Exploring Scholarship Opportunities
At Binghamton University, we encourage students to seek out external scholarships to help cover the cost of attending college. These scholarships can make a big difference, reducing financial stress by covering things like tuition, books, and living expenses.
Why Apply for External Scholarships?
- More Financial Help: Scholarships can close the gap between what financial aid covers and what you still need. This can help you graduate with less debt.
- Broader Options: Some scholarships are designed for specific groups, including those related to your background, career interests, or unique experiences. These can give you more opportunities, such as study abroad or internships.
- Stand Out: Winning scholarships not only helps with finances but also looks great on your résumé. It shows you’re dedicated, proactive, and able to compete for competitive awards.
Tips for Finding Scholarships
- Start Early: Many deadlines are months before the school year starts, so begin your search as soon as possible.
- Look Locally: Your community—whether through hometown organizations, religious groups, or your family's workplace—may have scholarships that are easier to win.
- Apply Often: Even smaller scholarships add up. Don’t hesitate to apply for as many as possible!
Where to Find Scholarships
- External Scholarships and Undergraduate Research Center: Located on campus, this center can help you find scholarships that match your goals.
- Fastweb & Scholarships.com: These are popular scholarship search engines where you can create a profile and find opportunities tailored to you.
- College Board, ScholarshipOwl, Peterson’s, Niche, and Unigo: These websites offer databases of scholarships based on your academic background, interests, and more.
- Sallie Mae Scholarship Search: Known for student loans, Sallie Mae also provides a vast database of scholarships and a free scholarship search tool.
- The U.S. Department of Labor’s Scholarship Finder: A government-run search tool that offers access to thousands of scholarships, fellowships, grants, and other financial aid opportunities.
ROTC Scholarships
If you’re interested in a military career, Binghamton offers Army and Air Force ROTC scholarships. These not only help cover the cost of college but also offer valuable leadership training and career opportunities.
Beware of Scholarship Scams
While there are many legitimate scholarships, it’s important to be cautious. Never pay to apply for a scholarship, and don’t share personal financial information unless you know the provider is reputable.
Additional Scholarship Resources:
(please note that this list is not updated regularly)
Undergraduate
- Coca Cola Scholars Foundation https://www.coca-colascholarsfoundation.org/apply/
- Hispanic Scholarship Fund https://www.hsf.net/scholarship
- P.E.O STAR Scholarship https://www.peointernational.org/educational-support/star-scholarship/
- Horatio Alger Association https://horatioalger.org/scholarships/
Incoming Freshman
- Bernard Harris Scholarship https://www.scholarships.com/financial-aid/college-scholarships/scholarship-directory/residence-state/new-york
- Gates Scholarship https://www.thegatesscholarship.org/about-gates
- Ron Brown Scholar Program https://ronbrown.org/apply/ron-brown-scholarship/
- Elks National Foundation https://www.elks.org/scholars/default.cfm
NYS Resident Only Scholarships
- NYS Child Welfare Worker Incentive Scholarship
- NYS Math and Science Teaching Incentive
- NYS Healthcare Workers for Our Future
- NY Clark Foundation Scholarship Program https://clarkscholarship.org/eligibility/
- Cornell Children’s Tuition Scholarship https://hr.cornell.edu/understand-your-benefits/finances/financial-assistance/cornell-childrens-tuition-scholarship-ccts
- Joint Industry Board of the Electrical Industry https://www.jibei.org/education-training/educational-and-cultural-programs/
- NY United Federation of Teachers Scholarship Fund https://www.uft.org/your-union/uft-programs/uft-scholarship-fund
- Island Federal Credit Union Scholarships https://islandfcu.org/island-scholarship/
- Long Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Scholarship https://lihcc.org/
NYS Regional Community Foundations
- The Grantsmanship Center- provides a summary of community foundations which give in NYS https://www.tgci.com/funding-sources/NY/community
- Community Foundation for South Central NY https://donorswhocare.org/
- Chautauqua Region Community Foundation https://www.crcfonline.org/scholarships
