Women in Tech Scholarships Guide: Funding Programs That Pay

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Women remain underrepresented in tech, and a deep bench of scholarships exists specifically to close that gap. Layered strategically, these awards can cover a substantial share of tuition for women in CS, engineering, and adjacent fields.

Where women's tech funding actually lives

Funding Landscape

Organizations like AnitaB.org (Grace Hopper), NCWIT, SWE, and Women Who Code run major scholarship pipelines for women in computing. Corporate sponsors including Google, Palantir, Microsoft, Adobe, and Meta fund named awards with internship pipelines attached.

NCWIT's Aspirations in Computing award is one of the most recognized — it funds women from high school through college with cash awards, networks, and internship referrals.

Top Scholarships and Programs

ProgramTypical AwardEligibilityNCWIT Aspirations in Computing$500–$5,000+Women/nonbinary HS and college CSGrace Hopper ScholarshipConference + travelWomen in CS pursuing tech careersPalantir Women in Tech$10,000 + internshipWomen and nonbinary CS studentsGoogle Generation Scholarship$10,000Underrepresented CS studentsAdobe Research Women in Tech$10,000 + internshipWomen graduate CS studentsSWE Scholarships$1,000–$16,000Women engineering and CS students

Eligibility and Application Requirements

Female or nonbinary identifying applicant
Enrollment or admission to an accredited CS/engineering program
Strong academic record (GPA varies)
Demonstrated interest in tech through projects or coursework
Industry membership for some awards (SWE, AnitaB.org)

Application Strategy

Apply to NCWIT Aspirations in high school and college rounds
Join AnitaB.org and SWE for member-only awards
Target corporate scholarships with internship pipelines attached
Apply to institutional women-in-tech merit aid at target schools
Leverage Forte-style networks for ongoing career support

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Missing NCWIT high school deadlines (November annually)
Not joining AnitaB.org and SWE for exclusive awards
Applying only to corporate awards and ignoring nonprofit pipelines
Skipping internship applications that accompany scholarships
Overlooking grad-level awards for MS and PhD women

Loan Forgiveness and Repayment Options

PSLF remains available for women tech graduates working at qualifying nonprofits, universities, or government agencies — 10 years to federal loan forgiveness.

Some state programs specifically fund women teachers of CS in K-12 with loan repayment incentives.

Employer tuition reimbursement under Section 127 offers $5,250/yr tax-free and stacks with scholarships.

Key Takeaways

NCWIT Aspirations funds women from high school through college
Corporate awards often come with internships attached
Industry memberships unlock exclusive scholarship pools

Sources

FAFSA.gov
CSforAll.org
Council on Integrity in Results Reporting

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Conclusion

Women pursuing tech have access to some of the most coordinated scholarship pipelines in higher education. Layering NCWIT, corporate awards, and industry memberships can yield both tuition coverage and a direct line to internships and jobs.