Niche $25,000 No Essay Scholarship
Cara Goldstone Image Written By: Cara Goldstone | Edited By: Kevin Ladd | Updated: June 1, 2026

AI (Artificial Intelligence) Scholarships

Key takeaways:

  • Enthusiasm regarding the use of AI (artificial intelligence) in the classroom is trending upwards, with 49% of higher education faculty approving it in 2024.
  • Many colleges now offer full courses of study dedicated to the development and usage of AI and machine learning, and as such, there are scholarships for it.
  • Though you can win scholarships to pursue the study of AI, you should generally avoid using AI within your scholarship applications.

According to Cengage Group’s 2024 GenAI report, almost half of all higher education professionals are optimistic about the future of artificial intelligence in educational settings. With so many colleges and their faculties embracing these new tools, more students than ever are enrolling into STEM programs to formally study AI. There are scholarships available for students of AI, machine learning, and other related fields; keep reading to learn how you can win them.

Jump to:

The 25 Best AI (Artificial Intelligence) Scholarships with Approaching Deadlines in 2026

  • 1

  • Out To Innovate Scholarships for LGBTQ+ STEM Students

  • Amount$2,500
  • DeadlineJune 30, 2026

The Out to InnovateTM Scholarships, established in 2011, are intended for LGBTQ+ undergraduate students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) programs. The scholarships are designed to promote academic excellence and increased visibility of talented LGBTQ+ students in STEM careers. Scholarship Details Multiple scholarships available Motorola

  • 2

  • SBB Research Group STEM Scholarship

  • Amount$2,500
  • DeadlineAugust 31, 2026

The SBB Research Group STEM Scholarship encourages and empowers students to create significant value and countless new opportunities for society through their pursuit of higher learning, especially through interdisciplinary combinations of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Scholarship Details Twelve (12) scholarship awards of $2,500 each per year Awarded to the

  • 3

  • Regeneron Science Talent Search Scholarship

  • Amount$250,000
  • DeadlineNovember 6, 2026

Each year, nearly 1,900 students enter the Regeneron STS, submitting original research in critically important scientific fields of study. Unique among high school competitions, the Regeneron STS focuses on identifying, inspiring, and engaging the most promising scientists among the nation’s high school seniors. All Regeneron STS entrants must follow the official rules of entry, which outline

  • 4

  • National Space Club and Foundation Keynote Scholars Program

  • Amount$20,000
  • DeadlineNovember 17, 2026

Since 2013, the National Space Club and Foundation Keynote Scholarship has offered a unique opportunity for a student to deliver the keynote address at the prestigious Goddard Memorial Dinner—an event attended by top space industry leaders. In addition to speaking at this high-profile event, the selected student receives a $20,000 scholarship to support their STEM academic journey. This award

  • 5

  • Interstellar Research Group Scholarships

  • Amount$2,500
  • DeadlineDecember 14, 2026

The Interstellar Research Group (IRG) Scholarship was created to support the next generation of innovators, scientists, and explorers who will help advance humanity’s long-term goal of interstellar travel. The $2,500 scholarships (including the Tim Bolgeo Memorial Scholarship), sponsored by IRG supporters, are merit-based and require applicants to complete an essay with their application

  • 6

  • Cards Against Humanity Science Ambassador Scholarship

  • Amount$20,000
  • DeadlineDecember 15, 2026

Applications open every fall. To apply, film a three–minute educational video of yourself explaining a STEM topic you're passionate about. To view submissions we've liked in the past, check out our previous winners at our website. You must be a high school senior or an undergraduate college student to apply. Scholarship Details Award amount: Five scholarships of $20,000 each

  • 7

  • MIT THINK Out of the Box Scholars Program

  • Amount$1,000
  • DeadlineJanuary 1, 2027

THINK caters to students who have done extensive research on the background of a potential research project, but lack the resources to complete the project themselves and are looking for additional guidance in the early stages of their project. The program is organized by a group of undergraduates at MIT. Scholarship Details Provides up to $1,000 in funding for selected research

