, in this case, if you decide to switch majors halfway through college, you probably won’t have to pay that money back.
That being said, you should always check with a scholarship’s terms to ensure that they do not require that you go on to major in the field. If you are unsure of whether engineering is the right fit for you, this is especially important.
The vast majority of graduate engineering scholarships do require that you attend grad school for engineering. Since you will already have firmly committed to a field of study by this point, these scholarships are significantly less flexible.
Explore these other scholarship categories
- Top Scholarships for Women
- Mechanical Engineering Scholarships
- Electrical Engineering Scholarships
- Paper and Pulp Engineering Scholarships
- Top science scholarships
- Construction Engineering Scholarships
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