The Rainbow STEM Alliance's (RSA) mission is to promote the acceptance and inclusion of LGBTQ+ youth in STEM educational fields or auxiliary fields that directly interact with STEM groups. We fully support FIRST's mission and believe that promoting acceptance and inclusion is essential to engaging young people in STEM fields.

Our scholarship is intended to recognize and assist four individuals with a $500 non-renewable scholarship each for one year. This year's scholarship deadline is May 31st, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET. We will provide at least four scholarships for 2026.
Scholarship Eligibility
To be eligible to apply for this scholarship, you must:

• Have participated on a FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®) or a FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®) Team during high school.
• Apply and be admitted to an institution of higher education pursuing an Engineering Degree.
  • You do not need to have been admitted at the time of application.
  • Both graduating high school seniors and people already in college are eligible.
• Be a permanent resident or citizen of The United States of America.

Application Process
To apply for the Scholarship, complete the application package including:

• Please submit your application via this Google Form.
  
• A letter of recommendation from an adult who is not related to you.  This can be a teacher, a mentor, a community member - someone who knows you well and can speak to your accomplishments. Please ensure this essay speaks to you as a whole, and not for any specific university, program, or award.
  
• A 1-2 page essay (approximately 500-1000 words) describing the promotion of LGTBQ+ acceptance and inclusion in STEM within your community.
  • Please include your preferred name and pronouns in your essay, if you are comfortable.
    

Questions? Please contact [email protected]