  • 8

  • BIA Cares Scholarships

  • Amount$500
  • DeadlineJanuary 3, 2027

BIA CARES, the charitable foundation of the Building Industry Association of San Diego County, awards scholarships to high school, college and trade school students who are seeking a career in the building industry. Students, must be full time, from San Diego County or going to school in San Diego and be pursuing a career such as a developer, contractor, architect, civil/structural/soils

  • 9

  • DOE Computational Science Graduate Fellowship

  • AmountFull-Tuition
  • DeadlineJanuary 15, 2027

The DOE CSGF is open to U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents who plan full-time, uninterrupted study toward a Ph.D. at an accredited U.S. university. Scholarship Details Provides four years of financial support Available for students pursuing a Ph.D. in DOE-related fields Requires full-time enrollment at an accredited U.S. university Eligibility Criteria Must be

  • 10

  • HBCU Week x FOSSI STEM Scholarship

  • Amount$40,000
  • DeadlineJanuary 15, 2027

We're looking for students interested in making an impact and innovation through science, engineering, and math. Check the list of preferred STEM majors below. If you're pursuing one of them, apply for FOSSI. Preferred STEM majors are identified on a yearly basis by FOSSI administrators based on relevance to the chemical industry and supporting sponsor preferences. Scholarship Details Total

  • 11

  • Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship

  • Amount$40,000
  • DeadlineJanuary 15, 2027

Amazon Future Engineer students can boost their future for themselves and their community with the support of college funding, paid internships, and industry mentors. Last year, hundreds of students selected from nearly 40 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico were awarded this $40,000 scholarship, along with a paid internship at Amazon. Scholarship Details Up to $40,000 in college

  • 12

  • Edison Scholars Program

  • Amount$50,000
  • DeadlineJanuary 22, 2027

The Edison Scholars Program recognizes students who want to be makers of tomorrow — the dreamers, inventors, guardians and pioneers — those who dare to be great. Edison International will award $50,000 college scholarships to 30 high school seniors to help them follow their dreams in science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) and empower them to change the world. This is a chance for

  • 13

  • Quad City Engineering and Science Council Scholarship (QCESC)

  • Amount$3,000
  • DeadlineJanuary 27, 2027

Since 1994, the Quad City Engineering and Science Council, in collaboration with its member societies, local businesses, and regional universities, has been annually providing one-time scholarships to high school seniors pursuing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics) studies. Most recently, 17 scholarships totaling $31,500 were awarded at the Annual National Engineers Week STEM

  • 14

  • Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship & Excellence in Education Foundation

  • Amount$15,000
  • DeadlineJanuary 30, 2027

The purpose of the Foundation is to provide a continuing source of highly qualified scientists, mathematicians, and engineers by awarding scholarships to college sophomores and juniors who intend to pursue research careers in these fields. Eligible applicants must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and have a GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale. The Online Goldwater Application contains

  • 15

  • Lisa Kaminski Memorial Scholarship

  • Amount$4,000
  • DeadlineJanuary 31, 2027

Pay It Forward Cincinnati awards the $4,000 Lisa Kaminski Scholarship to a deserving high school senior in the greater Cincinnati area each year. Scholarship Details Merit-based Northern Kentucky students may apply If a tiebreaker is needed, woman applicants will be given preference Applications close January 31st Winner is announced by March

  • 16

  • Michigan Council of Women in Technology Scholarship

  • Amount$5,000
  • DeadlineJanuary 31, 2027

MCWT provides scholarships to female students who have the interest, aptitude and potential for a successful career in computer science. Our scholarship program encourages talented female students to continue their higher education and ultimately help Michigan become the No. 1 state for girls and women in technology. Applicants must be current Michigan residents, U.S. citizens, female, enrolled

  • 17

  • Florida Engineering Society High School Scholarship

  • Amount$3,000
  • DeadlineFebruary 15, 2027

The Florida Engineering Society scholarships are generously funded by the Florida Engineering Foundation, Inc. (FEF). Established in 1986, FEF is a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit entity whose mission is to encourage and assist students in pursuing engineering careers and to educate the public about engineering. Furthermore, the Florida Engineering Foundation, Inc. promotes and enhances engineering

