10 STEM Scholarships for Middle School Students

STEM subjects are popular among students. If you are a middle school student interested in pursuing STEM, you can apply for STEM scholarships. These help you get started on your academics and career path while providing financial support.

STEM scholarships are offered by various prestigious organizations to support students during their higher education. Many require you to complete challenges or projects as part of your application. We have compiled a list of 10 STEM scholarships for middle school students.

10 STEM Scholarships for Middle School Students

1. Lumiere’s Junior Explorer Program

Location: Virtual

Cost: Varies; financial aid available

Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified

Dates: 8 weeks starting June 2 (Summer Cohort I) or July 14 (Summer Cohort II)

Application Deadline: Varies according to cohort

Eligibility: Middle school students

Middle school students can consider enrolling in a prestigious virtual program. Lumiere’s Junior Explorer Program is structured such that you can work 1:1 with a mentor who is from a top research university, such as Harvard, MIT, or Stanford. As part of the 8-week program, you will develop your knowledge of and skills in a STEM subject by completing a project. The Junior Explorer Program was founded by a Harvard & Oxford PhD who met as undergraduates at Harvard. You can find the application here!

2. Davidson Fellows Scholarship

Scholarship Amount: $100,000, $50,000, and $25,000 scholarships

Application Deadline: February 12

Eligibility: Students aged 18 or younger who are US citizens or permanent residents

The Davidson Fellows Scholarship offers scholarships in three bands: $100,000, $50,000, and $25,000. Gifted middle school students who have completed a notable project in a STEM subject can apply for this scholarship. The scholarship application has two parts. In the first part, you will briefly describe your portfolio or project. In the second part, upon confirmation of meeting eligibility requirements, you will provide the nominator’s information and submit category requirements. Professionals from the relevant field will evaluate your work and decide the winners.

3. Veritas AI’s AI Trailblazers

Location: Virtual

Cost: Varies; financial aid available

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified

Dates: 25 hours over 10 weeks (weekends) during spring cohort, or 25 hours over 2 weeks (weekdays) during summer cohort

Application Deadline: Rolling deadlines

Eligibility: Students in grades 6–8

Veritas AI’s AI Trailblazers program teaches middle school students the basics of artificial intelligence and machine learning. This virtual program is structured with 25 hours of programming. You will learn diverse topics, namely, Python, data analysis, regression, image classification, neural networks, and AI ethics. By the end of the program, you will complete a project related to the topics covered. Past students have built a machine-learning model to classify music genres and created a machine-learning algorithm to provide a custom list of educational resources based on selected specifications.

4. Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge

Scholarship Amount: Several awards; finalists receive $500

Application Deadline: June 11

Eligibility: Students in grades 6–8 who have competed at a Society-affiliated science fair

Middle schoolers can opt for the Thermo Fisher JIC, a STEM competition. If you have completed a Society-affiliated science fair, you can apply for this competition. After the finalists are announced in September, the finals week is organized in October. If you are selected as a finalist, you will receive a fully-funded trip to Washington DC. The event culminates in a Science & Engineering Project Showcase, after which the winners are announced. 

5. The Paradigm Challenge

Scholarship Amount: Up to $100,000

Application Deadline: May 1

Eligibility: Students aged 4–18 participating individually or in teams

The Paradigm Challenge recognizes students for their creativity and innovation in designing solutions. Your project can devise a solution for a range of topics, such as home fires, personal health, waste reduction, food security, biodiversity, and so on. Depending on your age, you can participate in one of several divisions, with each division having its own winners. The projects are judged based on originality, effectiveness, feasibility, presentation, and collaboration. The top entry winners receive the scholarship as well as a trip to Los Angeles to attend the award ceremony. 

6. 3M Young Scientist Challenge

Scholarship Amount: $25,000

Application Deadline: May 1

Eligibility: Students in grades 5–8

The 3M Young Scientist Challenge invites students to submit an innovative idea. This science competition is a project-based opportunity that encourages creativity. The challenge is to solve an everyday problem through science and technology. You will submit a 1 – 2-minute video describing the solution that solves an issue faced by you, your family, community, or the world at large. The top 10 finalists also receive a summer assignment to develop a prototype under the mentorship of a 3M scientist.

7. eCYBERMISSION

Scholarship Amount: Several awards, including $1,000 for the first-place state-winning team

Application Deadline: March 4

Eligibility: Students in grades 6–9 participating in teams of 2–4

eCYBERMISSION is a virtual STEM competition. You will be led by an adult team advisor to come up with a science or engineering-based solution for a community problem. Through this competition, you will learn to engage with your community and apply STEM principles to develop a practical solution. You will have access to STEM professionals who support you with your entry. All submissions are judged, and feedback is provided. Prizes are awarded at the regional, state, and national levels.

8. Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes

Scholarship Amount: $10,000

Application Deadline: April 15

Eligibility: Students aged 8–18 who are working on a service project or completed one within the past 12 months

If you are passionate about the environment, you can apply for the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes. The prize is awarded to students who take meaningful action towards an environmental crisis. Over the years, students have worked on humanitarian efforts and environmental projects, among others. Your project, in which you have taken a leadership role, can be interdisciplinary and engage with environmental concerns through art and science. 25 winners will be awarded the prize.

9. Cooke Young Scholars Program

Scholarship Amount: Up to $55,000 a year for college (tentative)

Application Deadline: April – May (tentative)

Eligibility: High school juniors from families with financial need who have shown strong academic performance and leadership qualities

• Students currently in 7th grade and/or entering 8th grade in the fall

• Since the beginning of the 6th grade, they have earned grades of all or mostly As, with no Cs or below in core academic subjects (English/language arts, math, science, social studies/history).

• They can demonstrate unmet financial need. Applicants with a family adjusted gross income (AGI) up to $95,000 are eligible to apply. 

• They must be attending middle school in the U.S. and planning to attend high school in the U.S.

The Cooke Young Scholars Program is a 5-year, pre-college scholarship. In addition to financial support, you will receive academic and college advising. Through this program, you can also receive funding for extracurriculars, participate in annual summer programs, attend community programming throughout the year, and benefit from networking opportunities. Internships and learning enrichment opportunities may also be available. Thus, you can make the most of your high school experience and plan for college by preparing in middle school.

10. Angela Award by NSTA

Scholarship Amount: $500

Application Deadline: December 19

Eligibility: Female students in grades 5–8 who are residents of the United States, U.S. territories, or Canada, and enrolled full-time in public, private, or home school

The Angela Award is part of the NSTA’s Awards and Recognition Program. It is awarded to students who have done exceptional work in the science education field. Only 1 female student is awarded under this category each year, making it competitive and prestigious. You must be involved in or have a strong connection to science to be considered for this award. If you win, you will be honored at a private ceremony.

Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a Ph.D. student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.

Image Source - Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge logo