- Community Foundation of Elmira-Corning and The Finger Lakes https://communityfund.org/what-we-do/scholarships/
- Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region https://www.cfgcr.org/scholarships/
- Norther New York Community Foundation Inc. https://nnycf.org/scholarships/scholarship-overview
- Rochester Area Community Foundation https://www.racf.org/scholarships/search-for-scholarships/
- Community Foundation for the Hudson Valley https://communityfoundationshv.org/
- United Way of Long Island https://www.unitedwayli.org/scholarships-memorials-fund
Options for Non-Citizens, Undocumented, or DACA Students:
- Hispanic Scholarship Fund https://www.hsf.net/scholarship
- The Dream US for undocumented students https://www.thedream.us/current-scholars/
- AEF Scholarship https://www.scholarships.com/scholarships/aef-scholarship
- Davis-Putter Scholarship Fund https://www.davisputter.org/
- Immigrant Rising Scholarships https://immigrantsrising.org/resource/list-of-scholarships-and-fellowships/
- My (un)documented Life https://mydocumentedlife.org/category/college-scholarships/
Transfer Student Scholarships
- Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship is the largest private award for outstanding community college students with financial need to complete their bachelor’s degrees. https://www.jkcf.org/our-scholarships/
- NYS Transfer Articulation Association Scholarship are for students transferring from a New York State community college. https://www.nystaa.org/transfer-scholarship/
- PEO Program for continuing Education for women who have had their education interrupted and are transferring or returning to college https://www.peointernational.org/educational-support/program-for-continuing-education/
Health Professional Scholarships
- Health Workforce Scholarship https://bhw.hrsa.gov/funding/apply-scholarship
- HRSA Nursing Scholarship Program https://bhw.hrsa.gov/funding/apply-scholarship/nurse-corps
- Tylenol Future Care Scholarship https://www.tylenol.com/tylenol-future-care-scholarship
- Nursing Corps Scholarship Program https://www.forevernursing.org/
- American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) https://www.aacnnursing.org/students/scholarships-financial-aid
- National Black Nurses Association Scholarship Program https://nbna.org/programs-committees/programs/scholarships/
- Emergency Nurses Association Foundation Scholarships https://www.ena.org/foundation/scholarships
STEM Scholarships
- Barry Goldwater Scholarship https://goldwaterscholarship.gov/
- National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) https://www.nsfgrfp.org/
- Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Scholarships https://swe.org/partner/pg-scholarships/
- Smart Scholarship https://www.smartscholarship.org/smart
- Generation Google Scholarship https://buildyourfuture.withgoogle.com/scholarships
- Dell Scholars Program https://www.dellscholars.org/students/
- American Chemical Society (ACS) Scholars Program https://www.acs.org/education/acs-scholars.html
- Lockheed Martin STEM Scholarship https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/who-we-are/communities/stem-education/lm-scholarship-program.html
- National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME) Scholarships https://www.nacme.org/scholarships
NJ Resident Scholarships
- Community Foundation of NJ https://cfnj.org/
Graduate
- NYS Patricia K. McGee Nursing Faculty Scholarship
- NYS Child Welfare Worker Incentive Scholarship
- NYS Math and Science Teaching Incentive
- American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) https://www.aacnnursing.org/students/scholarships-financial-aid
- Emergency Nurses Association Foundation Scholarships https://www.ena.org/foundation/scholarships
- Horatio Alger Association https://horatioalger.org/scholarships/
- P.E.O Scholar Awards merit-based awards for women of the U.S. and Canada pursing doctoral-level degree https://www.peointernational.org/educational-support/scholar-awards/
International
- P.E.O International Peace and Scholarship Fund provides scholarships for international women students to pursue graduate study in the U.S. or Canada https://www.peointernational.org/educational-support/scholar-awards/
- AAUW International Fellowships https://www.aauw.org/resources/programs/fellowships-grants/international/
- Foreign Fulbright Program https://foreign.fulbrightonline.org/about/foreign-student-program
- Rotary Peace Fellowships https://www.rotary.org/en/our-programs/peace-fellowships
- International Scholarships.com https://www.internationalscholarships.com/