Scholarships for Women 2026: Fully Funded and Partial Awards

Scholarships for Women 2026: Fully Funded and Partial Awards…

Paying for a degree is hard enough without wading through scholarship lists full of dead links and awards that closed two years ago. This guide fixes that.

Every scholarship below comes from the funding organisation’s own website, and each one is checked against its current 2026 cycle.

To keep things honest, it’s split into two groups: scholarships that genuinely cover most or all of your costs, and valuable grants that help but don’t cover everything. After all, calling a 2,000 US dollar grant “fully funded” is exactly the kind of overstatement that misleads readers, so this guide doesn’t do that.

We reviewed each scholarship directly on the official funding organisation’s website rather than relying on aggregator sites or third party lists. Scholarship deadlines, amounts and eligibility rules can change without notice, so always confirm the latest details on the organisation’s own page before you apply.

Quick Facts

Question	Answer
Who is this guide for?	Women applying for undergraduate, master’s or PhD study in 2026
How many verified scholarships are covered?	18 active, currently verifiable programmes
Are international applicants included?	Yes, several are open to women of any nationality
Does this include UK specific scholarships?	Yes, including one genuinely women only, fully funded UK programme
What do I need to get started?	A clear personal statement, transcripts, and in most cases proof of enrolment or admission

How to use this guide to solve your funding problem

Most students searching for scholarships for women have one real problem. There are too many options, too little time, and no reliable way to tell which ones are worth applying for. Because of this, it helps to work through this guide in three steps.

1. Start with the fully funded section if cost is your main barrier, since these cover the largest share of your expenses.
2. Check the eligibility line before you do anything else. Many of these awards are nationality, field, or degree level specific. Otherwise, applying to one you don’t qualify for wastes time you could spend on a stronger match.
3. Note the deadline and work backwards. Most need transcripts, recommendation letters and a personal statement. So, start gathering documents at least six weeks before the deadline.

Fully funded scholarships for women

These cover the large majority of tuition, living costs, and often travel. In other words, they go well beyond a partial contribution.

British Council Women in STEM Scholarship (UK)

This scholarship funds a one year master’s degree at a partner UK university. It’s open to women from eligible countries across Asia, Africa, Latin America, and parts of Europe.

Priority goes to women from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. Each award is worth a minimum of £40,000. It covers tuition, a living stipend, travel, visa costs, health cover, and English language support where needed.

Around 90 scholarships are available for the 2026 to 2027 cycle. More than a dozen partner universities take part, including Imperial College London, the University of Edinburgh, and the University of Manchester.

You apply directly through your chosen university’s own application portal rather than a single central form, so check the participating universities list at britishcouncil.org/study-work-abroad/in-uk/scholarship-women-stem

Why choose this one: it’s the only award on this list that pairs full UK living costs with a university place at a globally ranked institution, so it suits women who want the prestige of a UK master’s without needing separate savings for rent or flights.

Schlumberger Foundation Faculty for the Future Fellowship

This fellowship funds women from developing and emerging economies pursuing PhD or postdoctoral research in STEM fields abroad.

It covers up to 50,000 US dollars a year for PhD study and up to 40,000 US dollars a year for postdoctoral research, including tuition, living costs and travel.

Applications typically open in September and close in early to mid November. Apply at facultyforthefuture.net

Why choose this one: at up to 50,000 US dollars a year, it pays out more annually than any other PhD scholarship on this list, and it’s one of the few that will renew year on year through to completion rather than paying out once.

L’Oréal USA For Women in Science Fellowship

This postdoctoral fellowship is worth 75,000 US dollars.

It’s open to women who have completed a PhD and are beginning a postdoctoral research position in a STEM field, though it’s currently limited to US citizens and permanent residents.

The wider international L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science programme also runs regional fully funded calls in different countries throughout the year. Check forwomeninscience.com for a call in your region.

Why choose this one: it’s the highest single award on this entire list, so if you already qualify as a US based postdoctoral researcher, it’s worth applying to before any smaller postdoctoral grant.

AAUW International Fellowship

This fellowship supports non-US women pursuing full time graduate or postgraduate study in the United States, across any field. It’s intended to cover a substantial share of a full year’s study costs.

Applications for the 2026 to 2027 cycle had already closed at the time of writing, so check the AAUW site for the next application window before you plan around it. See aauw.org/resources/programs/fellowships-grants

Why choose this one: Unlike Schlumberger and L’Oréal, it isn’t restricted to STEM, so it’s the strongest fully funded option here for non-US women in the humanities, social sciences, law, or education.

Partial scholarships and grants for women

These are genuinely useful, but they cover part of your costs rather than the whole picture. Therefore, budget for the gap.

