Among the different fellowships for women are private fellowships, religious fellowships, government fellowships and those created by philanthropic organizations. Many fellowships for women’s higher education are also offered by universities and independent university groups. Other gender-based fellowship opportunities may be offered by large corporations, as well.
Often referred to as scholarships, fellowships for women are offered to help women achieve individual educational goals. A private group or organization may establish a special fellowship fund to offer qualified women tuition assistance, or funds may be offered to help pay for the cost of living while attending a college or university. In some instances, a woman may receive support from more than one organization in order to cover the cost of books, supplies, transportation, tuition and the cost of living.
Private fellowships for women may come from religious organizations, non-profit or non-governmental organizations, educational institutions or may even originate from a large for-profit corporation. Akin to a grant, fellowships differ from loans in that they are not monetary debts that have to be repaid. The conditions for being awarded any of these fellowships may vary, but most do require women to give back to their communities through volunteer service or by obtaining a paid work position that directly provides a service that benefits other women.
Fellowships for women are also sometimes awarded according to what kind of career a woman plans to pursue. For example, medical fellowships are frequently awarded to women who plan on entering health care careers. Fellowship opportunities may also extend to women who want to enter teaching, financial and journalism careers. A wide variety of fellowships for women may exist depending on what a woman’s educational and career goals are.
It is common for many women pursuing doctoral degrees to rely on fellowships to obtain financial support while focusing on rigorous studies. These types of fellowships are often applied to tuition costs, but many are also extended to assist a woman with living expenses so that she doesn’t have to work full time while obtaining a post-graduate education. In many instances, a woman’s fellowship enables her to concentrate solely on her studies and is offered primarily to women who are entering careers that will directly benefit other women, as well as the community at large. These and a variety of other types of scholarships for women are commonly found through universities or may be offered by various private and government organizations.
