Top STEM Scholarships Worth Over $50,000 in the USA (2026 Guide)
Note: this guide covers US-focused scholarships only. Eligibility, funding levels, and deadlines vary and may not apply to students outside the United States.
A number of STEM scholarships and fellowships in the United States offer total awards of $50,000 or more.
Some require nomination, others have narrow eligibility criteria, and competition for most is high.
This guide summarises nine such programmes. It checks every figure against each provider’s official documentation at the time of writing.
Context: Cost of Attendance
At a public four-year US university, the full cost of attendance is usually $100,000 to $120,000 over a degree.
This includes tuition, housing, food, and books. At private universities, this figure is often higher.
A scholarship of $50,000 or more can cover a large share of these costs. But the real benefit depends on the student’s other financial aid.
Several of the awards below are last-dollar scholarships. This means they only cover what other aid does not already cover. Their value goes down as other aid goes up.
STEM scholarship funding has grown over the past decade. Governments, companies, and foundations have all increased their support for STEM students.
This does not mean the money is easy to get. Most programmes below are competitive. Several have acceptance rates below 20%.
1. NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (GRFP)
The NSF GRFP supports full-time, research-based master’s and doctoral students in STEM fields, including STEM education.
Each fellowship provides three years of support across a five-year fellowship period.
Fellows receive a $37,000 annual stipend plus a $16,000 cost-of-education allowance per year, paid to the institution. This totals $159,000 across the three funded years.
Eligibility:
- US citizens, nationals, or permanent residents
- Applicants beginning, or in their first year of, a research-based STEM master’s or PhD programme
- No more than one academic year of prior graduate study at the time of application
Application notes: Applicants submit a Personal Statement and a Graduate Research Plan Statement through the GRFP application portal.
Deadlines fall in October and November, depending on field. Importantly, reviewers assess both intellectual merit and broader societal impact.
2. NSF S-STEM Program
The NSF Scholarships in STEM (S-STEM) programme gives grants to colleges and universities. In turn, those institutions award scholarships to academically strong, low-income STEM students.
Undergraduates may receive up to $15,000 a year for up to five years; graduate students may receive up to $20,000 a year.
Some programmes also include paid research placements, though this varies by institution.
Eligibility:
- Academically strong STEM students with demonstrated financial need, often assessed via Pell Grant eligibility
- Enrolled at an institution with an active S-STEM grant
Application notes: There is no single national application. Students should contact their financial aid office or STEM department to ask whether their institution holds an active S-STEM grant.
3. Barry Goldwater Scholarship
The Goldwater Scholarship provides up to $7,500 a year toward tuition, fees, books, and room and board.
Sophomores may receive up to two years of funding, for a maximum of $15,000. In 2026, the foundation selected 441 scholars from a pool of over 5,000 nominated sophomores and juniors.
Goldwater Scholars appear to go on to receive NSF, Hertz, and DOE fellowships at higher rates than the general applicant pool, though this guide has not independently verified comparative statistics beyond what the Goldwater Foundation publishes.
Eligibility:
- US citizens, nationals, or permanent residents who are college sophomores or juniors
- Intending to pursue a research career in science, mathematics, or engineering
- Minimum 3.0 GPA; reported average GPAs among recent recipients are considerably higher
Application notes: Students cannot apply directly.
Nomination occurs through a campus Goldwater Representative, with institutional deadlines typically in January.
Students should contact their undergraduate research office in the autumn term.
4. The Gates Scholarship
The Gates Scholarship is a last-dollar award. It covers costs not already met by other financial aid.
This can include tuition, fees, books, housing, and food, for up to five years. Around 300 scholarships are awarded each year. Total value across a degree commonly falls between $100,000 and $160,000.
The exact amount depends on the institution’s cost of attendance and the student’s other aid.
Eligibility:
- African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian American/Pacific Islander, or Hispanic American
- Minimum 3.3 GPA, enrolling full-time in a four-year US degree programme
- Pell Grant eligible, demonstrating financial need
Application notes: Applications typically open July 15 and close September 15.
Applicants must submit essays, recommendation letters, and FAFSA documentation.
5. DOD SMART Scholarship
The Department of Defense SMART Scholarship covers full tuition. It also pays an annual stipend, currently between $30,000 and $46,000, depending on academic level.
