First Robotics Scholarships
Before you spend hours on this
Will this scholarship actually lower your cost?
Not always. Many colleges reduce your financial-aid package when you win an outside scholarship — sometimes dollar-for-dollar — so the money can end up saving the school instead of you. It's called scholarship displacement. Two free tools tell you where you actually stand:
General guidance, not financial advice — your school's financial aid office is the only authority on how they treat outside awards. Always confirm with them before deciding.
Best fit for
Any current or past FIRST team member pursuing STEM in college. Particularly strong fit if you served as a team leader, programming lead, or build/design lead — those leadership roles get specifically called out by sponsoring companies.
What they actually look for
FIRST runs the LARGEST single STEM-scholarship database in the country — 100+ partner companies (Lockheed, BAE, Boeing, Northrop, Raytheon, GE, Caterpillar, Cargill, John Deere, plus dozens of universities) offer FIRST-specific scholarships. Total annual scholarship value: ~$80 MILLION. One application via the FIRST database routes you to ALL matching awards. If you've done FIRST and aren't applying through their database, you're literally leaving money on the table.
What you'll need
- Current or past member of a FIRST Robotics team (FIRST LEGO League, FTC, or FRC) in HS
- Plan to study STEM, engineering, computer science, or related at a 2-yr or 4-yr college
- Letter from your FIRST team mentor or coach confirming participation + role
- Essays on FIRST experience + technical learning + impact
- Strong academic record (3.5+ GPA typical for winners)
- Apply via the FIRST Scholarships Database — ONE application opens you to 100+ named scholarships
When to start
Database opens August-September of senior year, individual scholarship deadlines run from October through April. Check the database (firstinspires.org) monthly during senior year to catch new postings.
Watch out for
Many FIRST scholarships have INSTITUTIONAL eligibility (only paid IF you attend specific partner universities — common for company-funded ones), so check each award's school list. Also: some FIRST scholarships require specific majors (computer engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering) — don't assume any STEM major qualifies.