Texas Women Empowerment Scholarship

Since Texas became a state in 1845, there have been only nine women elected to executive office outside of the State Board of Education, and the current 87th Texas legislature is made up of only 26.6% women. 

These numbers add up to a Texas government that cannot successfully represent the 50% of Texans who are women. Additionally, according to the Texas Women’s Foundation report on Economic Issues for Women, “While women complete college at higher rates than men, they also are burdened with greater debt in pursuit of those accomplishments. Women hold nearly two-thirds of the outstanding student debt in the United States—about $929 billion. The irony is that women earn these degrees with the promise of higher-paying careers, yet while working in these higher-paying jobs, they are paid less than their male counterparts.”

This scholarship will work towards balancing the scales by not only lowering the financial burden women face in higher education, but also by supporting the educational goals of young women who are interested in reducing disparities in Texas - women who will empower others by going on to shape policy, laws, and other public programs. 

High school seniors, undergraduate, and graduate women students from Texas are eligible to apply for this scholarship if they are going into fields such as pre-law, political science, public health, medicine, and other related fields. Students must have a 3.0 GPA or higher to apply. Special consideration will be given to applicants from underrepresented and marginalized communities. To apply, write about what motivates you to improve gender disparity in Texas and how you plan to use your degree to make an impact.