A rise in big data and data science scholarships has been sparked by the increasing demand for scientists to evaluate the 2.5 quintillion bytes of data produced everyday.
An interdisciplinary STEM area called data science offers bachelor’s through doctoral degrees with a focus on information extraction from vast amounts of data gathered during research. According to Analytics India Magazine, in addition to the Covid-19 recession, businesses will experience an increase in automation, which will result in a lack of experienced data scientists if data scientists do not retrain and upskill themselves. Big data studies can prepare you for a variety of jobs, including:
- data analyst
- database administrator
- data architect
- data engineer
- analytics consultant
- quantitative analyst
Data science students have a lot of scholarships they can apply to! Apply for one or more of the following financial aid opportunities for data analytics to turn your love of numbers into dollar signs.
1. ACM SIGHPC Computational & Data Science Fellowship
Deadline: April 30th
For master’s or doctorate students working on large-scale big data projects, the Association for Computing Machinery’s (ACM) Special Interest Group on High Performance Computing (SIGHPC) offers the Computational & Data Science Fellowship, worth $15,000. Women or people of color who haven’t finished all of their computing degrees at recognized U.S. universities will be eligible nominees.
Contact
ACM SIGHPC Computational & Data Science Fellowship
2 Penn Plaza, Suite 701
New York, NY 10121
(212) 869-7440
treasurer@sighpc.org
2. Acxiom Corporation Diversity Scholarship
Deadline: December 31st
Acxiom Corporation, a publicly traded marketing analytics company established in 1969, has launched the Diversity Scholarship Initiative in order to provide $5,000 annually to nine full-time college students studying in:
- computer science
- computer information systems
- data science
- statistics
- math
- information quality
- related fields
These data science specific scholarships are available to students:
- achieving junior rank in their bachelor’s degree program, at the most least
- belonging to an underrepresented minority historically
- obtaining a 3.0 GPA or above
- accepting to work as an intern at Acxiom offices
Contact
Acxiom Corporation Diversity Scholarship
301 E. Dave Ward Drive
Conway, AR 72032
(877) 314-2049
Candice.Davis@acxiom.com
3. Mathematical Sciences Graduate Scholarship
Deadline: March 31
The Fuller Trust sponsors a scholarship program at Central Connecticut State University. Those wishing to apply for a scholarship must have matriculated in or submitted an application to a graduate program in the mathematical sciences. These big data scholarships, which are renewable, have a maximum value of $200 per credit (or $800 each semester). Review of applications is done according to academic merit. Awards for graduate students must be used within a 12-month period.
4. GAANN Fellowships in Computer and Information Sciences for Artificial Intelligence Research
Deadline: November 30th
Worcester Polytechnic Institute offers one of the most valuable big data scholarships. WPI offers six three-year PhD Fellowships in Artificial Intelligence Research through the Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) Grant from the U.S. Department of Education. These fully-funded PhD in data science grants come with the following benefits:
- an annual stipend of up to $34,000 based on need
- full tuition and fees
- health insurance coverage
Candidates are required to have plans to obtain a PhD in artificial intelligence. With the assistance of WPI faculty members from the fields of computer science, data science, or learning sciences and technology, doctoral candidates will research artificial intelligence. Candidates should:
- federal aid eligible under 34 CFR 75.60
- present exceptional academic records
- have financial need
- be a US citizen, a US national, or permanent resident of the US
Contact
GAANN PhD Fellowship in Big Data Computing Research
100 Institute Road
Worcester, MA 01609
(508) 831-5000
DS-GAANN@wpi.edu
5. Richard P. Covert, PhD, LFHIMSS Scholarship for Management Systems
Deadline: October 6
The HIMSS Foundation is providing this special scholarship opportunity. Students who want to earn a degree in management engineering can get funding. At the time of the award, candidates must be at least first-term juniors. Candidates should be:
- Active and in good standing HIMSS student members
- Taking classes in a recognized undergraduate, graduate, or doctorate program
- Seeking a degree in a subject relating to the domains of health information and technology or healthcare management systems
This $5,000 award is given to one student.
Contact
HIMSS
350 N. Orleans St. Suite S100000
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 664-4467
6. Ike Wai Graduate Scholarship Program
Deadline: February 1st
The Ike Wai Graduate Scholarship, which is supported by the NSF and is a part of the EPSCoR Hawaii Program, offers full-time graduate research assistants at the University of Hawaii-Manoa who are pursuing research-based master’s or doctoral degrees $29,148 yearly in the following fields:
- geoscience
- data science
- engineering
- social science
- Hawaiian language
The two-year big data scholarships entail spending 20 hours per week at an Ike Wai research facility on initiatives that guarantee the long-term water security of the Aloha State.
Contact
Ike Wai Graduate Scholarship Program
1680 East-West Road
Honolulu, HI 96822
(808) 956-3154
barb@hawaii.edu
7. Women in Operations Research-Bayer Scholarship
Deadline: February 13th
The Institute for Operations Research and Management Sciences, in collaboration with Bayer, provides a scholarship program for female graduate students with an interest in operations research. A master’s or doctoral degree in operations research or analytics must be pursued by applicants. Additionally, they have to be a member of INFORMS’ Analytics Society. To cover the cost of registration and travel to the INFORMS Annual Meeting, the winner will receive $1,300. Applications are evaluated according to:
- statement of purpose
- letter of recommendation
- resume or CV
- level of involvement or services to INFORMS
Contact
INFORMS
5521 Research Park Drive, Suite 200
Catonsville, MD 21228
(800) 446-3676
informs@informs.org
8. Jack Larson Data for Public Good Fellowship
Deadline: Varies
The Jack Larson Data for Public Good Fellowship, established in January 2017, is given out by the University of California-Berkeley School of Information in recognition of the Haas Hall of Famer who won the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Service Award. Six students pursuing the Master of Information and Data Science (MIDS) degree will be chosen by the program to receive the $8,500 scholarships each year. Postgraduates employing big data to improve human lives are preferred.