  • 18

  • Tailhook Educational Foundation (TEF) Scholarships

  • Amount$20,000
  • DeadlineFebruary 16, 2027

The Tailhook Educational Foundation (TEF) is a charitable nonprofit California corporation created in February 1992. The Foundation's charter is "to educate the nation's public with regard to the history and present day activities of the United States Navy carrier aviation and its importance to our country's national security." Eligibility To be eligible for a Tailhook Educational Foundation

  • 19

  • SVCF Latinos In Technology Scholarship

  • Amount$18,000
  • DeadlineFebruary 27, 2027

The Latinos in Technology Scholarship supports Latino college students in 3 ways: Financial. We financially support third and fourth-year Latino students who have declared a major in a STEM-related field at a 4-year university with scholarships of up to $6,000 renewable for up to three years. Professional Development. All of our Latinos in Technology scholars have the opportunity to participate

  • 20

  • ITWomen Scholarship Program

  • Amount$8,000
  • DeadlineFebruary 28, 2027

The ITWomen Charitable Foundation's college scholarship program supports the mission of ITWomen to increase the number of women earning information technology and engineering degrees. Female high school seniors graduating from schools in South Florida who plan to earn college degrees in Information Technology and Engineering in the STEM academic strand are eligible to apply for these four-year

  • 21

  • Center for Cyber Safety and Education Academic Scholarships

  • Amount$5,000
  • DeadlineMarch 15, 2027

The Center for Cyber Safety and Education’s academic scholarship program provides scholarships to Associates, Undergraduate and Graduate students pursuing degrees in cybersecurity or information assurance. Awards are $3,000 USD for Associates students and $5,000 USD for Undergraduate and Graduate students. This scholarship helps cover tuition, fees, books and required materials for students

  • 22

  • HITEC Foundation Scholarship

  • Amount$5,000
  • DeadlineMarch 16, 2027

The HITEC Foundation Scholarship is designed to assist students of Hispanic descent to obtain a university degree within the technology industry. Scholarships are available, on a competitive basis, to high school seniors, undergraduate students community college students transferring to four-year universities, graduate students and DACA (Deferred Actions for Early Childhood Arrivals)

  • 23

  • Vectra AI Cybersecurity Scholarship

  • Amount$10,000
  • DeadlineMarch 31, 2027

Vectra AI is proud to introduce the AI Scholars Program, a scholarship opportunity for high school, college and graduate students who have groundbreaking ideas for leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) in cybersecurity. Scholarship Details Total of $20,000 in cash prizes distributed among top applicants One-year mentorship program with Vectra AI security researchers and industry

  • 24

  • ESA Foundation Computer and Video Game Arts Scholarship

  • Amount$10,000
  • DeadlineApril 30, 2027

The ESA Foundation established a scholarship fund to support students from under-served and under-represented groups to inspire future creators in the video game industry. Scholarship Details Administered by the ESA Foundation to promote diversity in the video game industry Established in 2007 and awarded to over 450 students nationwide Provides funding for students pursuing

  • 25

  • Women in STEM Empowerment Scholarship

  • Amount$1,000
  • DeadlineMay 1, 2027

This scholarship aims to support female students who are passionate about STEM fields and have demonstrated initiative through independent or outstanding project work. One award will be given to the top candidate from the United States and one from Canada. The goal is to encourage more women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) by recognizing and rewarding their

What is an AI scholarship?

An AI scholarship is an award given to students to help them pursue the study of generative or assistive AI, machine learning, or the larger scale impact of AI on society and culture. There are all kinds of AI awards available for students from different states, family situations, and financial circumstances— and unlike student loans, scholarships do not need to be repaid, so AI-interested students can minimize their debt by winning them.

Students who hope to study AI can receive scholarships in overlapping academic categories such as engineering, computer science, and technology; almost any STEM field can incorporate the study of AI, so STEM scholarships are great options for these students. Even students in humanities fields can win scholarships to pursue AI, so long as they apply for the right opportunities.

Where to find the best AI scholarships

Since the category of AI scholarships is so vast, your first step to finding the best one for you is to determine what it is you are looking for in particular. For instance, if you are interested in programming the AI for video game characters, you should look for programming-based AI scholarships; if you are interested in the use of AI for medical screenings, you should look for medicine scholarships.