Undergraduate

MPOWER Women in STEM Scholarship

A 2,500 US dollar award for women studying science, technology, engineering or maths, open to any nationality. Details at mpowerfinancing.com/scholarships

Why choose this one: it’s one of the few undergraduate awards here with no nationality restriction at all, so it’s worth applying to even if you don’t qualify for anything else on this list.

Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Scholarships

SWE awards more than 800,000 US dollars a year across dozens of individual scholarships, ranging from around 1,000 US dollars for first year students to 15,000 US dollars for more advanced engineering and computer science students. See swe.org/scholarships

Why choose this one: SWE runs many separate awards under a single application, so engineering and computer science students get several chances at funding for one application effort, rather than the single shot most other awards offer.

Soroptimist Live Your Dream Awards

For women who are the primary financial support for their families and are enrolled in, or accepted to, a vocational programme or undergraduate degree. Applications open 1 August and close 15 November each year.

Apply at soroptimist.org/our-work/live-your-dream-awards

Why choose this one: it centres specifically on real life circumstances, like supporting dependents, rather than grades alone, so it suits women whose strongest case is personal responsibility and resilience rather than an academic transcript.

Patsy Takemoto Mink Education Foundation Award

A 5,000 US dollar award for low income women, particularly mothers, based on financial need and personal circumstance. Annual deadline usually falls in August.

See patsyminkfoundation.org/scholarship.htm

Why choose this one: it weighs financial need and personal circumstance over academic ranking, making it a stronger fit for mothers or low income applicants than merit heavy awards elsewhere on this list.

AWIS First-Generation College Student Scholarships

Four awards of 2,000 US dollars each year for AWIS members in their freshman through junior year whose parents did not complete a four year college degree, studying a recognised science field. See awis.org/scholarships

Why choose this one: it’s one of the only awards here built specifically around first generation status rather than field ranking or nationality, so it’s worth prioritising if that background applies to you.

Master’s

Zonta International Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship

Supports women pursuing undergraduate or master’s degrees in business or management. Apply through zonta.org

Why choose this one: it spans both undergraduate and master’s business students, so it’s a rare award you can reapply to as you move between degree levels in the same field.

AAUW Selected Professions Fellowships and Career Development Grants

Support women pursuing graduate or professional degrees in fields where women remain underrepresented, and help women re-entering the workforce after a career break.

Awards typically range from 6,000 to 12,000 US dollars. Check current status at aauw.org/resources/programs/fellowships-grants

Why choose this one: it’s one of the few awards on this list built specifically for women returning to study after time away from a career, rather than assuming continuous, uninterrupted enrolment.

P.E.O. International Peace Scholarship (IPS)

For women from outside the United States and Canada pursuing a graduate degree in the US or Canada. Awards reach up to 12,500 US dollars, based on demonstrated need, and applicants must show additional funding sources alongside it.

The eligibility window runs from 15 September to 15 December each year. Details at peointernational.org/educational-support/international-peace-scholarship-fund

Why choose this one: at up to 12,500 US dollars, it’s one of the larger partial awards here, and it’s specifically built for international women already committed to studying in North America.

P.E.O. Scholar Awards

For women in the final year of a doctoral programme or completing a master’s degree, worth 3,000 US dollars, plus smaller Scholar Award Grants of 2,000 US dollars for master’s students. See peointernational.org

Why choose this one: it targets the final stretch of a degree specifically, so it suits women who are close to finishing rather than at the very start of their programme.

Zonta Women in Business Leadership Award

For women pursuing undergraduate or master’s degrees in business or management fields, worth 5,000 US dollars. Found through zonta.org

Why choose this one: as a newer, less established award than the Klausman scholarship above, competition may be lighter, which is worth knowing if you qualify for both.

ESA Foundation Scholarship for Women in Games

Two 10,000 US dollar awards each year for women pursuing degrees in video game design, development or related entertainment technology fields. Apply at esafoundation.org/scholarships

Why choose this one: it’s one of very few awards anywhere aimed specifically at women in gaming and entertainment technology, so there’s little direct competition from similarly targeted scholarships.

Google Women Techmakers Scholars Program

Open to women studying computer science, computer engineering or a closely related technical field, at undergraduate or graduate level.

Winners receive 10,000 US dollars plus a fully funded trip to a Women Techmakers retreat at a Google office, though the cash award itself doesn’t cover full tuition.

Details at google.com/about/careers/applications/buildyourfuture/scholarships

Why choose this one: the retreat and mentor network add professional value beyond the cash award, so it suits computer science students who want an industry connection as much as funding.

