Amazon Future Engineer awards 100 current high school seniors from underserved and historically underrepresented communities across the country with a $40,000 scholarship ($10,000 each year) to study computer science at a four-year college or university of their choice AND a guaranteed paid 12-week summer internship offer at Amazon after the completion of their freshman year. Students must plan to earn a bachelor’s degree in computer science, software engineering, computer engineering or other computer science related field. Scholarship recipients are selected based on academic achievement, demonstrated leadership, community involvement, work experience, future goals, and financial need.
Ron Brown Scholar Program awards $10,000 each year for four years to economically-disadvantaged high school seniors of African descent who demonstrate a keen interest in public service, community engagement, business entrepreneurship and global citizenship. This is a great opportunity for qualifying students who have very high grades and test scores. Students chosen for these scholarships are very impressive: more than half of the Scholars end up attending Ivy League universities.
Ron Brown Scholar Program was established in honor of the late Ronald H. Brown, an attorney who worked for Senator Ted Kennedy, then as Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, and finally as Secretary of Commerce for President Bill Clinton. It was while serving in President Clinton’s cabinet that Brown perished in an airplane crash while on a mission to Eastern Europe.
According to the website, recipients may use the renewable scholarships to attend an accredited four-year college or university of their choice within the United States. Ron Brown scholarships are not limited to any specific field or career objective and may be used to pursue any academic discipline. Since the Program’s inception in 1996, more than 300 students have been designated as Ron Brown Scholars.
Must be Black/African American.
Must excel academically.
Must exhibit exceptional leadership potential.
Must participate in community service activities.
Demonstrate financial need.
Be a US citizen or hold a permanent resident visa card.
Be a current high school senior at the time of your application. Current college students are NOT eligible to apply.
NOTE: this scholarship is one of the few that requires a paper application to be MAILED! So make sure your materials, recommendations, test scores etc are all ready BEFORE Thanksgiving so that the package arrives in the RBSP office in plenty of time to be considered.
The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation was created by a philanthropist and funded by his estate. About 115 high school seniors receive scholarships that cover “unmet need”, meeting expenses after Pell grants and college grants. This means that some students can get scholarships up to $40,000 a year as long as they maintain a good average in college! Applications are filled out via the Common App and deadline is usually the first week of November.
From the website, among the criteria used in the selection process are:
Exceptional academic ability and achievement: Strong academic record, academic awards and honors, and substantive assessments by educators providing confidential recommendations. They consider:
unweighted cumulative GPA of 3.5 or above
participation in available advanced courses
commitment to learning
intellectual curiosity
Unmet financial need: We will consider applicants with family income up to $95,000. Last year’s cohort of new college scholarship recipients had a median family income of approximately $35,000.
Persistence: Determination and perseverance in the face of challenges, ability to set and remain focused on goals and to put in the effort needed to meet those goals in the face of obstacles.
Leadership: Ability to organize and positively influence others in school and out-of-school areas (family, religious community, sports, arts, etc.).
Service to Others: Purposeful and meaningful commitment to others which may be evidenced by participation in volunteer/community service activities.
It is a competitive process, but if you’re not in it, you can’t win it!
The Gates Scholarship was founded by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Bill Gates founded the Microsoft Corporation. 300 Scholars are chosen each year and will receive funding for the full cost of attendance that is not already covered by other financial aid and the expected family contribution (EFC). Cost of attendance includes tuition, fees, room, board, books, and transportation, and may include other personal costs. Basically that means the scholarship should be the amount after Full Cost of Attendance minus Pell Grants, minus college grants, minus EFC. That is the grey area that would require families to take out loans to meet the difference!
According to the website, to apply, students must be:
A high school senior
Identify as at least one of the following ethnicities: African-American, American Indian/Alaska Native with tribal enrollment documentation, Asian & Pacific Islander American, and/or Hispanic American
Pell-eligible
A US citizen, national, or permanent resident
In good academic standing with a minimum cumulative weighted GPA of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent)
Plan to enroll full-time, in a four-year degree program, at a US accredited, not-for-profit, private or public college or university.
This is a competitive scholarship, so according to the website, the selection committee is looking for:
An outstanding academic record in high school (in the top 10% of his/her graduating class)
Demonstrated leadership ability (e.g., as shown through participation in community service, extracurricular, or other activities)
Exceptional personal success skills (e.g., emotional maturity, motivation, perseverance, etc.)
