Last verified: 30 August 2026
US STEM scholarships can reduce tuition costs, fund research or support students throughout a degree. However, the nine programmes in this guide do not work in the same way.
Some pay the student directly, some pay the university, and SMART requires paid government service after graduation. Gates and Soros fund several subjects, but eligible STEM students can also use them.
This guide helps you identify the awards that fit your degree level, citizenship and career plan. It also shows what to do next, so you do not spend hours preparing an application for a programme you cannot enter.
What is open today
| Programme | Current position | What you should do |
|---|---|---|
| The Gates Scholarship | Open until 15 September 2026 | Read the current Gates requirements before starting |
| SMART Scholarship for Service | Open until 4 December 2026 at 5 pm Eastern Time | Use the SMART eligibility check before preparing documents |
| Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship | Open until 29 October 2026 at 2 pm Eastern Time | Check the Soros New American rules first |
| Hertz Fellowship | Opens on 31 August 2026. The application deadline is in late October 2026. | Confirm your PhD field and stage of study now |
| Goldwater Scholarship | Opens on 1 September 2026. The national nomination deadline is 29 January 2027 | Contact your campus representative because the university sets its own earlier deadline |
| NSF GRFP | Â Open for the FY 2027 competition | Deadlines run from 19 to 23 October 2026, depending on the field. Read the current solicitation and use the deadline for your chosen major field |
| NSF S STEM | There is no national student deadline | Ask your university whether it has an active project and a local application |
| SWE society selected scholarships | The 2026 to 2027 applications are closed | Register interest in the 2027 to 2028 cycle or check separate local section awards |
| DOE CSGF | The application for study beginning in autumn 2026 closed on 15 January 2026 | Watch for the next annual application, which normally begins in autumn |
An open programme is not automatically a suitable programme. Check citizenship, degree level and course rules before you start an essay.
Compare the nine US STEM scholarships
| Programme | Study level | Confirmed funding | Main eligibility point | First action |
| NSF Graduate Research Fellowship | Research Master’s or PhD | Three funded years, each with a $37,000 stipend and a $16,000 education allowance | US citizen, national or permanent resident who meets the graduate study limits | Read the current FY 2027 solicitation and use the deadline for your chosen major field. |
| NSF S STEM | Associate, undergraduate or graduate | Up to $15,000 a year for undergraduates and $20,000 for graduate students, limited by unmet need | Eligible domestic low income student with unmet need and academic ability, talent or potential | Ask your financial aid office whether your institution has an active S STEM project |
| Barry Goldwater Scholarship | Undergraduate | Up to $7,500 for one academic year, or up to $15,000 across two years for an eligible sophomore | US citizen, national or permanent resident preparing for a research career | Find your campus Goldwater representative before the internal deadline |
| The Gates Scholarship | Undergraduate | Last dollar support for the remaining cost of attendance after other aid and the Student Aid Index | Pell eligible US high school senior with at least a 3.3 weighted GPA | Check all eligibility rules before writing essays |
| SMART Scholarship for Service | Undergraduate, Master’s or PhD | Full tuition and a stipend of $30,000 to $46,000, depending on degree level | Eligible citizen who accepts internships and post study civilian service | Decide whether the service commitment fits your career plan |
| Hertz Fellowship | PhD | Up to five years of funding, valued at up to $250,000 | US citizen or permanent resident entering an eligible full time PhD | Check that you are within the normal application stage |
| Society of Women Engineers Scholarships | First year, undergraduate or graduate engineering | Award values and conditions vary by individual scholarship | Applicant on a qualifying engineering or engineering technology course | Check the application for your region and year of study |
| DOE Computational Science Graduate Fellowship | PhD | $45,000 annual stipend, full tuition and required fees, plus $1,000 a year for professional development | US citizen or lawful permanent resident entering an eligible doctoral field | Compare your research with the two available study tracks |
| Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship | Graduate study in any field, including STEM | Up to $90,000 across two years | Eligible immigrant or child of immigrants who meets the New American and age rules | Complete the immigration status check before working on the application |
The values in this table are not all money paid directly to the student. For example, the NSF GRFP education allowance goes to the institution. The Gates award also has no standard cash value because it covers eligible costs left after other financial aid.
