Funding: $2,000–$20,000
Opens: August 1 every year
Deadline: November 15 every year
American Association of University Women (AAUW) Career Development Grants provide funding to women who hold a bachelor’s degree and are preparing to advance or change careers or re-enter the workforce in education; health and medical sciences; science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM); or social sciences. Primary consideration is given to women of color and women pursuing their first advanced degree or credentials in nontraditional fields.
Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents whose last degree was received before June 30, 2015. Funds are available for tuition, fees, books, supplies, local transportation and dependent care.
AAUW originally designed Career Development Grants in 1972 to offer “encouragement” funding to AAUW members seeking to renew or resume academic work for credit toward career or employment advancement.
Today, grants support course work beyond a bachelor’s degree, including a master’s degree, second bachelor’s degree, certification program or specialized training in technical or professional fields. Coursework must be taken at an accredited two- or four-year college or university in the United States or at a technical school that is fully licensed or accredited by the U.S. Department of Education. Funds are not available for doctorate-level work.