PhD and postdoctoral

Amelia Earhart Fellowship (Zonta International)

This fellowship gives 10,000 US dollars each year to up to 30 women pursuing PhD or doctoral degrees in aerospace engineering or space sciences, open to women of any nationality.

Annual deadline falls in mid November. Full details at zonta.org/Web/Web/Programs/Education/Amelia_Earhart_Fellowship

Why choose this one: with up to 30 awards given out each year, it has a noticeably larger cohort than most single winner fellowships, which improves your odds if aerospace or space science is your field.

AWIS Distinguished Doctoral Research Scholarship

AWIS gives this 10,000 US dollar award to a member whose dissertation research promises an important, original contribution to their field. See awis.org/scholarships

Why choose this one: it rewards the originality of your research project specifically, so it suits PhD candidates with a distinctive dissertation topic rather than strong grades alone.

What about Chevening, Commonwealth, Gates Cambridge, Clarendon and GREAT?

These come up constantly in scholarships for women searches, so it’s worth being direct about them.

None of them are restricted to women. In fact, Chevening’s own eligibility page states plainly that gender doesn’t factor into selection at all, and Oxford’s Clarendon Fund states the same.

Similarly, Gates Cambridge, the Commonwealth Scholarship, and the British Council’s GREAT Scholarships are general excellence based awards open to all genders.

That doesn’t make them irrelevant, though. Women apply for and win all of these every year, and they’re genuinely fully funded, covering tuition, living costs, and travel for postgraduate study in the UK.

It simply means they don’t belong on a women’s scholarships list as if they were gender restricted, since presenting them that way would be misleading.

So if you’re a woman weighing up UK postgraduate funding, it’s worth applying to these general awards alongside the women specific ones above. After all, nothing stops you from doing both.

• Chevening: chevening.org/scholarships
• Commonwealth Scholarships: cscuk.fcdo.gov.uk
• Gates Cambridge: gatescambridge.org
• Clarendon Fund: ox.ac.uk/clarendon
• GREAT Scholarships: britishcouncil.org/study-work-abroad/in-uk/great-scholarships

Comparing all 18 scholarships at a glance

Scholarship	Degree level	Funding type	Typical award	Nationality restriction
British Council Women in STEM	Master’s	Fully funded	£40,000+	Eligible countries only
Schlumberger Faculty for the Future	PhD, postdoctoral	Fully funded	Up to 50,000 USD/year	Developing and emerging economies
L’Oréal USA For Women in Science	Postdoctoral	Fully funded	75,000 USD	US citizens and permanent residents
AAUW International Fellowship	Graduate	Fully funded	Substantial share of costs	Non-US women only
MPOWER Women in STEM	Undergraduate	Partial	2,500 USD	None, open internationally
SWE Scholarships	Undergraduate to graduate	Partial	1,000 to 15,000 USD	Mostly US based
Soroptimist Live Your Dream	Undergraduate, vocational	Partial	Varies by region	Soroptimist member countries
Patsy Takemoto Mink Award	Undergraduate	Partial	5,000 USD	US, low income focus
AWIS First-Generation Scholarship	Undergraduate	Partial	2,000 USD	AWIS members
Zonta Jane M. Klausman Award	Undergraduate, master’s	Partial	Varies	International
AAUW Selected Professions Fellowships	Master’s, doctoral	Partial	6,000 to 12,000 USD	Primarily US
P.E.O. International Peace Scholarship	Graduate	Partial	Up to 12,500 USD	Outside US and Canada
P.E.O. Scholar Awards	Master’s, doctoral	Partial	2,000 to 3,000 USD	Primarily US and Canada
Zonta Women in Business Leadership	Undergraduate, master’s	Partial	5,000 USD	International
ESA Foundation Women in Games	Undergraduate	Partial	10,000 USD	Primarily US
Google Women Techmakers	Undergraduate, graduate	Partial	10,000 USD	International
Amelia Earhart Fellowship	PhD	Partial	10,000 USD	None, open internationally
AWIS Distinguished Doctoral Research	PhD	Partial	10,000 USD	AWIS members

Documents you’ll typically need

• Academic transcripts: Official where required, translated into English if not originally issued in English.
• Proof of enrolment or admission: To your intended programme, since most awards require this before you can apply.
• A personal statement or research proposal: Tailored to the specific award rather than reused word for word.
• Letters of recommendation: Usually one to three, from academic referees or supervisors.
• Proof of nationality or residency status: Since several awards above have strict nationality rules in either direction.
• Financial documentation: For need based awards such as P.E.O. and Soroptimist.
• A CV or resume: Particularly for research focused fellowships like Schlumberger and Amelia Earhart.