Which scholarship should you consider?
If you are still in high school
Start with the Gates Scholarship if you are a Pell eligible US citizen or permanent resident, have at least a 3.3 weighted GPA and plan to enrol full time on a four year degree at an accredited, not for profit US institution.
The award is not limited to STEM courses. However, a student planning a STEM degree can apply if all the general conditions are met.
Do not estimate the award by copying figures from past scholars. Gates provides last dollar support. This means the programme considers the cost of attendance, other financial aid and the Student Aid Index before calculating the award.
If you are an undergraduate researcher
The Goldwater Scholarship may fit sophomores and juniors who intend to build a research career in natural science, mathematics or engineering. It is not a general award for any student with good STEM grades.
You cannot apply directly to the Foundation. Your university must nominate you through its campus representative. Consequently, your campus deadline matters more than the national deadline and may arrive several weeks earlier.
Goldwater pays no more than $7,500 for one academic year. An eligible sophomore can receive support for two years, bringing the maximum to $15,000. It belongs in this guide because of its research focus, not because it is worth more than $50,000.
If you have financial need at a participating university
NSF S STEM works differently from a national scholarship. The National Science Foundation funds colleges and universities, and those institutions select their own scholars.
The current maximum is $15,000 a year for an undergraduate and $20,000 for a graduate student. However, the scholarship cannot exceed your unmet financial need. Your institution’s financial aid office calculates that amount after considering other eligible aid.
There is no single student application covering every university. Ask your financial aid office or STEM department these questions:
- Does our institution have an active S STEM project?
- Which courses and years of study qualify?
- How does the university define academic eligibility and financial need?
- When does the local application close?
This simple check can save you from searching for a national form that does not exist.
If you are applying for research based graduate study
The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship supports eligible research based Master’s and doctoral students in NSF supported STEM fields and STEM education. It provides three years of financial support within a five year fellowship period.
For each funded year, the fellow receives a $37,000 stipend. NSF also pays a $16,000 education allowance to the institution. Therefore, the three funded years represent $159,000 in combined stipend and institutional support, but the student does not personally receive the full amount.
Applicants prepare a personal statement and a graduate research plan. Under the FY 2027 rules, eligible first year graduate students must be in their first graduate degree programme and have completed less than one academic year by the application deadline. Second year graduate students are not eligible. Deadlines run from 19 to 23 October 2026, depending on the applicant’s major field.
If you want a PhD in applied science, mathematics or engineering
The Hertz Fellowship is for applicants who plan to complete a full time, in person PhD in the United States. The normal applicant group includes college seniors, first year graduate students and people in a gap period preparing for graduate school.
The fellowship offers up to five years of support worth as much as $250,000. However, the large value does not make every STEM PhD eligible. Your field and stage of study must match the rules.
Before applying, write one paragraph explaining the important problem you want to solve, why it matters and what knowledge you still need. If you cannot make that connection clearly, your research direction may need more work before you start the application.
If you want funding linked to a government career
SMART is a scholarship for service programme. It covers full tuition and provides an annual stipend of $30,000 to $46,000, depending on degree level.
Scholars also complete internships and accept civilian employment after graduation. The service period matches the number of funded academic years.
For the application now open, applicants may be citizens of the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the United Kingdom.
They must have at least a 3.0 GPA, request between one and five years of funding beginning in August 2027, and meet the remaining study and service conditions.
Do not treat SMART as free funding with an optional job at the end. The employment commitment is part of the award. Apply only if you are willing to work at the sponsoring facility and accept the conditions in the service agreement.
If you study computational science
The DOE Computational Science Graduate Fellowship is designed for doctoral research that joins computation with science or engineering.
It offers a $45,000 yearly stipend, pays full tuition and required fees, and provides a $1,000 annual professional development allowance. Support can last for four years but must be renewed annually.
