From “Star Wars” fandom to Neil Armstrong’s first step on the moon, space exploration continues to be fueled by our fascination with worlds beyond our own.
For those curious explorers who are enthralled by what’s out there in space, cutting-edge technologies continue to spur discovery. Those new innovations require skilled workers and, fortunately, there are scholarships for a variety of “galactic” fields.
In addition to these astronomy scholarships, there are several more key resources for your space studies.
If you’re thinking about space exploration, the name NASA probably comes to mind first, and for good reason. NASA has captured the imagination of generations of aspiring astronauts and scientists, and it is continuing that legacy by training the next generation of space explorers.
Find [scholarships to feed a curiosity in STEM subjects.]
NASA’s scholarships are available in this one-stop portal . Filling out just one online application will allow you to apply for a number of scholarships, including the NASA Aeronautics Scholarship.
This generous award includes both undergraduate- and graduate-level programs. The undergraduate scholarship includes $15,000 per school year for two years, with an option for a possible third year, as well as a summer internship at a NASA research center with a stipend of up to $10,000.
Students who study a science, technology, engineering or math field are eligible to apply. You’ll also need to submit two essays for the undergraduate award: one describing your current program of study and your professional goals, and one asking you to analyze what the greatest aeronautical challenges will be for the next 20-25 years.
In addition to NASA’s national programs, there are also regional programs that you won’t want to miss. The National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program, also known as Space Grant, is a network of more than 850 partner organizations and institutions that expand NASA’s work and continue to support space research. Each Space Grant affiliate is grouped by region, so there’s opportunity to apply at the state level for aeronautics scholarships.
Take a look at [the Best Global Universities for studying space science.]
Check out the website of the national council that manages all of these relationships; you’ll find individual Space Grant websites listed here, with each partner offering their own educational opportunities. For example, the Iowa Space Grant Consortium offers a NASA Iowa Space Grant Scholarship and Fellowship Program, which has included a $7,000 STEM scholarship to study at one of four Iowa affiliate universities.
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, which bills itself as “the world’s largest technical society dedicated to the global aerospace profession,” is another must-see website for space scholarships.
Similar to NASA’s portal, the AIAA offers an online scholarship application system for 15 different undergraduate and graduate scholarships. Even better, each undergraduate scholarship is renewable until graduation.
Basic requirements include a 3.3 GPA, at least college freshman status when applying and membership with AIAA. Some scholarship programs include specific criteria, like aviation aircraft research, but most programs are broad enough to include a number of fields of study related to space and aeronautics.
Applications are accepted from October through January, and the deadline is Jan. 31, 2015.
Check out [additional STEM scholarships.]
Another society with a rich history of supporting space exploration, the American Astronautical Society, offers the $10,000 Lady Mamie Ngan Memorial Scholarship to a student studying at International Space University, an international space education institution.
This year, the application is due on Jan. 31, 2015. The award can be used for the summer 2015 Space Studies Program at Ohio University or for the 2015-2016 master’s in space studies program at the ISU headquarters in Strasbourg, France. For the summer program, the scholarship covers nearly half of the tuition cost.
To apply for the program, you’ll need to have at least a bachelor’s degree and complete a one-page essay. The society also notes that preference will be given to members of Students for the Exploration and Development of Space, another excellent resource as you pursue your dream of space studies.
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Reach for the Stars With Space Science Scholarships originally appeared on usnews.com