Following in the footsteps of powerful businesswomen like Sheryl Sandberg, Indra Nooyi, Virginia Rometty, and Ursula Burns could be more affordable with scholarships for women in business.
The Women’s Bureau reports that females age 16 years and over comprise 47 percent of the United States civilian workforce. Yet gender gaps are still prominent in mid- and upper-level management jobs. Only 4 percent of global corporations making the Fortune 500 list had female Chief Executive Officers in 2016. Women-owned companies account for just 31 percent of all privately held entities nationwide.
If you’re preparing to bring your women’s intuition, compassion, and determined spirit to the C-Suite, here are five great business scholarships to help you get there.
1. Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship
Since 1998, Zonta International has operated the Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship Program to provide 12 international awards of $7,000 and 32 district-level awards of $1,000 annually. Women from age 18 to 88 could apply before the July 1st deadline through their local Zonta club. Funding is restricted to ladies who aim for the boardroom at accredited global universities with bachelor’s and master’s majors in business management disciplines, such as logistics, finance, marketing, or entrepreneurship.
2. Asian Women in Business Scholarship Fund
Headquartered in New York City, Asian Women in Business (AWIB) is a nonprofit membership organization founded in 1995 that’s supporting female entrepreneurs of Asian heritage with this $2,500 annual, one-time scholarship. Women at accredited undergrad B-schools must have completed at least one semester with a minimum 3.0 GPA and active campus or community service. Qualified U.S. citizens or green card holders from 20 Asian countries, including China, Laos, Nepal, Pakistan, and Thailand, can apply by mail until October 25th.
3. NHBWA Educational Scholarship Program
Every Spring, the National Hispanic Business Women Association (NHBWA) hosts the Educational Scholarship Program to bestow $1,000 upon up to 25 female recipients who are majoring in business or management fields. Eligibility criteria requires having finished a high school diploma or GED, pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree full-time, living in Southern California, having Hispanic ancestry, and maintaining a “B” average or better. Before March 24th, Latinas must submit an online form with two recommendations, FAFSA forms, and two personal essays.
4. Moss Adams Foundation Scholarship
Valued at $1,000, the Moss Adams Foundation Scholarship is awarded by the Educational Foundation for Women in Accounting (EFWA) to encourage female U.S. citizens at accredited business schools. Women should be finishing four-year B.S. or BBA programs in accounting or finance with an overall GPA above 3.0. Eligible entrants must also either self-identify as ethnic minorities, be returning to college from the workforce, or pursuing a fifth-year program for CPA licensing. Online applications are accepted from January 15th to April 30th.
5. Arab American Women’s Business Council Scholarships
Sponsored by Ford and DTE Energy, the Arab American Women’s Business Council confers six $1,000 scholarships each year to support high school seniors and college undergrads studying business administration. Ladies of Arab descent must be attending an accredited four-year university in Michigan, achieve a cumulative GPA above 3.0, and volunteer for at least six hours at annual AAWBC events. Applications submitted before November 18th must include official transcripts, two recommendations, a resume, financial need statements, and an essay.
Women are continually pushed into STEM fields, but there’s also an under-representation of females in the business management world. According to Money magazine, business majors have the United States’ fourth highest average starting salary at $52,236. Women also find that the BLS projects solid 8 percent job growth in business occupations through 2024. To achieve your corporate leadership goals, consider these and other scholarships for women in business like the ESMT Women’s Scholarship, Women in Public Finance Scholarship, BPW Career Advancement Scholarship, and Angela DiPietro Scholarship.