Student Veterans of America and Google are proud to announce the opening of this year’s Computer Science scholarship application. Each award will be in the amount of $10,000 and is open to any and all student veterans pursuing computer science degrees or similar fields, as noted below. Scholarship recipients will also be invited to attend Google’s 2014 Summer Annual Scholars’ Retreat. The Scholars’ Retreat provides an important networking opportunity for top students from all over the United States and Canada to meet with each other and with Google engineers in a personable, fun environment.
All application materials must be received by SVA no later than 11:59pm PST on December 2, 2013. Scholarship recipients will be announced in February of 2014, and the scholarship funds are to be used for the 2014/2015 academic semester.
Interested applicants are encouraged to read the below information carefully. If you meet the eligibility requirement, please click on the link at the bottom to access the application form. Complete all fields and upload the required documents, preferably as PDFs. If you have any questions regarding the application or the scholarship, please contact us here.
Eligibility
Eligible student veterans must meet the below outlined minimum criteria:
All successful candidates must:
- Be currently enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student at a university for the 2013-2014 academic year
- Intend to be enrolled in or accepted as a full-time student at a university in the United States for the 2014-2015 academic year
- Maintain a strong academic performance
- Be pursuing a Computer Science or Computer Engineering degree, or a degree in a closely related technical field*
- Be a current student veteran, as proven by a DD-214 and transcript
- Have received an honorable discharge, or currently be in good standing with his/her branch of service
*Related Technical Fields may include:
- Software Engineering
- Electrical Engineering (with a heavy computer science course load)
- Computer Engineering
- Information Systems
- Information Technology
- Applied Networking
- Systems administration
*Related Technical Fields do not include:
- Civil, Mechanical or Industrial Engineering
Required Additional Documents (uploaded on next page)
- Current copy of resume/CV;
- Unofficial copy of current university transcripts;
- Two letters of reference from a professor, adviser or supervisor. These must be emailed by the author to scholarships@studentveterans.org and the subject should read “Google App LoR – LASTNAME”
- Responses to 3 essay questions (compiled into one document);
- DD 214
Essay Questions
Please answer the following questions thoroughly, yet succinctly (300-500 words max).
1) What sparked your interest in computer science? How did this lead you to major in computer science and what do you hope to accomplish with your degree? In your answer, please describe how your experiences have influenced the goals you have for yourself.
2) Please give us 1-2 examples of how you have exhibited leadership. Explain how you were influential and what you were trying to achieve. These need not be demonstrated through formal or traditional leadership roles. Think broadly and examine the many ways you are having an effect on the members of your technical community, your university, or your broader community.
3) Please describe the most significant computer science project or research you have worked on, how you approached key technical challenges, and what you gained from the experience. It might have been a class assignment, a research project, or other work or volunteer experience. If the project was team-based, specify your individual role and contributions in the project.