The award additionally includes health insurance and a book allowance. In return, recipients complete a summer research placement.
They also agree to work at a defense facility after graduation, usually for one year of service per year of funding received.
Eligibility:
- US citizens pursuing an undergraduate, master’s, or PhD STEM degree
- Minimum 3.0 GPA
- Willingness to accept post-graduation employment conditions and the security clearance process
Application notes: Applicants apply through the SMART Scholarship Service Portal, with a deadline each December.
The programme notes that applicants whose research interests align with current defense priorities, such as cybersecurity, aerospace, materials science, and AI, may be more competitive, though it does not state this as a guarantee.
6. Hertz Foundation Fellowship
The Hertz Fellowship provides a personal stipend of approximately $44,000 a year plus a tuition-equivalent allowance, for up to five years.
The Foundation states total value can reach $250,000. Fellows also gain access to a mentorship network of past fellows.
Competition is significant: each year, the foundation selects approximately 15 to 20 fellows from a substantially larger applicant pool, with an acceptance rate well under 1%.
Eligibility:
- US citizens or permanent residents
- In the first or second year of graduate study, or applying to begin
- Pursuing applied physical, biological, or engineering sciences
Application notes: Applications typically open in late August and close in October. Finalists complete an interview as part of the selection process.
7. Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Scholarships
SWE distributed approximately $1.6 million across more than 330 scholarships in 2025. Individual awards range from $1,000 to $15,000 and some are renewable.
A single application qualifies a student for multiple Society-Selected scholarships at once.
However, reaching a $50,000 total generally requires receiving more than one award, in some cases across multiple years.
Eligibility:
- Women enrolled in an ABET-accredited engineering or engineering technology programme
- Open to students from first-year undergraduate through graduate study
- GPA requirements vary by individual award, typically 3.0 to 3.5
Application notes: Applicants submit one application through a single SWE portal, typically open from December through February.
8. Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship (DOE CSGF)
The DOE CSGF provides a $45,000 annual stipend, full tuition and fees, and a $5,000 first-year academic allowance. It also includes a 12-week placement at a DOE national laboratory.
Funding can be renewed for up to four years. If renewed in full, total value would be above $200,000. Renewal is not automatic. It depends on continued eligibility and available funding.
Eligibility:
- US citizens or permanent residents
- Pursuing a PhD combining computational methods with science or engineering
- Background in mathematics, computer science, and at least one scientific discipline
Application notes: Applications are typically due in mid-January.
The research proposal should generally connect to a DOE mission area, such as energy, advanced computing, or national security.
9. Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans
The Soros Fellowship provides up to $25,000 a year in stipend support and up to $20,000 a year in tuition support, for up to two years, totalling up to $90,000.
It is open to any graduate field, not only STEM, though STEM applicants are reported to make up a notable share of fellows.
Eligibility:
- An immigrant, or the child of immigrants. Eligible statuses include naturalised US citizens, green card holders, asylees, and refugees
- Under 30 at the time of application
- Enrolled in, or planning to begin, a graduate degree programme
Application notes: Applications typically open in September and close in late October or early November, depending on the cycle.
The personal statement is a substantial component of the application.
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Summary Table
| Scholarship | Reported Max Value | Typical Applicant | Reported Competition | Deadline Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSF GRFP | $159,000 | Graduate students, STEM fields | Very high | October–November |
| NSF S-STEM | $75,000–$100,000 | Undergrad/grad, financial need | Varies by institution | Varies by school |
| Barry Goldwater | $15,000 | Sophomores and juniors | Very high | January (institutional) |
| Gates Scholarship | $100,000–$160,000 | Low-income minority high school seniors | Very high | September 15 |
| DOD SMART | $100,000–$150,000+ | STEM students, defense-aligned fields | High | December |
| Hertz Fellowship | $250,000 | Graduate STEM researchers | Extremely high | October |
| SWE Scholarships | Up to $15,000 per award; $50,000+ only if stacked | Women in engineering | Moderate to high | December–February |
| DOE CSGF | $200,000+ if renewed fully | PhD students, computational research | High | January |
| Soros Fellowship | $90,000 | Immigrants and children of immigrants | Very high | Sept–Nov |
Some students may qualify for more than one of these awards over their academic career. But the rules on combining awards vary by programme.