The programme also requires a 12 week research experience at an approved national laboratory or site. Before applying, check whether your proposed work fits the Science and Engineering track or the Mathematics and Computer Science track. A project that merely uses a computer is not automatically computational science.
If you study engineering or engineering technology
The Society of Women Engineers manages society selected scholarships, while local sections offer separate awards. For the main programme, undergraduates entering their second, third or fourth year and graduate students normally need at least a 3.0 GPA. Students entering their first year normally need at least a 3.5 GPA. Course accreditation and regional rules also apply.
The main 2026 to 2027 application has closed. However, local section awards follow their own timetables, so check each listing rather than treating the whole SWE programme as closed.
Do not add several possible awards together and present them as one scholarship worth $50,000. Instead, shortlist each award separately and record its exact value, renewal rule and application route.
If you are a New American graduate student
The Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship supports 30 New Americans each year across graduate fields, including STEM. Each fellow may receive up to $25,000 a year in stipend support and up to $20,000 a year towards tuition for two years. Tuition support cannot exceed 50 per cent of eligible tuition and fees. The maximum award is $90,000.
This is not a general international student scholarship. You must satisfy one of the programme’s qualifying New American categories, be 30 or younger on the deadline and plan to enter or continue an eligible full time US graduate or professional programme. A current student cannot have started the third year of the programme by the application deadline.
A practical way to choose before applying
Create a short comparison sheet with these six columns:
| Check | What to record |
| Status | Open, closed or not yet announced |
| Personal eligibility | Citizenship, immigration status, age and degree stage |
| Course eligibility | Exact subject, institution and study level |
| Real funding | Stipend, tuition payment, allowance and uncovered costs |
| Obligation | Nomination, internship, research plan or service commitment |
| Your deadline | The provider deadline and any earlier university deadline |
Remove a programme from your shortlist as soon as one compulsory rule excludes you. This is more effective than starting nine applications and discovering the restrictions later.
Once you have two or three realistic choices, use the scholarship application guide to organise your documents and timeline. If an award requires an essay, the separate guide to writing a scholarship personal statement explains how to use evidence instead of vague claims.
Common mistakes that waste an application
- Choosing only by award value: A smaller award you clearly qualify for is a better target than a large fellowship outside your field or study stage.
- Confusing tuition support with cash: Some allowances go to the university and cannot be used freely for rent or personal costs.
- Ignoring a campus nomination: Goldwater applicants need institutional nomination, while S STEM applications depend on the participating university.
- Missing immigration restrictions: Most programmes in this guide do not accept students who only hold a temporary international student visa.
- Ignoring an employment obligation: SMART funding comes with internships and post study civilian service.
- Using one generic essay: Each programme looks for different evidence. Reusing the same examples without adapting them weakens the application.
Can international students use this guide?
Yes, but mainly to rule programmes in or out quickly. Most awards listed here require US citizenship, US national status, permanent residence or a specific New American status.
SMART is broader for the 2026 rules because eligible citizens may come from the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the United Kingdom. Even then, applicants must satisfy all other conditions and accept the service requirement.
Students who do not meet these status rules should search for funding offered directly by their chosen university, home government, employer or an international foundation. They should not change their answers or hide their status to enter a restricted programme.
What to do after receiving funding
Read the award conditions before accepting. Check whether the programme limits other funding, requires progress reports or sets rules for changing courses or institutions. Keep a copy of the agreement and ask the provider to explain any condition you do not understand.
Finally, use the funded period to build evidence of your work. Record your research methods, technical tools, results and presentations.
Graduates who later want to move into artificial intelligence can use the remote machine learning jobs guide to understand how to present that experience to employers.
Final check
These nine programmes offer valuable support, but there is no single best US STEM scholarship for everyone. Your best option is the one for which you meet every compulsory rule and can provide clear evidence against the selection criteria.
Check the live provider page before submitting because award amounts, deadlines and eligibility rules can change. This guide was verified on 30 August 2026 and should support your research, not replace the programme’s current terms.