How to choose the right scholarship

Choosing the right scholarship is often more important than applying for the largest number of awards. Focus on the opportunities where you have the strongest chance of success.

If you are…	Start with…	Why?
Looking for a fully funded UK master’s degree in STEM	British Council Women in STEM	Covers tuition, living costs, travel and visa expenses
A PhD student from a developing country	Schlumberger Faculty for the Future	One of the highest value fellowships on this list
A woman studying engineering or computer science	SWE Scholarships	Multiple awards are available each year
A business student	Zonta Women in Business Leadership	Designed specifically for women in business
A woman returning to education after a career break	AAUW Career Development Grants	Supports women re-entering professional careers
A first generation college student	AWIS First-Generation Scholarship	Created for students from this background

Before you apply

Ask yourself these questions before you commit time to any application:

• Do I meet the nationality requirements?
• Does my degree level match the scholarship?
• Is the scholarship fully funded or only a partial award?
• Can I prepare all the required documents before the deadline?
• Am I eligible for more than one scholarship on this list?

If you answer no to the first question, stop there. Nationality restrictions are non-negotiable, so it’s the fastest way to rule an award in or out before you invest any more time.

How to increase your chances

Choosing the right scholarship gets you halfway there. Beyond that, the rest comes down to how you apply.

• Apply to 5 to 8 scholarships, not just one: Even strong candidates get rejected, so spreading your effort across several eligible awards improves your odds of at least one success.
• Tailor your personal statement to each award: A statement written for a business scholarship won’t land the same way on a STEM fellowship application, so adjust the framing and examples each time.
• Ask referees early: Give recommenders at least three to four weeks’ notice, since a rushed reference is usually a weaker one.
• Apply before the deadline, not on it: Portals can fail under last minute traffic, and a missed technical deadline is rarely reversible.
• Check eligibility carefully every time: Re-read the criteria for each award individually rather than assuming last year’s rules still apply, since nationality lists and degree requirements do change.

Your application at a glance

Step	Action	What to Do
1	Choose a Scholarship	Find scholarships that match your course, level of study, nationality, and career goals.
2	Check Eligibility	Read the requirements carefully to make sure you qualify before applying.
3	Prepare Required Documents	Gather documents such as academic transcripts, certificates, CV, passport, and proof of English language proficiency if required.
4	Write Your Personal Statement	Write a clear and tailored personal statement that explains your achievements, goals, and reasons for applying.
5	Request Reference Letters	Ask your referees early and give them enough time to write strong recommendation letters.
6	Submit Your Application	Complete the application form, upload all required documents, and review everything before submitting.
7	Track the Deadline and Follow Up	Monitor your application status, respond to any requests for additional information, and note important dates.

Frequently asked questions

Applying and eligibility

Are these scholarships really fully funded? Only the ones listed in the fully funded section. Schlumberger’s Faculty for the Future, the British Council Women in STEM programme, the L’Oréal USA fellowship, and the AAUW International Fellowship cover the large majority or all of tuition, research and living costs.

Everything in the partial section is a genuine, useful grant. However, it won’t cover your entire cost of study on its own.

Can international students apply for US or UK based women’s scholarships? It depends entirely on the programme.

For example, MPOWER, Google Women Techmakers, the Amelia Earhart Fellowship, and the British Council Women in STEM programme are open to specific groups of international applicants.

Meanwhile, AAUW’s Selected Professions Fellowships and the L’Oréal USA fellowship are largely restricted to US citizens and permanent residents.

The P.E.O. International Peace Scholarship works in the opposite direction, since it’s specifically for women from outside the US and Canada.

Deadlines and process

When should I start preparing my application? Start at least six to eight weeks before the deadline. Recommendation letters and translated transcripts take time to arrange.

Do I need to already be admitted to a degree programme before applying? For most of these awards, yes.

Programmes like the P.E.O. International Peace Scholarship, Schlumberger’s fellowship, and the British Council Women in STEM programme expect you to have an offer or be currently enrolled.

What happens if I miss a deadline? Most run annually on a fixed cycle, so a missed deadline usually means waiting for the next academic year’s round. Bookmark the official page for your chosen award and check back at the same time next year.

Summary

Eighteen scholarships is fewer than some lists promise. However, every one of them is currently active and verifiable directly on the funding organisation’s own site, split honestly by how much of your costs they actually cover.

If you qualify for both fully funded and partial awards, submit your applications to the fully funded programmes first, since they usually have earlier deadlines and require more supporting documents to prepare.

Once those are complete, apply for suitable partial scholarships to reduce your overall study costs further. Since funding rules and deadlines shift every year, always confirm current details on each organisation’s site before you submit anything.