Coding Scholarships for High School Students

Learning to code is a tremendously marketable skill that improves the way you think and can make for an entertaining hobby as well. A young person who learns to code is almost certainly setting themselves up for professional and personal success later on in life.

Coding is an exciting component of computer science that high school students can learn early, and there are plenty of scholarships available for students willing to apply themselves. 

Coding is an important element of computer science, which is why this article will focus on computer science and general STEM scholarships; coding itself does not require a college degree, but computer science does. The requirements to apply for scholarships vary based on who is sponsoring the funds. Common requirements include high academic performance/GPA and a demonstrated financial need for assistance.

General Coding Scholarships

The Generation Google Scholarship is a primarily essay-based scholarship for students who excel in academics but might be limited in their ability to pursue higher education because of their current financial situation. This program is not limited to students from minority backgrounds, but those who do are especially encouraged to apply. To apply for this scholarship you need to already have been accepted to a bachelor’s degree program in computer science or a related field. Recipients of this scholarship will receive $10,000 if they are in the US; Canadian recipients receive $5,000. 

Lockheed Martin offers a STEM scholarship for high school students. While this scholarship is not solely for minorities, special consideration is given to those who are members of minority communities that are typically underrepresented in the world of technology, including LGBT students, those with documented disabilities, and first-generation college attendees. This scholarship of $10,000 is awarded to approximately 200 students every year; the recipients also have the option to reapply every year for a total of $40,000 per student. 

The National Society of High School Scholars awards ten $1,000 scholarships to high school seniors intending to attend college and major in a STEAM field (science/medicine, technology, engineering, arts, or mathematics). The application requires a resume, transcript, and letter of recommendation. Interested applicants must also submit an essay explaining why they want to pursue a career in STEAM and what drew them to their chosen line of work. There is also a $10,000 scholarship available for students who present projects at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair. If you’re curious, you can see previous winners of this scholarship and all submitted abstracts to learn more about the projects that students have previously submitted for consideration. 

Finally, if a relatively simple application sounds appealing to you, check out the Hustle Tech & Business News No-Essay Scholarship. There is only one recipient every year, but the winner receives $10,000 and, you guessed it, you don’t have to write a long and time-consuming essay to apply. All you have to do is be an engaging subscriber to Hustle Daily.

Coding Scholarships for Minorities

Black high school students have several scholarships available. A few of these are the Blacks@Microsoft Scholarship and the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) STEM Scholarship. Both programs require the submission of a resume, a high school transcript, and letters of recommendation. The Microsoft scholarships require a 3.3 minimum GPA and are need-based, meaning you must demonstrate financial hardship as one of the conditions of applying. They award four $20,000 scholarships, eight $10,000 scholarships, and fifteen $1,000 scholarships to the winners. 

The UNCF Scholarship requires a 3.0 GPA or higher and, while awardees can be given up to $25,000, it is designed as a “last dollar” scholarship. This means that recipients are given an amount based on their family’s contribution to their education, other scholarships and grants they may have been awarded, and other financial aid they are eligible to receive. This amount is typically agreed upon by the UNCF and the financial aid office of the college to which you have been admitted. After this amount has been calculated, the scholarship then gives students up to $2,500 per year for their freshman and sophomore years, then $5,000 for their junior and senior years.

The Undergraduate Minorities in STEM Scholarship offers $1,000 to one recipient each year. Applicants must be accepted to or already pursuing a STEM degree at a Historically Black College or University (HBCU), have a minimum of a 3.0 GPA, and be a member of any marginalized group. The current essay topic asks students to discuss their career goals and how being awarded this scholarship would help them achieve these goals. 

Female students have the opportunity to apply for the VIP Women in Technology Scholarship. Recipients are awarded $2,500 based on their answers to an essay question. Their leadership skills, academic achievement, and community involvement are also evaluated to determine who will be given this scholarship. The Learner Education Women in Mathematics Scholarship of $1,000 is given to one winner every six months. Current high school seniors are eligible to apply. They must submit an essay that describes their interest in mathematics and how it has shaped their view of the world.

Learn Coding in NextGen’s Summer Classes

If you’d like to boost your resume in advance of applying for scholarships, you can look into NextGen Bootcamp’s coding classes for high school students. NextGen Bootcamp offers in-person coding courses in Manhattan and live online coding classes that can be attended remotely from anywhere. You can also review the full list of coding courses for high school students on NextGen’s website if you’d like to learn more.