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BAM Scholarship

Supporting the continued growth of black employees and encouraging careers in technology.
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Blacks at Microsoft (BAM) Scholarships

BAM will award 50 scholarships totaling $137,500 (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.
  • 45 awards of $2,500: 
    Awards are one-time only. Past recipients cannot reapply.

Requirements

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.

How to apply

Thank you for visiting our scholarship site. The 2024 Microsoft scholarship cycle is closed. The 2025 Microsoft scholarship application process will open in January 2025. Please check back in January.

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, 2024). 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 collage 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.) 

All materials must be submitted through the online application link. Your application is not complete unless all required materials are submitted electronically. Emailed or mailed documents will not be accepted.

For questions, please email BAMScholarshipInfo@microsoft.com.

Frequently asked questions

  • No. The BAM Scholarship is open to high-school seniors only.

  • The BAM Scholarship is only open to high school students enrolling in full-time undergraduate study at an accredited four year college, university in the United States.

  • Yes. A current, complete transcript of grades. Grade reports are not accepted. Transcripts must display student name, school name, grades and credit hours for each course and term in which each course was taken.

  • Yes. The BAM Scholarship is available to high school seniors planning 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.

  • Yes, scholarship winners of the renewable award can renew their scholarships for up to three years.

  • No. If you are interested in applying, you can find more information here: Microsoft Internships.

  • Yes, you can take advantage of Microsoft’s student certification offer.

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