The scholarship program was created to help students who desire to use data science to advance society. Candidates ought to have experience working for:
- non-profits
- government
- community service organizations
Recipients are selected based on:
- service background
- vision/plan for using data for societal benefit
- career plans
- financial need
Contact
Jack Larson Data for Public Good Fellowship
102 South Hall #4600
Berkeley, CA 94720
(855) 678-6437
studentsupport@datascience.berkeley.edu
9. Milliman Opportunity Scholarship Fund
Deadline: June 1st
To help undergraduate students who have historically been underrepresented in data science and related fields, the Milliman Opportunity Scholarship Fund was established. Scholarship America oversees the administration of the program. The Scholarship Fund gives out 15–25 prizes totaling at least $5,000 made out to the recipient’s college. Candidates who qualify must have at least one birth parent who belongs to one of the following groups:
- African decent
- Latino/Hispanic
- Native North American
- Pacific Islander
Eligibility depends on students’ admission into accredited, four-year U.S. colleges for actuarial majors like:
- data science
- data analytics
- economics
- statistics
- mathematics
- computer science
- programming
Contact
Milliman Opportunity Scholarship Fund
One Scholarship Way
Saint Peter, MN 56082
(507) 931-1682
milliman-opportunity@scholarshipamerica.org
10. MinneAnalytics Data Science Scholarship
Deadline: Varies
A $1,000 Data Science Scholarship is given out by MinneAnalytics, a Minnesota organization with more than 10,000 members, before a $5,000 grand prize winner is chosen in December. The big data scholarships, which are managed by the Minnesota High Tech Association Foundation, are appropriate for undergraduates and postgraduates pursuing analytics professions at recognized in-state universities. Students that are interested in the Scholarship should inquire with their college. Former recipients go to:
- UM-Duluth
- UM-Twin Cities
- Winona State
Contact
MinneAnalytics Data Science Scholarship
200 SE Oak Street
Minneapolis, MN 55455
(612) 624-5747
Dan@minneanalytics.org
11. Remote DBA Scholarship
Deadline: April 15th
Since 2015, Remote DBA has offered a $1,000 Experts to Students Scholarship to help high school seniors or current college freshmen who want to pursue professions in data analytics and have received certified training in:
- data science
- database administration
- data analytics
Current college freshmen who are interested must have a GPA of at least 2.5. Seniors graduating from high school should have a minimum GPA of 3.0. Applicants must submit:
- online application
- cover letter explaining how they will use the scholarship
- 500-word essay on the topic “My vision for the world 20 years from now: How access to data and technology will change everything around us.”
Contact
Remote DBA Experts to Students Scholarship
100 E. Broward Blvd., Suite 1700
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
(800) 818-2126
student-scholarship@remotedba.com
12. Russ Peterson Technology Scholarship
Deadline: February 28th
The Russ Peterson Technology Scholarship is one of the almost $400,000 in financial help given out each year by the CUNY School of Professional Studies in Manhattan. This merit-based program assists full-time students who want to pursue careers in big data and are less than 30 credits away from:
- B.S. in Information Systems
- B.S. in Health Information Management
- M.S. in Data Analytics
The minimum cumulative GPA for applicants must be higher than 3.0. The Bob Martin Memorial Scholarship and the Eugene Walters Scholarship are further choices.
Contact
Russ Peterson Technology Scholarship
119 W. 31st Street
New York, NY 10001
(212) 652-2869
scholarships@sps.cuny.edu
13. Erik Duval Travel Scholarship
Deadline: May 20th
This is a chance for data science students who desire to attend SoLAR’s Learning Analytics Summer Institute. Scholarships are provided by the Society for Learning Analytics Research to PhD and master’s degree holders who are now enrolled in data analytics or data science programs. Applicants must:
- be a member of SoLAR
- submit a letter of recommendation
- complete an application
- provide proof of enrollment
Aspiring data scientists now have the chance to join a global learning community devoted to the subject. Essays explaining how this experience will enhance their study and what they hope to learn from the conference are required of applicants.
Contact
Nicole Hoover, SoLAR Event and Management Coordinator
solarsocietymgmt@gmail.com
15. Bloomberg’s Data Science PhD Fellowship
Deadline: April 15th
An outstanding program that offers assistance and funding to qualified PhD candidates in data science is Bloomberg’s Data Science PhD Fellowship. The program consists of:
- 100% of the cost of tuition
- $35,000 per year living stipend
- up to $5,000 to attend professional conferences
- a Bloomberg mentor
- a 14 week paid summer research internship
Applicants must submit:
- curriculum vitae
- research proposal
- reference letter
Contact
rdml@bloomberg.net
Thankfully, aspiring professionals can apply for data science grants and scholarships. Even data science majors have been taken aback by data on tuition. The average student has post-graduation debt before interest of $30,100, according to the Institute of College Access and Success. With a mean default rate of 11.8 percent, the 44 million borrowers in America together owe $1.41 trillion in outstanding student loan debt. Even if Salary.com reports that the median yearly salary for data scientists is $122,258, it can be difficult to bear high loan payments. Financial help like these data science scholarship opportunities are thankfully expanding to lessen the burden for those who can show they are in need of it.
See also: Data Science Courses in Canada for International Students
