College Scholarships for Math Students
Get the Numbers Your Deserve
Math is an often-dreaded subject area that is a source of frustration for many students. It is probably why the phrase "math anxiety" originated.
Despite the decreasing popularity of math as a college major, many scholarships are available specifically for students who have demonstrated excellence in math.
Sources of Scholarships
Scholarships for math students can come from a variety of sources including private scholarships or scholarships offered directly from the college or university a student attends.
Several scholarships are linked directly to a student's performance on both the PSAT and SAT. The National Merit Scholarship program offers scholarships based on PSAT performance. Many colleges offer applicants scholarships based on high SAT performance. For example, one general requirement of a Benjamin Rush scholarship at Dickinson College, a colonial college located in rural Pennsylvania, is a combined SAT score of 1350 or greater. This scholarship provides qualifying students with $12,500 per year. Contact the financial aid office of the colleges you are interested in attending to determine what scholarships are offered to high-performing students.
National Scholarships
- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security administers the DHS Scholarship and Fellowship Program which offers full tuition plus a stipend to qualifying students in designated majors including mathematical sciences.
- The National Science Foundation is one widely recognized source of scholarships for qualifying students. Through their Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM), talented students can qualify for up to $10,000 per academic year.
- The Siemens Foundation hosts the annual Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology. Regional winners of this competition are awarded a $1000 scholarship, and national finalists can qualify for up to a $100,000 scholarship.
- The Intel Science Talent Search is a math and science scholarship program in which students compete for a top prize of $100,000. Finalists also benefit in other ways by having a better chance at admission to certain colleges and universities. New York University has consistently offered four-year scholarships to finalists of the Intel Science Talent Search who otherwise meet their admission criteria.
- MATHCOUNTS, a national math competition, is open to 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students. Participants are eligible to compete for college scholarships.
- Keep in mind that while the number of math scholarships available is limited, the number of students who major in math or other related disciplines is declining which reduces the competition pool to some extent.
University Scholarships
- Washington University in St. Louis offers full-tuition and half-tuition scholarships through the Honorary Scholars Program. The Arthur Holly Compton Fellowship in the Physical Sciences and Mathematics is part of the Honorary Scholars program. Compton Scholars receive a full-tuition scholarship in addition to a $1000 stipend.
- The University of South Dakota has several scholarships available to math majors including the William E. Ekman Scholarship, the Gutzman Family Scholarship, and the Ralph Richardson Scholarship.
- Kentucky State University offers scholarships for math majors between $400 and $1300 per semester.
- These scholarships are just a few examples of the many sources of math scholarships available at colleges and universities nationwide.
Scholarships for Those Interested in Teaching Math
Scholarships are available specifically to students who plan to teach mathematics. Math for America administers The Newton Fellowship Program which trains individuals with exceptional math abilities to become high school math teachers. A five-year teaching commitment is rewarded with $90,000 (in addition to a teaching salary) and a scholarship covering full tuition to obtain an M.Ed. While this route might be unconventional for some, the $90,000 incentive could be used to pay off any student loans an undergraduate math student acquired during college. There are also scholarships targeting all varieties of teachers, not just with math.
Financing Graduate School for Math Majors
Obtaining scholarships to study math at the graduate level is somewhat easier than at the undergraduate level. Government initiatives aimed at encouraging students to study math have increased overall funding for graduate programs. There are several sources of fellowships available which often cover the entire cost of tuition plus a nominal living stipend. National fellowships are available through private foundations such as the Fannie and John Hertz Foundation or through government foundations such as the Department of Defense, which funds the National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowships. University fellowships are also a good way to finance graduate school and can provide the same financial benefits as national fellowships.
