FIRST Scholarships are offered exclusively to students that have participated on a FIRST team in high school. Students participating in either the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) OR the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) are eligible.
Many colleges, universities, professional associations, and corporations acknowledge that the FIRST experience is often the spark that lights the flame of life-long learning and that participating students are more likely to acquire a passion for learning and a drive to succeed. Scholarship providers have come to value the advantages that FIRST provides to students in the areas of advanced knowledge and understanding, technical skills, and self-confidence, coupled with life and work-related skill development, and offer college scholarships exclusively to these students.
Currently, there are over 180 schools and organizations across the country offering over 1200 undergraduate scholarship opportunities, totaling over $20 million in scholarship funding available for current or former FIRST participants. The individual scholarships range in value from one-time awards starting at $500 to renewable awards for up to four years of full-tuition. Scholarships are available to pay for school in a broad range of academic fields, with 60% for STEM majors and 40% for any chosen major. Use the links to the right to find out how you can finance your college education using free FIRST scholarships.
■ It’s about completing a very challenging project with limits on your budget and a firm deadline.
■ It’s about working on teams, help from caring and knowledgeable mentors and peers, Gracious Professionalism, helping an opponent.
FIRST participants are:
■ Significantly more likely to attend college
■ Twice as likely to go on to major in science and engineering
■ Three times more likely to specifically major in engineering
■ Young women in FIRST are four times more likely to expect to pursue science and engineering in college
■ Minority members of FIRST teams are more than twice as likely to enter the fields of science and engineering
■ Interest in pursuing careers in math and science has risen 84 percent90 percent cite FTC as sparking interest in math and science
Scalability of the program makes it accessible:
■ Small amount of space required for instruction, build, and practice of the robot
■ Project-based learning means greater potential for team and individual success
■ Easily adapted to fit various practice and playing spaces, venues, and competitive settings
■ Integrates easily within the classroom setting
■ Support of local communities plays a pivotal role in the success of FTC
■ Becomes a focal point for the local/school activity
FTC enables girls to confidently take on and solve real-world challenges:
■ Inspires confidence and self-respect
■ Instills a sense of pride and accomplishment
■ Provides the opportunity for “hands-on” building, engineering, and design
■ Levels the playing field, especially for girls and all-girl teams
■ Affords everyone with the chance to builda robot
■ Permits everyone to have direct accessto learning that comes from head-to-headcompetition
FIRST Illinois Robotics
First Lego League Jr
FIRST LEGO League
First Tech Challenge
First Robotics Competition
