Blacks at Microsoft Scholarships

Scholarship Sponsored by Microsoft

Status: Open — Deadline: March 16, 2026, 3:00 PM CT

Overview
Seattle Foundation, together with the Black at Microsoft Inclusion Network, funds a scholarship for current high school seniors who intend to pursue full-time undergraduate study in a STEM or specified business field at a four-year college or university in the United States.

Award Information
- Award amounts: $2,500 or $5,000
- Number of awards: Up to 55 total
- Five (5) awards of $5,000 each — renewable for up to three additional years (or until a bachelor’s degree is earned), provided the recipient maintains full-time enrollment, a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale), and remains in an eligible major.
- Fifty (50) awards of $2,500 each — one-time awards (past recipients are not eligible to reapply).
- Awards apply to undergraduate study only.
- Institution type: Four-year colleges/universities (U.S. institutions). Program is national in scope. International students may apply if they will enroll in a U.S. college or university.
- Note: Employees of Microsoft and their children are not eligible.

Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must:
- Be a high school senior at the time of application.
- Plan to begin full-time undergraduate study at a U.S.-based four-year college or university in the fall immediately following high school graduation.
- Intend to major in one of the following eligible fields:
- Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Information Systems; or
- Business Administration, Finance, or Marketing.
- Demonstrate a strong interest in technology.
- Show leadership involvement at school or in the community.
- Hold a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent).

Selection Criteria
Finalists are chosen by Scholarship America; Microsoft selects scholarship recipients from those finalists. Decisions are final. Scholarship awards are made based on:
- Academic record
- Leadership and participation in school and community activities
- Work experience
- Statement of educational and career goals
- Unusual personal or family circumstances
- Short essay (see topic below)
- One online recommendation
- Demonstrated financial need as calculated by Scholarship America (required to receive an award)

Essay Prompt
Describe how you plan to participate in or contribute to the technology industry in your career. Limit: up to 2,000 characters (approximately 500 words).

Application Materials & Requirements
When applying you must upload:
- A current, official transcript (grade reports are not accepted). Transcripts must show:
- Student name
- School name
- Grades
- Credit hours for each course and term
- For international applicants: upper secondary diploma/certificate (if earned) and examination results, plus English translations for any non-English documents.
- If SAT or ACT scores are not included on your high school transcript and you wish to submit them, upload an official score report separately. (If you submit a college transcript, SAT/ACT reports are not required.)

Recommendation
- One online recommendation must be submitted by a school faculty or staff member. The recommendation must be received no later than three business days after the application deadline. Applications are considered incomplete until all required materials, including the recommendation, are submitted electronically.

Notification and Communication
- All applicants will be notified of decisions in June.
- Notifications are sent by email. Use a personal, long-term email address when creating your account (do not use a school or work email).
- Add studentsupport@scholarshipamerica.org and the program email address to your safe-sender list to ensure you receive communications.

Scholarship Payment
- Scholarship America administers payments on behalf of The Seattle Foundation.
- Payments are issued in early August and are made payable to the recipient’s college or university and mailed directly to the school.

Important Notes
- Financial need must be demonstrated to receive an award.
- Not all applicants will receive a scholarship. All applicants accept Scholarship America and Microsoft’s final decisions.
- Awards are for undergraduate study only.