CFPs: Blacks at Microsoft Scholarships (US)

Funding Information

• BAM will award 55 scholarships totaling $150,000.00 (USD):
  • 5 awards of $5,000:
    • Awards are renewable up to three years or until a bachelor’s degree is earned, whichever occurs first, on the basis of satisfactory academic performance maintaining a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, full-time enrollment, and continued enrollment in the eligible major.
• 50 awards of $2,500:
  • Awards are one-time only. Past recipients cannot reapply.

Eligibility Criteria

• The BAM Scholarship was created to enable Black and African American students to attend college and pursue a career in technology. The goal is to empower future generations to do and be more.
• To be considered for a BAM Scholarship, you must:
  • Be a high school senior of African descent (for example, African American, African, Ethiopian, etc.).
  • Plan to attend a four-year college or university in the US in the fall immediately following your high school graduation.
  • Plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate study in Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Information Systems, or one of the following Business programs – Business Administration, Finance, or Marketing at an accredited four-year college, university, in the United States, for the entire upcoming academic year.
  • Demonstrate a passion for technology.
  • Demonstrate leadership at school or in the community.
  • Have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale or its equivalent.
  • Require financial assistance to attend college.
  • International applicants are welcome to apply if they attend school in the US.
  • Employees and children of Microsoft are ineligible.

Selection Criteria

• The program will use criteria including the consideration of academic performance, demonstrated leadership and participation in school and community activities, work experience, a statement of career and educational goals and objectives, unusual personal or family circumstances, an online recommendation, and a short essay.

Application Requirements

• As part of the application process, you will be asked to submit the following:
  • One letter 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. (Letters must be on letterhead.)
    • If you request a letter to be uploaded by your recommender, please ensure they have done so by the deadline (March 18, 2025 by 3pm CST). All materials must be received by the deadline.
  • Transcript:
    • A current, complete transcript of grades. Grade reports are not accepted. Transcripts must display student name, school name, and credit hours for each course and term in which the course was taken.
    • Note, if you are providing SAT or ACT test scores, and those scores are not listed on your high school transcript, you will need to upload a copy of your test score report(s) separately. If you are uploading a college transcript, those scores are not required.
  • One Essay
    • Describe how you plan to engage in the technology industry in your career. (2,000 characters- approximately 500 words or less). (If you have done exemplary work using technology during high school, please describe that also.)
    • Financial need will be considered. Recipients must demonstrate need.

For more information, visit Microsoft.