Microsoft Disability Scholarship to Study in the USA 2021
Scholarship eligibility
This scholarship will be awarded to promising high school seniors with disabilities who plan to attend a vocational or academic college and target a career in the technology industry. The scholarships are renewable – each winner who continues to meet the criteria is eligible to receive an annual award of $5,000 for up to four (4) consecutive years for a potential total $20,000 scholarship.
All completed applications must be submitted by March 1, 2021.
Requirements
To be considered for the Microsoft Disability Scholarship, you must:
- Be a current high school senior living with a disability (as defined by WHO), whether that be visual, hearing, mobility, cognitive, speech or other disability.
- Plan to attend an undergraduate program in a 2 or 4-year University/College or Technical College in the fall of the academic year following high-school graduation. Schools must be in the USA or have a USA-Affiliate for financial transactions (contact Seattle Foundation to verify non-USA school’s eligibility).
- Declare an approved major in engineering, computer science, computer information systems, law, business, or a related field (e.g. paralegal, pre-law, finance, business administration, or marketing).
- Demonstrate a passion for technology.
- Demonstrate leadership at school and/or in the community.
- Have a high school cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
- Require financial assistance to attend college.
- Enrollment status must be full-time or half-time.
How to apply
To apply for a Microsoft Disability Scholarship, email the following items to scholarships@seattlefoundation.org:
Résumé. Your résumé should include the following information:—Extracurricular activities (school and community related)—Honors and awards that you have received (if possible, include awards that are technology related)—Work experience
Transcript. Include an unofficial copy of your current academic transcript. (If selected as a finalist, applicant will need to provide the Seattle Foundation with official versions)
Three essays.—In no more than 500 words, describe how you plan to be engaged in the technology industry or technology law or policy in your career.—In no more than 500 words, please share your vision of how Microsoft can innovate its future devices and services solutions to creatively & successfully support those living with disabilities in the workplace and in daily life to reach their potential.—In no more than 300 words, describe how your disability has impacted you, and your financial need for this scholarship.
Two letters of recommendation. At least one letter must be from a faculty or staff member at your school. Letters of recommendation should be original and should not be duplicates of college recommendation letters. Do not include relatives as references.
Complete Application Form. Fill out the entire Application Form at the end of this page. You can type the information or print clearly. Download the Microsoft Disability Scholarship application (Microsoft Word document, 723 KB)
Email all of the above to scholarships@seattlefoundation.org by March 1, 2021.
Please ensure that your application packet includes the required information and documents before sending.
We will not accept additional documents sent separate from the original application packet, and only complete application packets will be reviewed.
Final selection will be complete, and those selected to receive the Microsoft Disability Scholarship will be notified at the end of April.