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College Grants for Math Students
According to some sources, math is a fusion of game and art. You have a deep interest in math, but what does one do with a college degree in mathematics?
Math sciences are used for a wide range of disciplines, including teaching, computer programming and software development, accounting and finance, and statistical research.
Graduates may work in academic, public or private sectors. The highest percentage of graduates with a Bachelors degree in Mathematics ends up working in the computer sciences, finance, research or teaching.
Nearly half of all graduates with a Masters degree become employed in academics, either teaching or research, statistics, or computer programming.
Federal and State Grants
Federal grants in math and the sciences emphasize a new movement afoot in academia, as well as reflecting the concerns of the federal government when it comes to global academic competitiveness. Students looking for grant money will be glad to know that now that the world is concerned with the American shortcomings in the sciences, the federal government has ramped up its grant programs for just such types of degree programs:
- The Pell Grants are designed to assist very low-income students with generous grants for education. Students apply for Pells by completing the FAFSA application.
- The Academic Competitiveness Grants augment the Pell Grant and are available to academic high-achievers who are undergraduate freshman and sophomores.
- The National SMART Grant is a new addition to the federal grants. The SMART grants augment the Pell Grant by awarding academically talented students who are interested in studying within the sciences, math, or engineering. The grant is available to undergraduate juniors or seniors.
The recent addition of the Academic Competitiveness and SMART Grants is in response to concerns that American students are lagging behind their more international peers in areas of technology, science and math. The intent behind the grants is two-fold: to assist those students interested in math and science as well as encourage high schools to ramp up their college preparatory courses so that students may actually be eligible for these grants:
- Kansas Board of Regents sponsors a Math or Science Teacher Service Scholarship. Undergraduate juniors or seniors pursuing a degree in the sciences or mathematics may qualify for scholarships in return for teaching in the Kansas school system after graduation. A year of scholarship support equals two years of employment in the state school system.
Underrepresented Populations
It's no secret that typically the math sciences are no the most popular degrees. It is especially understood that minorities and women have been seriously underrepresented in the fields. The reasons for such anomalies are both social and financial. Socially women have failed to be encouraged or exposed to math and science in the same way as their male counterparts. Minorities have been excluded for the same reason in combination with financial impairment.
- The American Statistical Society's Gertrude Cox Scholarship for Women is awarded to graduate level students pursuing a degree in mathematic sciences.
- The Association of Women in Mathematics is one of the most active professional associations dedicated to the interests of women in the sciences.
- The National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science grants addresses the continuing issue of under-representation by making grants and scholarships available to minority and women students studying a wide variety of science and math programs.
- Lucent Technology and Bell Laboratories offer a popular research grant program that grooms some of the best minds in top math and science programs for critical research projects.
Professional Math Organizations
Aspiring math majors have resources for grant funding available from professional organizations. Societies and associations for mathematicians not only support the career interests of working mathematicians, but also maintain well-endowed educational funds:
- The National Science Foundation (NSF) sponsors Graduate Research Fellowships. These merit-based grants support the research projects of graduate math, computer science, engineering, physics or chemistry students. Awards are generous and stipends are often included.
The military is particularly interested in the most talented math graduates due to ongoing projects that are of national interest:
- The National Defense Science and Engineering Graduates Fellowship program is sponsored by a combination of the Army, Navy and Air Force. These fellowships are designed for graduate students in their first year of post-baccalaureate study in math or engineering.
- Naval Research Laboratory Post-Doctoral Fellowships attract some of the best minds in math and science graduate programs. Students interested in careers that offer research positions in the Navy may have the opportunity to work on projects that demonstrate the most national need.