Whether it’s large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, assistive AI technologies like crash detection in vehicles, some other type of machine learning, or even the ethics and energy consumption of these new tools, the best way to find a scholarship that will help you pursue your particular field of interest in AI is to sign up for a free account on Scholarships.com. All you need to do is input your areas of interest and we will automatically match you with every scholarship in our database for which you are eligible, including AI scholarships.

How to apply for AI scholarships

Applying for AI-based scholarships is easy once you have created your free Scholarships.com account. Each of your scholarship matches has a detailed description; click on each title to view a list of eligibility criteria and the steps you’ll need to take to apply. If you are ever unsure about the application process for a particular scholarship, reach out to the scholarship provider directly for their assistance.

It’s important to remember that while there are many scholarships related to the study of AI, you cannot necessarily use AI in all your scholarship applications; the extent to which you are permitted to use generative AI to craft an application varies widely and is sometimes outright banned. Learn more about using AI to apply for scholarships in the following FAQs.

Frequently asked questions about AI scholarships:

Can you use AI to apply for scholarships?

Typically, you cannot use AI to generate any part of your scholarship applications, even if the scholarship for which you are applying aims to promote the study of AI; these scholarships are judged on the basis of your critical thinking skills and your motivation to apply them in a collegiate setting, not on the basis of your aptitude at prompting generative AI.

It’s especially important not to use AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude to generate the materials within your scholarship applications. Whether it’s an essay, a personal statement, or even just a short-answer response, scholarship providers want to hear your story in your own words. At best, using AI to generate these materials will cause you to miss out on valuable writing practice; at worst, you could be disqualified entirely.

While you should avoid using generative AI to apply to scholarships, many students choose to use assistive AI to organize their application process. Planning programs like Notion are popular among scholarship seekers for this reason. You can easily apply to scholarships without any AI intervention by using Scholarships.com’s built-in tools to organize your scholarship matches. Just click the icons in each listing to save, check off, or hide any match.

What do I do if my scholarship application is flagged for AI?

Unfortunately, you will not typically be informed if your scholarship application is wrongly flagged for AI usage; scholarship providers do not usually provide reasons for the rejection of any given application. In the rare instance that you are notified your application has been flagged, though, you may be able to appeal the decision with sufficient evidence that your application was not generated through AI.

To avoid the possibility of your scholarship application being discarded for suspected AI usage, be sure all components of your application are your own work. Do not use LLMs like ChatGPT to outline, clean up, or enhance your application— even the hallmark structure of an AI-composed paragraph alone may be enough for your application to be set aside. If you are applying for a scholarship that requires a research-based essay with citations, make sure to cite all sources you use in accordance with the scholarship guidelines.

What are the best colleges for studying AI?

There are many options to pursue the study of AI at the college level. For the most rigorous course of study, many students interested in AI apply to colleges and universities with historically-prestigious STEM programs. For example, Agneya Tharun, Scholarships.com winner and Amazon Future Engineer scholar with a career interest in artificial intelligence, attends Carnegie Mellon University. Another Scholarships.com winner interested in the study of AI is Mark Leschinsky, a Coca-Cola scholar studying at Stanford University.

While these well-known schools are fantastic options for students who hope to study AI in college, there are also AI programs at smaller universities across the country. Be sure to consider all aspects of each campus you are considering before you make your decision; choose a program that works for you, whether it’s at Harvard, a state school, or even a community college.

Do you have to have financial need to apply for AI scholarships?

While some AI scholarships require students to demonstrate financial need in order to apply, there are also plenty that are solely merit-based. For instance, the $10,000 Vectra AI Cybersecurity Scholarship is open to high school, undergraduate, and graduate students interested in AI and cybersecurity regardless of financial need.

Are there AI scholarships for women?

Many scholarships offered to those pursuing STEM fields— including the study of AI— aim to uplift minority groups. Women are particularly underrepresented in STEM programs, so there are hundreds of scholarships designed specifically to promote their enrollment. For example, the Women in STEM Empowerment Scholarship is open only to female STEM students, including those aiming to study AI. Worth $1,000, this scholarship is project-based; recipients are chosen based on descriptions of their work in the field.