Blacks at Microsoft Scholarships

Scholarship Sponsored by Microsoft

Introduction
The Seattle Foundation, in partnership with the Black at Microsoft Inclusion Network, offers a scholarship opportunity for current high school seniors who intend to pursue a four-year college degree in a STEM or business-related discipline.

Who May Apply (Eligibility)
To be considered for the Black at Microsoft Scholarship, applicants must meet all of the following:

- Be a senior in high school.
- Intend to enroll full time at a U.S. accredited four-year college or university in the fall immediately after high school graduation.
- Plan to major in one of the eligible fields: Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Information Systems, or Business Administration, Finance, or Marketing.
- Demonstrate enthusiasm for technology.
- Show leadership experience at school or within the community.
- Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent).
- Non-U.S. citizens are welcome to apply provided they will be enrolling at a U.S. college or university.

Note: Microsoft employees and their children are not eligible.

Award Details
Up to 55 scholarships will be awarded, with amounts ranging from $2,500 to $5,000.

- Five awards of $5,000 each: These awards may be renewed for up to three additional years or until the student earns a bachelor’s degree, whichever comes first. Renewal depends on continued full-time enrollment in an eligible major, satisfactory academic progress (maintaining a cumulative 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale), and ongoing enrollment.
- Fifty awards of $2,500 each: These are one-time scholarships. Previous recipients of the $2,500 award may not reapply.

All scholarships are designated for undergraduate study only.

Notification
All applicants will receive notification in June. Communications will be sent by email; therefore, when registering your account, use a personal email address you will retain rather than a school or employer address. Add studentsupport@scholarshipamerica.org and the program’s email address to your safe-sender or contacts list to ensure delivery.

Scholarship Payment
Scholarship America administers payments for The Seattle Foundation. Payments are issued in early August, made payable to the recipient’s college or university, and mailed directly to the institution.

How Recipients Are Chosen
Finalists and recipients are selected based on:

- Academic record
- Leadership and involvement in school and community activities
- Work experience
- A statement of educational and career goals
- Significant personal or family circumstances
- A short essay (see topic below)
- One online recommendation

Essay requirement
- Topic: Describe how you plan to participate in the technology industry through your career.
- Limit: 2,000 characters (about 500 words or fewer)

Financial need, as determined by Scholarship America, must be demonstrated for an applicant to receive an award. Scholarship America selects finalists; Microsoft makes final recipient decisions. Not all applicants will be awarded scholarships; decisions are final.

Application Materials Required
You must upload the following documents as part of your application:

- An official, complete transcript showing:
- Student name
- School name
- Course grades
- Credit hours for each course and term
(Grade reports are not accepted.)
- For international applicants: upper secondary school diploma or certificate, and examination results where applicable.
- English translations for any documents not originally in English.

Testing scores: If you provide SAT or ACT scores and they are not printed on your high school transcript, upload an official copy of the test report. College transcripts do not require SAT/ACT score uploads.

Letters of recommendation
One online recommendation form must be submitted by a faculty or staff member from your school. The recommendation must be uploaded no later than three business days after the application deadline. Your application will be considered incomplete until all required materials, including the recommendation, are submitted electronically.