Some federal fellowships do not allow concurrent funding.
Applicants should check current stacking rules directly with each provider, rather than assuming two awards can be combined.
Application Considerations
The following points are commonly cited by scholarship offices and past applicants, though individual results will vary:
- Research experience. Several of the awards above, particularly the Goldwater, NSF GRFP, and Hertz, place weight on demonstrated research experience. Students considering these awards may benefit from contacting faculty about research opportunities well in advance of application deadlines.
- Specificity in essays. Application guidance from most providers suggests that specific, concrete examples are generally viewed more favourably than general statements of interest.
- Internal deadlines. Nominated awards, such as the Goldwater, involve an internal campus deadline that typically falls earlier than the national deadline. Missing the internal deadline generally means missing the scholarship.
- Recommendation letters. Guidance from several programmes suggests that letters from people who can speak in detail about an applicant’s research or work, rather than only their grades, tend to be regarded more favourably.
- Broader impact statements. NSF and DOE applications generally include a section on broader societal impact. Reviewers score this separately from technical merit.
- Number of applications. Applying to a wider range of scholarships may improve the likelihood of receiving at least one award. Even so, applicants should balance this against the time needed to prepare a strong application for each one.
Next Steps
Readers interested in any of the scholarships above should consult the official programme website for current deadlines and eligibility requirements, since these can change from year to year.
As a starting point, identify two or three programmes that match current eligibility.
Then contact the relevant university office, such as a financial aid office, undergraduate research office, or fellowships office, for guidance specific to that institution.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can apply for STEM scholarships?
Eligibility depends on the specific scholarship. Some welcome high school seniors, others target undergraduates, and others accept only graduate or PhD students.
Most of the awards in this guide require US citizenship, national status, or permanent residency.
A few, such as the Gates Scholarship, also require a specific ethnic background and demonstrated financial need.
Are these scholarships fully funded?
Some are, but not all. For example, the Gates Scholarship and the NSF GRFP can cover most or all tuition and living costs, depending on the institution and the student’s other aid.
By contrast, the Barry Goldwater Scholarship provides a fixed amount that may only cover part of total costs. As a result, reaching $50,000 or more sometimes means combining a scholarship with other forms of aid.
Can international students apply?
Most of the scholarships listed here require US citizenship, national status, or permanent residency.
Therefore, they generally exclude international students on a temporary visa.
The Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship is a partial exception, since it specifically targets immigrants and the children of immigrants.
Even so, it still requires a specific immigration status, such as naturalised citizenship, a green card, asylum, or refugee status.
For this reason, students without US citizenship or residency should check each programme’s eligibility page directly, since rules can be narrower than they first appear.
Do I need a high GPA to qualify?
Most programmes list a minimum GPA, often around 3.0. However, recipients usually report average GPAs well above that stated minimum.
A strong GPA alone is unlikely to be enough for the more competitive awards, such as the Hertz Fellowship or the NSF GRFP, where reviewers also weigh research experience and essay quality heavily.
Can I apply for more than one scholarship at the same time?
In most cases, yes. Applying to multiple scholarships is common practice, and it may improve the overall chance of receiving at least one award.
That said, rules on holding multiple awards at the same time vary, and some federal fellowships do not allow concurrent funding from another federal source.
So always check each programme’s terms before assuming awards can be combined.
How do I find out if my university offers any of these programmes?
For scholarships such as NSF S-STEM, the institution receives the funding rather than the student directly, so availability depends on whether a student’s university holds an active grant.
In this case, contacting a financial aid office, STEM department, or fellowships office directly is generally the most reliable way to confirm this.
Sources and further reading:
- NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
- NSF S-STEM Program
- Barry Goldwater Scholarship Foundation
- The Gates Scholarship
- DOD SMART Scholarship
- Hertz Foundation Fellowship
- Society of Women Engineers Scholarships
- DOE Computational Science Graduate Fellowship
- Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans
This article reflects publicly available scholarship information as of June 2026. Award amounts, deadlines, and eligibility rules are determined by each programme and are subject to change without notice. This guide is for general informational purposes only and is not financial or legal advice. Readers should confirm all current details directly with the official scholarship provider before applying or making financial decisions based on this information.